Sun, surf and cycle
Cycling The Golden Gate Bridge is a must-do activity when in San Francisco. Every day hordes of visitors make the pilgrimage to Blazing Saddles cycle hire and ‘bike the bridge’.
Leaving the crab shacks of Fisherman’s Wharf, a purpose-built bike path hugs the edge of San Francisco Bay. Under the bright February sunshine we stopped to watch the California sea lions and the harbor seals lazing on the rocks, before crossing the Golden Gate Bridge to the Marin Headlands, where a vista point gives you a 360-degree view of the bay area. Hopping back on the bike, we freewheeled it down to Sausalito – a world of private yachts and multi-million dollar homes – before refueling with a crab cake burger and taking the ferry back across the bay.
North of the city in Marin County is Mount Tamalpais, the home of mountain biking. You’ll find lots of Lycra-clad bikers on the trails around the rocky hills, as well as hikers and surfers on their way down to the waves at Stinson and Dillon beaches. This is where the city dwellers come to get fresh air, shop at farmers’ markets, eat locally-grown food, and get in touch with their flower-power roots.
For a variety of graded mountain biking routes on Mount Tamalpais, there’s plenty of choice: there are more than 80km of trails within Tamalpais park, connected to an extensive 320km-long trail system.
If you fancy your chances as a pro cyclist, the winding 20km climb to the 784-metre summit of Mount Tamalpais is a leg-breaker. The route takes you up through California redwoods and oaks, and on a clear day, you can see the Farallon Islands out to sea, and the city and bay of San Francisco to the south. From the top, the road then plunges down to the coast, where the trees give way to brushy hillsides, and then to thundering breakers on the beach. But it’s not all hard graft – there are country inns, bakeries and local dairies all along the route for pit stops.
Organic food is well established in California and the region north of San Francisco is a hot spot for foodies. Local produce, including Point Reyes blue cheese, can be found on the menus of restaurants state-wide. A trip to California would not be complete without a visit to wine country to sample California’s Merlots and Cabernets.
Napa Valley is the most famous of the wine regions, as featured in the wine-flick Sideways, but there is more to Californian wine than this one region. There are, in fact, five major wine regions in California. Napa, or ‘land of plenty’, produces eight per cent of Californian wine, but lesser-known areas such as Lodi, in the Central Valley, produce equally prestigious grapes. This understated region has been a major wine growing area since the 1850s and it was here that I sampled the 7 Deadly Zins – a deep, thick, Zinfandel bursting with blackberry flavours. At 16 per cent it’s the kind of wine that compels you to drink, eat and be merry.
Only 30 minutes from Santa Barbara is the Santa Yuez Valley, which is a cycling Mecca. Everyone from ambling families to future Lance Armstrongs come to ride the kilometers of colour-marked trails, using the town of Solvang as a base. There are rides through the vineyards to suit every ability, with the opportunity to do a Sideways wine-tasting tour. Strictly-speaking wine and wheels don’t mix, so you might consider stepping off the bike at this point. Taxi for one!
The BIG race
The Amgen Tour of California is a 1,045km, eight-stage professional cycle race held in February in California. A recent addition to the world of cycling, it has already been touted as North America’s biggest cycle race.
The inaugural race, in 2006, was won by the 2006 Tour de France yellow jersey winner Floyd Landis. The 2007 field included Road World champion Paulo Bettini, along with a host of top pro riders including Lance Armstrong’s old Discovery Channel team mates, George Hincapie and Ivan Basso, as well as Tour de France riders Michael Rogers and Jens Voigt.
It begins with a traditional prologue (time trial) through the bay-side streets of downtown San Francisco. The 2007 race traveled through 12 host cities heading north from Sausalito to Santa Rosa, then inland to the historic State Capitol of Sacramento before turning south to San Jose and finishing alongside the famous sandy beaches of Long Beach. The event has quickly become extremely popular – this year it attracted 1.6 million spectators including Arnie Schwarzenegger who made an appearance as guest of honour during stage two.
The 2007 winner was Levi Leipheimer, a Santa Rosa resident who regularly trains on the roads of California. After eight days leading the peloton (pack) of 144 international riders, Leipheimer was crowned as champion. He covered the 1,045km in 24 hours, 57 minutes and 24 seconds making it a double whammy for the state – he is the second Californian to win the race.
Trip Details
Getting there
Susannah flew with United Airlines. Prices start from about £600 for return flights from London Heathrow to San Francisco.
Staying there
Susannah stayed at: The Holiday Inn fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, very near a path that leeds all the way to the Golden Gate Bridge. The flamingo Inn in Sacremento, it has a 25m swimming pool and a good helath spa, near to the Nepa valley wine region. And a river boat in Sacremento.
Family bike rides are available in Solvang, visiting family-friendly wineries, and a horse stables
Images: Doug Pensinger, Getty Images
