Last week I went to a school event; one of the VP’s and her husband gave a presentation about their bike trip to San Francisco. They rode their bicycles, rather ordinary-looking mountain bikes, from Steilacoom to SF in three weeks.
I went out of curiosity, and was so inspired by Sunny’s enthusiasm that I started taking notes. I have a whole sheet of tips and thoughts on my desk at home, scribbled on the list of questions that they started their presentation with. (“Don’t you mean a motorbike?”)
Forty to sixty miles a day, every day but one, for three weeks. Some of it on Highway 1, which I remember from two trips….
When I was a little girl, we went up Highway 1 north of SF as part of a vacation trip. It was one of those childhood vacations that stands out as having been the ultimate vacation. Also one of the last trips with us all together, before Dad died. Also one of my early bursts of manic picture taking. (I can’t remember if it was part of the trip that we took to the family reunion. That would’ve made sense.)
When I was 19, I talked Raul into taking 1 – again, north of SF – on our trip home from Tacoma to Cali for Christmas break. He drove wildly and erratically then, much as he did everything else, and owned a 1971 VW van, and so the trip was…gorgeous, roller-coaster-like, and entirely nerve-wracking. I remember crossing the Golden Gate sometime after dark, and him yelling something to the effect of: “we are never going to do that again!” (This was the same Christmas break where our house was broken into, and on the way back the van broke down at Gorman. Fun times.) It made me wonder what that childhood trip (also taken in a VW van) had been like for my father, who did most of the driving, and my mother, who is something of a worrier.
The idea tempts me deeply. I would love to see that landscape up close; I’ve made the trip between here and Cali in one way or another so many times, by car, plane, bus, and train. Bicycle would just make things complete. And it’s a physical challenge that make sense to me; I don’t get mountain climbing.
Two years ago, I didn’t know how to ride a bike, and so far this month I’ve ridden more than 100 miles, 4.6 miles every day. Could I do 10 times that every day for three weeks? I want to say yes.
I’m inspired also by Lynn’s marathon training, and by the story Heather told me of her marathon experience. I have no particular drive to run a marathon, but it gives me hope that I can achieve my own dream.
First step will be to check out the book they recommended. Then I need to find a way to increase my regular mileage. Happily, C thinks it’s a great goal for us as a thing to do together, so I have a buddy in my dream.
That sounds cool I wish I could rember any of the trips we took with dad even a little bit.
So you are not going to come the rest of the way south and come and see us?
sometime I should show you my photo albums from way back. (you were a darn adorable baby.)
oh, we won’t be doing a bike ride to SF anytime soon! I’m SOOOOO not ready for it. we might come down later this year by some other mode, tho; if we head that way, I’m sure we’ll come all the way down.