No bike riding today. So we shopped, toured IKEA (Billie’s first time), had Salmon BLTs at Cafe Bernardo, explored some retirement communities in N Natomas, and bought groceries. Billie is a phenomenal cook.
Tonight, she made salmon (a favorite) with honey & brown mustard, fresh peas, and seasoned rice. Yum!

Today we checked off a couple of things on Billie’s bucket list. We drove to Walnut Creek and took BART into San Francisco. A very friendly boy going to the Giants game with his dad started up a conversation with Billie:

Near Market & Embarcadero:

Don’t let the smile fool you, I’m hanging on for dear life:



There are so many places to eat in Chinatown, therefore hard to know which one to choose. We took Sunset magazine’s suggestion and ate at R & G Lounge. Excellent choice!

Dubious Billie explored the markets and herb shops with many unusual offerings, including different varieties of ginseng (some cost $400/lb) or dried sea cucumbers.

The Fairmont Hotel:

The Buena Vista Inn serves the BEST Irish coffee!
Golden Gate Bridge:
There was a 45-minute wait for the cable cars, so we walked along the wharf and caught a bus.
Our BART ride back to Walnut Creek was packed! Commuters and Giants heading home.
Check and check. Now Billie needs to add more things to her California bucket list. Fun day!

The American River Bike Trail from Beal’s Point at Folsom Lake to Old Sac. Phyl dropped us off – and she picked us up at the end.
LOL – Vamping for the camera:
Looking upriver from the Folsom Pedestrian Bridge:

Looking downriver, the Rainbow Bridge:

Miles = 33

We drove to Thais’ house,
missed the train by ONE minute, had coffee at Steamer’s in Old Sac,

and caught the next train

to Davis – the Bicycle Capital of the USA, where 20-25% of all trips are taken by bike.
We rode the Davis Loop, a 12-mile route around the town connecting all schools, from elementary to college. Back in Sac, we had (just one) beer at Crawdad’s, a bar on the Sacramento River.

Miles = 28

In the afternoon, we had cocktails at Phyl & Dave’s. Phyl makes the BEST lemon drops!
Phyl joined us for dinner at Ernesto’s in downtown Sacramento. Another fun day!

We drove to Phyl’s house and parked, then rode to Midtown Sacramento. Approaching Robla on the Sacramento Northern Bike Trail:
It was only 8 miles from Rio Linda to the Starbuck’s/Noah’s Bagels at 19th/K Sts.
The guy behind the counter at Noah’s looked so familiar, I had to ask where he went for elementary and junior high school. A big smile came over his face … I was his teacher at Westside Charter School. James McMillon is now the manager of this Noah’s location and is involved in local theater doing all sorts of different jobs, including acting. Cool!

Billie and I took a different route home, this time on the E Levee Road, but we still didn’t get enough miles so I showed her the bike trails around Rio Linda. The Barn Trail Quilt project on the Depot Building near the Rio Linda-Elverta Community Center.
We rode the the Sac Northern trail to its end at Elverta Road, then the Dry Creek Parkway trail from Dry Creek Road to its end at U Street.
Miles = 33.

E Nicolaus – Wheatland.
Unlike Virginia, it’s flat riding here. The only “hill-climbing” – freeway overpasses.

This was Billie’s first time to see artichokes growing. These were near Salle Farm Stand and were about 5 feet tall.


Miles = 32

Billie flew in today from Roanoke VA for a week of bike riding. Step one was figuring out which bike she would ride. She chose a road bike borrowed from Thais & Lenin. She changed the pedals to match her riding shoes and made a few other fit adjustments.

Justin had to go out of town this week for work, so a few temporary changes took place! I moved to the left garage space because my car fit better, especially when the bike rack was down and loaded with bikes.
The bikes had plenty of room on the other side!

And, my sewing projects stayed on the kitchen island ALL week!