Black and White Wednesday - Sights from our bikes ~ Our Boy and His Cricket

Wednesday, August 24, 2011 -

Black and White Wednesday - Sights from our bikes

As you all know we got a new ride for our littlest sprout last Saturday, you can read all about it on my previous post. As soon as that baby was loaded up in the car we headed straight for San Francisco for a day long ride through Golden Gate Park...a ride I've been wanting to do for a very long time and I wasn't disappointed! Even though the weather was less than perfect for me, we still loved every minute of the fog filled day and even the few sprinkles that landed on us at the end of our journey.

As we were making our way through the tourist filled streets, we started up a path that we thought was taking us to the Chinese Pavilion in the middle of Stow Lake. We soon found ourselves going uphill and winding round and round and at one point I had to get off my bike and walk. I have no idea how Mike or Big J got up that hill on their bikes!! Well I was huffing and puffing and looking down below and thinking to myself this was not what I had in mind and I just wanted to be on the path below me that wound around the lake. By the time I reached the top I was ready to go back down but was stopped by the view...WOW! My family was at the edge of the cliff looking out across the tree tops at one of the most recognizable sites in the world...I was stunned! There in the distance in the parting fog was the Golden Gate Bridge in all it's glory! Our little wrong turn up the big hill had taken us to the top of Strawberry Hill which over looks San Francisco in every direction....breathtaking!

Before long we were on our way down the hill. We stopped along the way to get a better view of an owl who was perched in a tree watching the world pass him by. Little cricket was in awe and kept whoooooing at him and finally the beautiful bird swiveled his head around to give us a nod. Our ride down was much quicker than going up and we found the path that led us to the pavilion I'd so badly wanted to see and I wasn't disappointed. For just a few minutes I pretended I was back in China and just enjoyed the moment...oh what I would do to be back in that beautiful country again! The lake surrounding the pavilion was filled with paddle boats and lots of bird activity as well as what seemed like 100's of tourists! We didn't make it to the historic boat house but I'm hopeful we'll be back during the off season and really explore that part of the park more.

After a while we'd built up an appetite and began to seek out a place to grab a bite. We rode along passing the De Young Museum (now featuring Picasso) and the California Academy of Sciences which both sit in a beautiful park setting which for the life of me I don't know the name of! Anyone know?? This part of the park is one of my favorites though...there are trees and flowers and the architecture of the buildings is amazing! The last time we were here we were just two months from referral for our girl...it was a wonderful day together as a family before our family grew...good memories! It was nice to be back with our cricket. :)

We found a little spot to sit and people watch and enjoy the many photographers capturing weddings, engagement photos and families trying to save the memory of their trip to The City. It was a perfect spot to enjoy a warm cup of chowder that warmed us from the cool and foggy day. For me this part of the park is so dreamy and romantic...on a sunny day I could stay here and wander around all day or maybe just sit and people watch for a few hours.

With our bellies full and some warmth added, we took off for the Conservatory of Flowers which is amazing! Even though we didn't make it inside we did enjoy walking our bikes around the gardens and spying on several more weddings one of which was in a tunnel which was full of candles. I wanted so badly to sneak up and capture the moment with my camera! The fog made the conservatory vanish when I took pictures so I'm looking forward to going in the fall when the fog leaves the bay and the sun shines to see if I can capture it's glass and white building in all it's glory as it sits surrounded by brick and flowers.

The wedding below was bound to be an interesting one...each person had a bike which was decked out in flowers, ribbons and other decorations. The groom and groomsmen were in various costume of some sort and looked to be enjoying the stares from onlookers. This part of the park is a stunning back drop for a wedding and would be a perfect spot to watch one as you enjoyed a picnic on the grass. A thought for next time for sure!

Eventually we got back on our bikes and on our way again. We passed through so many fabulous spots that I would have loved to have stopped and snapped a few pictures but we would have been back at the car around midnight if we had. I loved the lake filled model boats floating around, the waterfalls here and there, but my most favorite pass through was the casting ponds! Oh I could watch those fly fishermen all day! Next time we'll stop at the Dutch Windmills, the Buffalo Paddock, Shakespeare's Garden, the Japanese Tea Garden, and the children's playground which looked like it could be a day adventure just by itself! If you ever take a trip to Northern California, Golden Gate park is not to be missed!

Soon the ride was over and we found ourselves back at our car. :( It always makes me a little sad when we load the bikes back up and head home. There's something so serene when I'm out riding...I feel like I'm free and in my own little world but the best part is when I pull up along side my children or hubby and we share a moment pedaling away. We finally got a great book filled with rides in Northern California and our next ride is already planned! I can not wait for the next ride!