Part 15: Ocean, Sky, Freedom: West Coast Bicycle Adventure—Canada to Mexico— San Francisco

By Frosty Wooldridge

Part 15: San Francisco

“Bicycling unites physical harmony coupled with emotional bliss to create a sense of spiritual perfection that combines one’s body, mind and spirit into a single moving entity. Bicycling allows a person to mesh with the sun, sky and road as if nothing else mattered in the world. In fact, all your worries, cares and troubles vanish in the rear view mirror while you bicycle along the byways of the world: you pedal as one with the universe.” ~ Frosty Wooldridge”
― Frosty Wooldridge, How to Live a Life of Adventure: The Art of Exploring the World

(San Francisco’s famous cable cars carrying tourists all over the rugged hills of the city.) Photography by Frosty Wooldridge

Pedaling a fully loaded bicycle over the Golden Gate Bridge moves your spirit in ways you cannot imagine.  At first, we stood on the north side of the viewing area.  Speeding traffic crossed the “orange” bridge in both directions.  People walked on the east side of the bridge with dozens of them taking pictures or staring downward to the choppy waters below.  Out to the west, the blue Pacific fades into the horizon.

“Nice day with no fog rolling into Frisco Bay,” I said to Daniel.

“Yes, I’m told the fog covers the bridge much of the time,” said Daniel.

Looking at the bridge commands your eyes to the enormity of the cables and steel works that form its grandeur.  If you look at bridges around the world in the 21^st century, they provide stunning architecture, but the Golden Gate’s fame spans the entire world.  Everyone from every country wants to walk across the bridge on the “City by the Bay.”

We rolled over the bridge slowly. We took lots of pictures.  After a half hour, we made it to the other side where a souvenir shop sold everything from miniature bridges to baseball caps.

(Daniel riding down the curviest road in the world: Lombard Street, famous for many movie car chase scenes from Steve McQueen to James Bond.)  Photography by Frosty Wooldridge

From there, we pedaled along the bay until we reached Fisherman’s Wharf.  Vendors with paintings, trinkets, three-minute profiles of your face, T-shirts and necklaces awaited us.    Tourists waited in long lines for a ride on the famed cable cars that carried them up extremely steep roads that intertwined the city. 

We secured the bikes to walk on Pier 39 where we saw break dancers, steel drum players, guitarists, mimes, jugglers and human statues.  Everybody from everywhere hustled money.

Later in the morning, we climbed to the top of Lombard Street, famed for being the most crooked street in the world. Many movie chase scenes for the past 60 years race around the curves of Lombard Street.  Of course, we took our bikes down that cobbled street, too.  You can’t have too much fun on a bicycle tour.

Late in the day, we sat down at a sandwich shop for our last conversation.  I advised Daniel to visit Yosemite National Park.  I would continue southward on the Pacific Coast Highway Route 1.

(Street bands, dancers, artists, jugglers, mimes, trinket sales persons and much more inhabit Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco to the delight of everyone who visits the “City by the Bay.”  Photography by Frosty Wooldridge

We hugged. I cried.  I told him what a fine young man his parents brought into the world.  It’s amazing how I become so attached emotionally to another cyclist.  It’s my nature.

I pedaled south on Route 1 until twilight. A man named Robert yelled out at a stop light, “I pedaled coast to coast back in 1990.”

“Fantastic,” I said.  “You know I’m having fun.  Hey, any chance you know of a campground around here?”

“Yes, you can camp in my back yard,” he said. “Follow me.”

I followed him six blocks to his house with the perfect back yard for a tent.  Robert brought out his two boys to share a plate of apples and pears along with cheese.  His wife died of cancer when the boys reached five and six years. He raised both boys by himself.  Both became honor students and track stars. Plus, they sang in a choir that toured the world.

“I’m so proud of you young men,” I said.  “I lost my father when I was young and you lost your mother.  But you know something, you will go forward to live great lives.”

They seemed delighted that I talked directly to them.  They gave me a firm handshake, which denotes a solid sense of integrity to me.  And, they looked me in the eyes.  I like that in a person when we meet.

Up at dawn, I folded my tent, deflated my sleeping mattress and rolled up my sleeping bag.  I left a nice note, discovered the correct address and sped south along Route 1.  I sent Robert and his sons ten of my “Spirit of Adventure” cards when I returned home.  Just a little thanks for their kindness.

Man, I powered through incessant traffic along the coast. Lots of gridlock and horns.   Surfers waited for waves along the coast for their 10 seconds of riding.   I like windsurfing myself so I can keep flying around the water without waiting for the next big wave. 

The coast provided me with up and down climbing all day.   Sunny weather. Blue Pacific waters.

(Some kind of fortified bunker from WWII south of San Francisco.)  Photography by Frosty Wooldridge

I also noticed that California’s demographics changed since I traveled three west to east tours and two coast tours in the past 40 years.  Endless gridlocked traffic.  It’s changed from European-Americans to predominantly Asian, Chinese, Indian, Mexican and African immigrants.

Heading south, dramatic ocean views with cliffs and rugged islands dotted the waters. Always, birds flew everywhere and nested on the rock islands. 

Along the way, I passed hundreds of cars stuck in gridlocked traffic.

##

Frosty Wooldridge
Golden, CO

Population-Immigration-Environmental specialist: speaker at colleges, civic clubs, high schools and conferences

Www.HowToLiveALifeOfAdventure.com

Www.frostywooldridge.com

Six continent world bicycle traveler

Speaker/writer/adventurer

Adventure book: How to Live a Life of Adventure: The Art of Exploring the World

Latest book:  How to Deal with 21st Century American Women: Co-creating a successful relationship

Frosty Wooldridge, six continent world bicycle traveler, Canada to Mexico summer 2014, 2,200 miles, 100,000 vertical feet of climbing:

(Sun sinking into the Pacific Ocean. I camped out on a cliff to watch it finish off the day with sublime beauty.)  Photography by Frosty Wooldridge