Not
with MIL,
escape from.
This is becoming an
annual tradition for me. Get up early on Boxing Day and fly down to my old stomping grounds in NorCal where my
zero bike is stored. My
Tall Friend Andy keeps it for me at his abode in the People's Republic of Berkeley. Flying from PDX to Oakland is cheap and easy during the dead week after Christmas, and all I need to to bring is a handlebar and saddle bag packed and ready to go for a credit card tour.
So this year's tour route is penciled in. December 26th will be a plane travel day. I'll use the rest of the day to fit up a new front rack and possibly fenders if there's a chance of rain in the forecast.
I'm informed that the Richmond-San Rafael bridge recently and finally was fitted with a bike lane. 27th will be Berkeley to Tomales, where we'll stay at the Continental Hotel. There are several ways to get there, easiest is out Sir Francis Drake, but Fairfax Bolinas is more interesting, and the last time I rode down Bolinas Ridge was a few decades ago, so maybe that's in play. That'll probably be a game time decision. 28th will be Tomales to Andy's cousin in Healdsburg. Luckily the recent fires down there are well past us, and it'll be raining all or most of the next week. I'm hoping the rain is done before this tour! The 29th will be Healdsburg to Napa, 30th will be a short ride across the Carquinez Bridge back to Berkeley, a quick shower, and straight to the airport for a 6pm flight back to Portland.
I'm hoping for weather like this. @
nlerner won't be on this trip*, so we'll probably get rained on.
2014 TdMIL
Here's a rough strawman route. Ridewithgps didn't allow me to route over the Richmond-San Rafael bridge, originally the plan was to take BART across the bay and start from SF.
Pointing this out early enough here at Bike Forum in case anyone along the route wants to meet up and ride with us along the route.
*I've credit card toured with him in the dead of winter in Oregon, it was sunny every day.