They Made Tree Ornaments

On December 19, 2021 I wrote that that morning I woke in my rented suite at an inn in San Anselmo with my kids nearby. I didn’t wanna get up and didn’t move so eventually my kids just got dressed. Our traveling companions were busy so when we were ready to go they were checking out of their room too.

We then headed over to the coffee shop we had been going to for the previous couple of days. This time there was a jazz band. We ordered but somehow the order got messed up. I got the boys pastries. There was tension when the food came and the boys knocked over some water but it was OK.

Once we’d gotten cleaned up and packed we rode Rroute 20 all the way to Larkspur Landing. I got coffee and we sat listening to Christmas carols while the boys did crafts. There was a Christmas market and this one lady had a craft table where they made tree ornaments.

We took the ferry a bit later. Transferring our bikes to the other level was easy because I was so experienced. I had purchased some pens at the bookstore so we colored some sheets I had picked up at the coffee shop.

Later we hung out and said bye at Civic Center Park

This is an occasional series chronicling my life. This Notebook Analysis series is meant to be contemporaneous piece developed as an agglomeration of my notebook pages. In each of these posts I used my notes to develop my recent thoughts.

Down to Deer Park

On December 18, 2021 I wrote that that morning I was awake at 7:30 or eight. I didn’t want to get up but my companions pretty much took the boys so I left with them.

We went to the coffee shop which had a band playing. We ordered big meals but I just had a pastry. The music was good. I texted people pictures.

When we were done we made a stop at the cigar and whiskey shop before returning to the hotel. I took one of the boys on a walk around the neighborhood to look at the thrift store and running store. I needed a sweater but didn’t find anything.

We then left for Phoenix Lake zigzagging past the seminary. The park was fun and when we made it to the dam there was a van set up as an information center. They provided us with some maps and information. I looked at pipes which had been left behind some of the buildings there.

Later we rode past a log cabin and up Shaver Grade. The mountain bikers were mostly older but sometimes they were antagonistic. I had been worried about time and how hard of a grade it would be but by the halfway point it turned out to be pretty easy. We stopped at the top which was called five corners.

We rode down to Deer Park and had some carbonated wine, sandwiches and snacks. The boys played with a soccer ball rolling around and we looked at the maps from the information center. There were chickens.

We rode into Fairfax and stopped at a taproom for some french fries and a little bit of mac & cheese. The boys were crabby and my phone died. We yelled at motorists on the way back to San Anselmo before picking up ice cream sandwiches.

After I got the boys ready in bed we played music and cards late into the night.

This is an occasional series chronicling my life. This Notebook Analysis series is meant to be contemporaneous piece developed as an agglomeration of my notebook pages. In each of these posts I used my notes to develop my recent thoughts.

We rode to San Anselmo.

On December 17, 2021 I wrote that the plan had been the plan had been to for me to take the kids to the ferry building to meet our companions. However, when I put the kids on the bike and we rode to the ferry building, there was a fire alarm so the five of us had to rush when we boarded the boat.

The trip was sedate but I had to carry the bike to the level where we were getting off. We rode to San Anselmo from the ferry terminal in Larkspur then. The boys were in great spirits at the bike shop when we got inner-tubes. After that we climbed the hill and went through Ross.

At San Anselmo we checked into the hotel and went to a bookstore. We also went to Taco Jane’s where we had enchiladas, quesadillas and tequila flights. We later went for gelato before returning to the hotel to wind down with our new books and, once the kids were asleep, our favorite card games.

This is an occasional series chronicling my life. This Notebook Analysis series is meant to be contemporaneous piece developed as an agglomeration of my notebook pages. In each of these posts I used my notes to develop my recent thoughts.

Headed to San Pedro

On November 21 I wrote that I met my companions in the lobby for breakfast at 9:15 and then we checked out at 11:15.

When we rode out we followed the frontage on Highway 1 to Miramar. It was only hard in one place. We considered coffee there but decided to ride to Princeton and go to La Presse in El Granada. A couple of us had bagels but one person had crab.

We rode to the road named “Farmer’s Daughter” via couple of dirt paths and ended up at Ridge Road. From there we climbed to Alamo on a horse path. We debated this route but determined San Vicente Creek may have been better. When we got to Sunshine Valley Boulevard we headed back to San Pedro.

After crossing the creek we took the easy way. I caught my breath at the intersection at the bottom of the biggest climb where we had the option of taking a shorter steeper route called North Peak Access road. We opted for the easier climb up Pedro Mountain Road to the top. I was mesmerized by the section near the top with several outcrops of exposed rock. I stopped in the shade there.

I met my companions at the top and they put on their helmets before the descent. At Linda Mar we just pushed onwards to Rockaway which was easy. We then visited 7-Eleven near Sharp Park and looked at a number of other routes as options but found nothing

I noted that Palmetto Street was OK. We went through the RV park in Pacifica to begin our climb up Skyline Boulevard which was extremely difficult. I dechained. We all agreed when we got to the top that it was the hardest part of the trip.

We made it to Westmoore very quickly. We looked for an alternative to get to Colma BART but it was not very easy. I rode home from 16th St. BART and we met at bar on Fillmore later to discuss the trip.

This is an occasional series chronicling my life. This Notebook Analysis series is meant to be contemporaneous piece developed as an agglomeration of my notebook pages. In each of these posts I used my notes to develop my recent thoughts.

Planet of The Apes

In the morning of November 20, 2021, I wrote that my riding companions texted to say they were late when I had finished packing. We were headed to climb Planet of The Apes. I waited at Civic Center drinking coffee until they arrived and then we rode to Daly City and onward to South San Francisco. Then we rode up to King Street and Westborough.

The route we chose went behind baseball fields and had stairs and was not fun. Also, at the top, Westborough was too steep. We rested and rode to College - which I had forgotten - then we took Sharp Park Boulevard. We found the ride to Rockaway Beach pleasant and we discussed the design of the waste treatment plant before climbing the switchbacks. I told my companion’s about family gatherings there from when I was younger.

At Linda Mar, one of us had a flat so we had coffee and fixed it while watching the surfers. Then we rode through the Safeway parking lot and over to the trailhead Planet of The Apes (also known as San Pedro Mountain trail) was crowded. I rode quickly to the powerlines and we rested. They went ahead to the next segment. On the climb I would ring my bell and they would return their rings and at the top we found some shade.

The ride down was epic and there was a steep part then we rode what I realized was the local bus route through Montera along Sunshine Valley Road. We also went behind the airport to Pigeon Point and we found that the ride around the bay was really good. The sun was setting as we passed the RV Park and the coast route turned out good too and while we found that the Miramar Beach bridge was out, highway one had a path protector. At the hotel we unpacked and raced to the beach to catch the last light. I slipped in the mud on the way back, so had to change my pants at the hotel.

Later we braved Half Moon Bay’s Main Street. After looking at a couple restaurants, we settled on a Mexican place called Cantina at San Benito House and visited the brewery/tap room and listened to live music. We finished the night then at Cameron‘s which was adjacent to our hotel. The place was full of British memorabilia and finished the night playing cards in the hotel lobby.

This is an occasional series chronicling my life. This Notebook Analysis series is meant to be contemporaneous piece developed as an agglomeration of my notebook pages. In each of these posts I used my notes to develop my recent thoughts.