Flying 200 Feet Above the Bay: A Grand Bike Ride to Sausalito

With a sunny San Francisco afternoon stretched out before us, Kennedy and I hop on the tandem bicycle for a ride journeying from the Mission to Sausalito. At 16th Street we eat savory and sweet crepes from Ti Couz, sitting at an outdoor cafe table. The spicy sausage and gooey nutella in the crepes give us energy to peddle our way around the city and across the bay.

We take Market Street all the way to the water and follow the bike lanes past the Ferry Building, the colorful piers and bustling Fishermans Wharf. Next we climb around Fort Mason and along the water's edge at Crissy Field where kite surfers and dogs rule. The wind whips on this exposed edge of the town. After one more short climb and we are at the glorious Golden Gate Bridge. The first moment on the bridge is the most exciting, suddenly flying 200 feet above the sparkling bay. Its exhilarating to be crossing the bridge on the bicycle, not so windy, but roaring with the sounds of traffic and water. As the city gets smaller behind us, we approach the craggy green edge of Marin. Traveling at rush hour on a Monday we pass commuters who likely take this route to work every day.

Once in Marin we navigate the vague signs to Sausalito and ten minutes later arrive along the main street of the town that winds along the water and is lined with expensive homes, classy restaurants, cafes and galleries. Towards the end of the business district we park the bike on a boat-lined dock and get olives, cheese, cured meats and crackers from Wellington's Wine Bar for our picnic. Looking over the water we open a bottle of Chardonnay from my sack and relax in the late daylight of the summer. Feeling far from home in this gorgeous place it is easy to appreciate the beauty of Northern California. We opt for the ferry back to San Francisco as the sun goes down over the water. This is a grand bike ride.