I ride sections of the Bay Trail along the South Bay and the Peninsula up to SF on a pretty regular basis, but had never followed the section up the East Bay until shortly before school got out for Nim. Despite being flat, it was a pretty entertaining ride, with lots to look at. Here are a few pictures:
The first part of the route that was new to me was the Hayward Regional Shoreline, which afforded some nice levee trails, and a most welcome potty hut. One could also see all around the bay from here -- up to SF and Oakland, down to San Jose and the South Bay. I was surprised that this park had previously escaped my attention.
I stopped to have lunch on a bench with a view of the Oakland airport.
Heading in to Alameda.
Riding through Oakland was entertaining given the sheer energy on the streets. It is one of those places where there is just a lot of life going on outside -- and there was an interesting juxtaposition of stuff from block to block -- from areas that aren't so well-off, to community gardens, to places where there is clearly a vibrant art community, to rapidly gentrifying bits, and every gradation you can think of in between. I particularly liked one street on which there were several artist workshops, and several people had dragged their works in progress out onto the sidewalk to work on out there. I also hit a jetty along the shoreline, far from anything else, which a lone saxophonist had claimed as his practice space (he was good).
Nim likes chickens, so I had to text her the giant chicken mural.
One has to stop when one sees this -- and it turned out to be "Free coffee Friday" so I got free coffee. Will have to remember them.
I enjoy the parts of cities that feel like they are in between the cracks of what normal people see. In this case, it was the bike trail going under the complicated spaghetti of freeway overpasses approaching the Bay Bridge.
Oooh, a sign! They opened the bike trail along the eastern span of the Bay Bridge a few years ago, and I've been meaning to ride it ever since.
The trail along the bridge is wide and well separated from the cars, and as a result is much more pleasant than the bike route over the Dumbarton Bridge. I enjoyed the views.
Alas, the trail does not yet extend all the way off the bridge, but rather dumps you off on Yerba Buena Island, from which you can ride to Treasure Island. There are a number of defunct-looking buildings there, and many large piles of dirt being bulldozed around. The site with views across the bay to either side is so good that I can't help but think there should be more here. Another work in progress, I guess.
Fortunately, one of the things that is present on Treasure Island is a Muni stop, so I took the bus across the rest of the bridge to San Francisco and then took the train back home. A fine day's exploration!
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