Let's Get This Party Started

Sunday, July 23, 2017

Omg, The Boyfriend took forever to get ready.  I was like out the cottage door in 2 seconds, excited to see what Nevada City, in terms of cycling, had to offer.  We started later than we should have and learned our lesson about being at altitude and in the heat.  We decided to do the Oaktree Bridgeport loop, a 42 mile, 4200 ft. elevation gain ride.  It was a challenging route that afforded spectacular views of which The BF would have entirely missed had I not flung my arms wildly telling him to stop and smell the roses.

This being the first view that The BF simply sailed by as he crossed that bridge in the photo above.  If you look closely, you will see people floating in the water and lovers sitting on a rock. 

This ride involved a lot of climbing and fantastic descents.  Unfortunately, on one climb, The BF had a flat.  It was somewhere near a storytelling festival that one of our cottage neighbors planned to visit.  The BF has tubeless tires. He couldn't get a proper seal using the gas thingy so he had to rely on pumping as much as air as possible into a tube and going with that.  Amazing. 

We plodded on taking in the spectacular scenery.  I realized how much I love being on a bike, how it makes me feel happy and alive.  Until later, when the heat of the day zapped us of energy ....

Once again, The BF totally flew by and missed this little gem. 

Here we are inside the  Bridgepoint Visitor's Center at Yuba River State Park.  Luckily we didn't encounter this fella on our ride.  Apparently there was a terrible flood in the early 90s -- captured by the photos on the back wall. 

Boy we sure wanted to take a dip in the water.  We were beginning to feel the heat.

Smart people. Wish I could have joined them. (This is more of Bridgeport / Yuba River State Park).  By this time, it was late afternoon and the heat took its toll.  I began to see stars.  And firemen.  Oh wait, I did see firemen several times.  I swear they knew I was in town.  At one point, I had to get off the bike and walk up a hill.  I was so spent.  It was 95 degrees.  The Boyfriend charged off and got me water.  What a hero.  We went inside a bar and drank cokes laced with a lot of ice.  The BF amused me, making jokes about getting to Britney Spears (the road is called Britney Springs).  As I dragged my sorry ass behind him, I passed an elderly man in his garden who shouted to me, "He should be behind you like a gentleman."  Ha ha ha ha. What a day but worth it.

Getting to Know Nevada City

In all the historic towns I've explored, whether in California, South Dakota, or elsewhere, there seems to be similar attributes that provide for an interesting trip and lots of memories.  Out of the mainstream.  Locally sourced organic produce.  Preserving history.    Funky names for streets, restaurants, cafes.

We were fortunate that our cottage was within walking distance to downtown.  We traveled this road nightly.

Here is the other end of that road heading into downtown.

I appreciated that the town is preserving its Gold Rush history and architecture.  This photo is of the Chamber of Commerce.  Like other small towns, Nevada City has two great coffee joints that we visited, the Foxhound and Curly Wolf.  We also took a moment to visit The Wheyward Girl Creamery (artisan cheese shop)  after I read an article in The Union, the local newspaper.

In a small town, you'll also always find a Chocolate shop as well as a homemade ice cream shop (no photos).  And yes, there were vegan options.

We ate well.  The BF did a beer tasting at the local brewery and I even tried and liked a cider.  The town also reminded me of my trip to Fall River Mills.  By this I mean, seeing hippy like people with loads of tattoos, who are into au natural though why they think smelling bad is a good thing is beyond me.  It is not natural to smell bad.  Folks seemed pretty laid back and enjoying the good life.  For the most part, drivers were considerate of us cycling on the roads, too.  I didn't see much in the way of diversity.  Bulletin boards were full of yoga institutes, classes for couple therapy and also, gatherings for women.  A bit too weird for me but whatever floats your boat I suppose.  Something I found odd though was the contrast between a healthy lifestyle and passing homes that I call trailer trash (junk in yards from broken down rusted vehicles to old bathtubs and couches strewn on lawns).   I appreciated the opportunity to take in the town and get to know it a bit.  It was a treat.  The cycling was spectacular, more of that to come.

Nevada City Here We Come

Saturday, July 22, 2017

I don't know why I got it in my head that I had to visit Nevada City (learn more about this charming city here) for a biking vacation but here we are, The Boyfriend and I, arriving at the Piety Inn Cottages.  Our innkeeper Michael explains on the website that he was a hairdresser from the L.A. area among other interesting career choices before taking up residence in Nevada City.

Here is a side view of our cottage and parking space.  Nevada City and sister city Grass Valley are historic and vibrant towns where people from all over apparently go to retire.  I can understand the appeal:  it's quiet, it's remote/secluded, it's affordable and it's beautiful.  I can also say after visiting, while I loved our trip, I have no desire to retire here.

Our cottage is named Chestnut cottage -- each cottage is named after a nearby tree.  Boy did we appreciate the air conditioning each day.  By late afternoon, the heat is pretty intense.  We arrived at 12:30, too early to check in, so, we went for a 15 mile ride that allowed us to get a feel for the area and elevation.  We're already at 2477'. 

We lucked out with where we chose to stay.  Our cottage is the near the start (the local bike shop) for all the rides.  Thanks to Sierra Express Bicycle Club for posting fabulous accurate rides from which to choose.  Notice the name of the road that The Boyfriend is about to travel -- Rough and Ready Hwy.  We came across so many interestingly named roads like Idaho Maryland Road, and Rattlesnake, and Banner Cap Lava.

This is a scene that we would see over and over again.  Wooded roads.  Curvy roads.  A lot of climbing with fabulous descents. Wonderfully paved smooth roads.  From the moment we arrived, the smell of Ponderosa Pine tickled our nosed much to my delight.  So much more to report in coming blog entries.  Happy to be here for a much needed getaway.