Choo Choo All Aboard

BF:  I'd like to take you on a train ride.
Me:  Oh, I bet you'd like to take me.
BF:  Niles.  [ignoring my remark]
Me:  You'd like to take me on a train ride on the Nile!
BF:  Sigh.  No not the Nile.
Me:  The Orient Express, instead?
BF:  The Train of Lights in Sunol and Niles Canyon!
Me:  Will I have a porter assigned just to me?
BF:  You're looking at him.

And boy it was fun, waiting at the train station in Sunol, a place we've biked through a number of times.

 Ah, the porter, aka The Boyfriend, who served me chardonnay from France.  What a beau. 

 Me, doing my best Donald Trump look, sort of.  We were out in an open car, in the dark starless night, a bit of mist creeping in, as we took in the beauty of the lit train maneuvering steadily around corners.  Once in awhile the horn sounded.  Choo choo. 

And it was pretty.  How different it looks at night from bike rides done in daylight along Niles Canyon.  A nice way to end the holiday break.

Wonderful Watsonville

The BF:  Not 5 miles into the ride and already men are coming on to you.
Me:  I know.  What can I say.
The BF:  Disgusting.
Me:  I shall flirt only with you, Mister.
The BF:  You better, Missy.

To which I did.  However, The Boyfriend said I was not permitted to repeat the naughty sweet nothings whispered in his ear.  Actually, what he said was, "That is sooo not going in your blog."

Today's outing began on Santa Theresa at Cottle, a little of the Tierra Bella and a little of Strawberry Fields bike tours.  The route included scenic Hecker Pass, Hazel Dell and Mt. Madonna, all of which smelled heavenly, the lovely scent of pine.  The canyons were cold but Watsonville brought warmth and sunshine.  We returned to the start as night fell upon us. Hopefully, The BF will let me flirt with him again on another ride.

Just the Stats:

77 miles
11,9 mph avg
31 mph on descent
6 hr 29 min

Woody on Mines

5:15am:  zzzz.  dreaming about that Old Spice guy.
6:00am:  zzz.  dreaming about boy toys on the 4th floor of the library.
6:15am:  zzz.  dreaming about staying in bed with bon bons and cafe au lait.
6:30am:  oh alrighty, going to leave the warmth of my bed for an ACTC ride led by Mr. J.
Hrs later:  Realize I completely missed the Eclipse!  Sigh.

Ms. P and I fumbled in the cold to the start, our fingers practically falling off.  It's colder here than in parts of the East Coast.  I have a fondness for Livermore much as I do for Alviso.  When I think about wine country, I often think about Livermore more than Napa now.  It's beautiful country. 

Miss P. and I, after thawing out, began the ride on Mines Road with Mr. J and D&D.  Just the 4 of us.  At the junction (and cafe), Miss P. spotted Woody the Woodpecker!  Though he looks a bit different from the cartoon character of my childhood.  Actually, far more beautiful.

Without this club and Miss P., I would have stayed in bed and I would have missed an enjoyable outing with a lot visuals stuck firmly in my memory.  Later, The BF called from the airport, surprised that I encountered no men to flirt with; ha, I said, I saw some "wildlife" but occasionally I do focus on the riding.  But only occasionally.

Just the Stats:

58.50 miles
11.5 mph avg
27.5 mph descent
5 hr 5 min

InCROYable

With the recent high winds and chilly temperatures, I contemplated leaving my warm inviting bed this morning to do a ride with my favorite biking buddies.  The other evening I was convinced that if I stepped outside with an umbrella, I'd land on the Moon in no time.   I lost power that night.  The morning was cold and the winds were variable but I joined the gang in Morgan Hill for a route that mirrored parts of the ACTC's Tierra Bella but also included Croy.  The sun shone brightly and that helped greatly.

Afterwards, we stopped off at Erik's Deli and surprise, we ran (well, not literally) into Donny's group.  Hello Miss A!  I wasn't hungry so I popped over to Starbucks ... wait, wait for it  -- yes I was served by a delicious boytoy.  He said to me, "What would you like, Hon?"  I kid you not.  You, I thought.  But I settled for a coffee.  I think he wanted to tip me....

Above, the view from my dining room.  A room with a view.  Fall has arrived and winter is on its way.  Thank you Miss P and Dr. G for a lovely 35 mile outing.