I was riding towards the Golden Gate Bridge yesteday when I saw this older gentleman going up this steep little hill hauling a trailer behind his bike. I rode up next to him and just made a quick comment about doing it the hard way climbing up with a trailer. It turns out he had ridden his bike from Seattle to San Francisco.
We talked for a little while and it was pretty cool hearing the stories about some of the things he had seen along the way.
He was 57 and had just recently retired and wanted to visit San Francisco. So instead of hopping on a plane he decided to ride his bike from Seattle. It was amazing seeing the big smile on his face and how proud he was of his accomplishment. He said that it felt like a dream when he rode over the Golden Gate bridge because he knew he had finally made it to San Francisco.
Along the way he would set up a tent to sleep or stay at Hostels. He carried everything he needed in his trailer.

One of the things he said was that at 57 he was in much better shape than at 37.

Sometimes I get too wrapped in seeing how fast I can ride or how high I can maintain my heart rate. It's refreshing meeting someone who is riding for the pure pleasure of it and for the scenery. Sometimes I forget the reason I started riding in the firt place, for the enjoyment of it.