Ride the West--Day 12 Cloverdale to Petaluma

Dear Family and Friends, It is hard to believe that we would have a "bonus day" after so many great days, but sure enough, today was absolutely phenomenal. When I walked outside this morning the air was noticeably warmer, about 60 degrees versus the 50 or less I'd experienced the last 2 weeks. We pushed out of the hotel through the outskirts of Cloverdale and wound our way through still more redwoods. I really never knew how widespread and plentiful the redwoods were in California. After only 8 miles, we moved from the redwoods to the bountiful California vineyards and wineries. This entire area was full of activity with trucks hauling crates and crates of grapes harvested from the vines that were bending from the weight of the fruit. As we wound through this glorious country with the hundreds of thousands of rows of white and dark grapes we could read the names on the ornate signs that marked the entrance to the wineries like Everett Ridge, Lambert Bridge, Rafanelli, Amphora, Raymond Burr, and Alderbrook. With a bright blue sky and a winding road ahead, I enjoyed gliding along with my friends Larry, David, Greg and his daughter, Heather, and a "visiting alumni" from my ride across America, Scott Terpstra. The SAG stop at 33.4 miles seemed to come so quickly with the least amount of effort expended.

I didn't stay long at the rest stop since I planned to have stop in nearby Occidental, just 7 miles up the road. We all pulled out of the SAG and continued to slide along until we came upon a 3-4 minute hill that ended in a stop at the Bakery Cafe. I stretched for a few minutes and then I bought two hubcap sized cinnamon rolls and a nice cup of java. I had to literally wrestle with Mike Munk to get him to take one of the cinnamon rolls. Trust me, these were the BEST cinnamon rolls you've ever eaten, so I think he'll forgive me for being so pushy.

After talking with Mike and Greg's daughter, Heather, who is a professional bike racer, Greg and Heather and I headed down the steep hill outside of Occidental. The hill was steep and the descent came fast, as did a huge crater in the middle of the road and partially hidden in a shadow. I was moving about 30 mph when I spotted this huge hole in the asphalt and narrowly missed what would have definitely caused grave bodily damage! From there on, the three of us flew down this hill with Heather and Greg leading the pace line of the three of us for about 5 miles. For the remaining miles, I led us with a strong tail wind up and down the rolling terrain glancing in my mirror to make sure we kept a pace that worked for all of us. For the better part of 45 minutes, we were kicking along at 24-30 mph without dropping a soul. What a blast! On the last climb into Petaluma, we all let off the gas and recovered, and I even stopped to take a photo of a beautiful Belgian draft horse. This regal animal walked my way and let me rub his nose as two above average mammals connected with a few kind words and a kind touch. It was a moment.

We rolled into the hotel parking and immediately helped unload the America By Bicycle van with Karen and Barbara. As soon as I had my bike tucked into my room, I changed into my swim suit and hit the warm, soothing pool and hot tub. What a wonderful way to cool down and stretch after sitting on a bike seat for 3 or 4 hours! As the other folks arrived, they all remarked about the stunning beauty of the wine country. At our "rap" tonight, Karen explained the challenges of the last 50 miles to San Francisco and crossing the Golden Gate Bridge. We also said goodbye to Nancy, the incredible 75 year old lady who biked the entire last week, a really tough ride for even an experienced young rider. Jenny also will be leaving after tomorrow's ride.

After a filling dinner of fajitas at Applebees, I went to the Scott and Kathy Terpstra's room to watch their pictures of the 2006 Cross Country Challenge we rode together. Larry, David, Scott, Kathy and I all laughed as we remembered the people and places that made that 52 day adventure a lifelong memory. And now we are blessed to make still another special memory along the Oregon and California coasts. And tomorrow we'll close another chapter.

Hope you've enjoyed the ride and have smiled once or twice. I love these adventures and it is even more fun to share them with you.