Highest temp noted today was 35C/95F, but it was a lot cooler than that in San Francisco.When leaving Bakersfield made a slight detour to get a replacement for my skype phone and saw lots of pump jacks pumping oil along the side of the road, right in town. Mostly interstate driving today so put in quite a few kilometers. Passed huge orchards with many varieties of fruit and nut trees. Around Wasco, CA I thought that we were in the middle of a flower shop when riding down CA Hwy 46 over to I-5. Later found out that this area produces 55% of the roses in the US. All along I-5 saw many more huge orchards and the largest green onion patch that I've ever seen and smelled. Another odour on the trip was garlic that turned out to be coming from some large open trucks ahead of us. Also smelled the distinct odour of cows way before we came upon a huge stockade with what must have been thousands of cattle, since they were everywhere. No wonder we could smell them well before we saw them.
Decided to stop along the way and mount my video camera on the motorcycle. Think I got some good shots showing the contrast between brown hills/mountains and the huge orchards of plums, nectarines, peaches, mandarins, lemons, etc. Paralleling I-5 we also saw quite a bit of the California Aqueduct that brings water from Northern to Southern California. This is a huge concrete lined channel with pumping stations along the way.
Activated the video camera crossing through the pass heading towards Oakland and again from the entrance to the Bay Bridge from Oakland to San Fran almost all the way to where we are staying for 2 nights in San Fran. Will be interesting to see how these turned out and edit them when I get home.
Walked to Fisherman's Wharf to have dinner at Neptune's on pier 39. Passed by the block on Lombard Street in which the roadway has eight sharp turns (or switchbacks) that have earned the street the distinction of being "the crookedest [most winding] street in world". A necessity on a street with a 27% grade. I want to take the motorcycle down with the video camera but Ruth thinks it's dangerous and not a very good idea.
Had a great dinner and the view of the bay from our table included the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. After dinner we walked back to our room via Hyde Street, which is one street where cable cars still operate. The grade gets very steep at one point and then gets even steeper in the next block. Ruth became a little winded and our heartbeats and body temperature increased due to the exertion. Live in this city and do a lot of walking and I guarantee that your fitness level will increase. Think I'll take the cable car next time.
Photos: California Aqueduct; Would look steeper if I had camera level but hard to judge; Lombard Street; Alcatraz taken from our dinner table.
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