Day 51, September 21st 2007 (Larkspur,CA to San Francisco,CA)

It was depressing seeing Ryan, Rachel, and Elliott for the last time at the breakfast table this morning. We enjoyed the infamous pancakes and gushers that we had enjoyed at the breakfast table the first morning and then they were off to another day of school. It was my last time seeing them and I can't wait to meet them again later in life to hear of their explorations. Maybe they'll be on an adventure down the road and need a place to stay and I could be on the other end of their travels this time around. It was incredible to meet them and hear of their adventurous personalities that they held at such a young age as they were. With their admiration towards mountain biking they had truly been blessed with an excellent area to pursue their interests. The pancakes were just as amazing this time around as they were the first time and it was a great breakfast to have for the day ahead. There was nothing I loved more than a stack of pancakes. After breakfast I went to the bike shop down the street and was able to have all of my problems taken care of. A new cassette and chain was put on and with all of the other work I had done to the bike, it was ready for the road. Everything was in pristine shape and running at its' full potential. I could tell when I first started to ride that I had been taken care of by the mechanics at The Village Peddler and my bike was ready for some more miles. My body was feeling so much more relaxed and rested compared to when I was riding a couple of days earlier and I was ready for the short ride that I had ahead. As I came back to the house I packed everything up and made sure I had everything ready to go. I didn't have much to manage on the road with me, but I wanted to make sure that I wasn't missing anything. I had a few things left to take care of on the computer and as I was finishing up, Mary had picked up some deli sandwiches from down the street. I was able to talk with her and Todd for a short while over lunch and it was nice for them to have given me as much time as they had out of their lives over the past few days. I said my good byes and I left feeling in forever debt for all of the great things they had done for me. They were an incredible family and I feel blessed that I was able to spend part of my trip with them. I followed the directions that I had out of Larkspur and it wasn't long before I was in the town of Mills Valley, just over the hill. I took a turn that added a few scenic miles in the wrong direction and I must have gone about 4 miles before I realized it. I had headed out on Belvedere and Tiburon's peninsula and was able to see some of the most expensive real estate in San Francisco Bay. Most of the homes were built on a mountain with an incredible view of San Francisco, the bay, the ocean, and all of the other lovely homes in the area. I turned around and made it back to Mills Valley so that I could go in the appropriate direction. I found the path that I was looking for and was fortunate to meet another cyclist who was headed in to the city. She found out where I was headed and took me from where I was, across the Golden Gate Bridge, and into the city most of the way that I needed to go. I couldn't have come at a better time into the city. The previous day it had rained and today it was gorgeous outside. The temperature was at its' usual 70 degrees and it was nothing but blue skies overhead. I was on a short joy ride for the day and I was able to cruise along the coast on a bike path before I dove into town. When I started to dive in town I was on a road that had some pretty good traffic, but I didn't have far to go before I was at my cousins. My legs felt great for the day and it was a nice short ride for them before they would be able to rest for another couple of days. I made it to Chuck's place after the beautiful ride and was able to meet he and his wife Samona and their beautiful little girl Emma. Emma was 2 and half years old and I found out quickly that she was a genius. Some nice big steaks were on course for the meal ahead along with some freshly cooked asparagus. It was a great meal to enjoy while getting to know my cousin and his family a little more. Everything about the evening was just perfect and I was truly treated as a king from the moment I entered his castle. He has a beautiful home in San Francisco with a nice back yard and an incredible view of the city. it was a lot to take in all at once and I spent the remainder of the evening coming to grips with the entire situation that I had stumbled myself into. It was great to be able to learn more about Charles and see how he was doing here in the big city. He seemed to be doing very well and it sounded like he had also spent a lot of his years travelling. With many years being spent in Europe and the most recent of those years in Romania, where he had met Samona. I was able to see many pictures of Romania and it looked like such a beautifully untouched country that it was hard to imagine making the transition to a big city. From a beautiful area that had a desolate population to where he was now living in the midst of millions of people. I loved to hear of all of the travels that he had been able to venture on through all of his years abroad and it was a great evening that helped me to realize how many years I still had to live in front of me. With so much time for so many more adventures to so many more places, it was hard to believe I was still not even half way on the journey I was on. I was having such a great time where I was that it was hard to believe that I was going to eventually have to leave.
Daily mileage: 33.4 miles
Average Speed: 11.3 mph
Total mileage: 3,129.6 miles