Wednesday 15th April
After another day of strong winds and we were more than happy to have arrived at San Francisco. After checking in to the motel I fell asleep we were both absolutely knackered. Around about 6 we decided to go for a short walk and get some grub, it ended up being a long walk, on the whole a very friendly city although we did bump into an interesting character who was off his head on something brandishing a knife and shouting at us, we just ignored him and walked on bye.

Thursday 16th April
Alcatraz what can I say, well worth the effort and money very interesting. Plus there was an art exhibition which was not up to much but it meant that some of the areas that are normally closed were now open. We were absolutely knackered by the time we got back. So we treated ourselves to a steak dinner and a few beers. Actually almost decent beer and a very decent steak.

Friday 17th April.
Today on the way to visit a friend of mine who is over from the UK visiting her father in Berkeley. We road along the whole length of Lombard street including the twisty one way cobbled street (you have to ride it to believe it). I don't think I would ever have found Judy and her fathers place without a sat nav there are so many ways in and out and the roads are very narrow very steep with tight hairpin turns more suited to a mountain goat than a motor bike and all the roads intersecting each other, it was more like a 3 dimensional maze. It's got to be one of the craziest places to live/visit. We had lunch with Judy and her father and many cups of proper English tea:) Her fathers house is situated next to a Regional park that overlooks San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. It's also the third house he has had as the first and second were burnt down in forest fires.

The first house he built him self but that the next 2 houses were built by contractors. The view from the back of his house is just amazing not just looking out over the bay you also have the park to the right and above. Some of the wild animals he has had in his garden over the years were mountain lion, Bob cat, raccoon, Wild turkey and they are just the ones I could remember. Judy showed us many places of interest and some really good bike roads to ride so before dinner we took a ride around Berkeley especially Grizzly peak Boulevard a very twisty road with some fantastic views. The plan was to have a ride around and head back for dinner later and watch the sunset over San Francisco but my head light had blown so we headed for the nearest BMW dealer to get a bulb and had to go back over bay bridge and in to SF and hit the start of rush hour. After finding the place and sorting the head light rush hour was now at full tilt. My sat nav kept losing signal and was just getting us totally lost so in the end we ignored it so with Marcia looking at the signs while dodged in and out of the traffic we managed to get back on to the bay bridge and back to Judy's for dinner we had a fantastic home cooked meal and met more of here friends while enjoying the views of SF bay.
The ride home in the evening was also very enjoyable even though a little chilly. Riding over bay bridge at night with all the other speeding motorists was pretty good I have recorded it on the go pro not sure how well it has come out yet. It was also great to have access to some decent wifi while we there now we are back at the motel it's non existent despite our complaints, not sure it's even worth complaining we always get the same answers "no one else has ever complained" and "the wifi is fine it must be your device". Oh yea 4 different devices that work fine in other motels, Starbucks and Mc Donald's.

Saturday 18th April
Left San Francisco via the red oxide bridge heading north along highway 1 despite it being a Saturday, cloudy, a little chilly and for the first part full of traffic caused by cyclists it was a very enjoyable drive to Fort Bragg, probably one of our shortest days riding in miles. But still a long day. We left San Francisco at 10:00 this morning and arrived here at about 16:30 stopping twice to warm up.