Boards, Bikes and Beer

Day 8. The Boards, Bikes and Beer festival started at 12 noon at the Catamaran. Our friend Andy partnered with Andy to organize the event. Proceeds went to Discover PB, so, of course we volunteered to help the cause. It was Angela's birthday. For her birthday, to support Andy and his PB mission, and to add to the bike adventures....we rode our bikes to the event. 11 miles it would take. The "Johnson" sisters and I met at 10:30 in Golden Hill and made the trek. We took Broadway to Pacific Coast Highway to Sports Arena Blvd to Mission Beach. It took us about an hour, and it was stunning!! Down hill on Broadway through traffic, dodging buses and cars was just a teaser for the 5 lane highway with cars furiously merging onto PCH. I know I've said this before, but, for all you car drivers out there (me included) Cars are soooooooooooo unaware of bike riders on the road. As a driver---you have to watch for bikers on the right, when you're turning right. As a driver, you need to watch for bikers on the left, when your car is parking on the street and you're opening your car door. As a driver, if you're going to make a quick merge over 3 lanes on the road into the left lane....take a look in your rear view mirror--and look for bikers and other cars will you? For the love of Pete...I know I am a horrible driver, but, I never realized how my driving can impact bike riders until I became one. Once we got through PCH and rode over the bridge on the bike trail into Mission Bay--it was stunning. The best part of the ride was over the bridge, over the water and along the bay. Again, the water was super calm and the breeze in SD was perfect on Sunday. It's funny that I rode over the bridge. My family will barely believe me using the word, "bridge" and "happy place" in the same sentence. When I was a little girl, I was petrified of bridges. As a family we were watching Ripley's Believe It Or Not when I was about 7. There was a surge back in the 80's of drivers in HOLLAND that would drive into canals. Apparently, Holland was no good with their "Warning there's a canal 50 feet ahead" signage, and the road would end and cars would drive into them. For some reason that image of the car going under water and people being trapped in it stuck in my head, and I've been afraid of bridges ever since. (thanks Mom/Dad for the scar:) My fear of bridges was conquered when I moved to San Diego 9 years ago and drove over the Coronado Bridge for the first time. Now, I am the biggest fan of bridges. In fact---one of my favorite San Diego Landmarks is the Spruce Street Suspension Bridge. I used to run and ride my bike over it all the time when I used to live in Bankers Hill. It's a historical landmark and was built in 1913ish. Another notable bridge that's been there forever, but, I just found is the Musical Bridge. It's on 25th and Market and goes over the 94 highway in Golden Hill. If you walk over the bridge, grab a stick as you approach. You can run the stick over the "chimes" on the left side of the bridge and it really sounds like a bell or a musical medley of goodness. Apparently, it's another historical San Diego landmark. So, the bridge over the bay into Mission Beach was amazing. The event was amazing also. The "Johnson" sisters and I looked like a band of bike bitches walking with my big red satchel on my back, and our 3 helmets strapped to the back of it. I am sure we scared the very nice and polite brunch patrons at the Catamaran. We drank beer first, then volunteered. Along the way, I learned some things. I met this amazing couple who had just finished a 40 person bike ride from Phoenix to San Diego. They were raising money for Marines that served in the middle east and when they get back, each of them get $1000.00 to do whatever they want for them. They raised $140,000.00 total for the organization. I asked the one woman what her favorite part was, she said, "I was riding with some of the veterans who were injured. They were stronger than I was going up the highest hill, the highest point. When I got to the top, I cried." That was pretty powerful. They gave me their website, I need to check it out: www.therideofsemperfi.com

I also learned about Butt Butter. This is not something I will consider trying, but, apparently, it's most commonly used among the "male riders" for various reasons. I guess it's the best trick out there to protect the "nether regions".

So, 1 long bike ride down, another great event, and loads more info about bike riding.