Thinking of San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge is the first icon that springs to mind. It spans the Bay and marks the border to the open ocean. When we took our tour on John Travolta's jolly, we were not allowed to cross underneath.
We were thus all the more keen to cross over on our Haibikes. Yet, cycling the city during the day trying to take pictures while taking all the beauty in as well, had costs us precious time. We thus found us racing towards the sunset.
Yet, the later it got and the closer we came, fog moved in and started to increasingly cloud the bridge. The dense mist is a regular occurrence in San Francisco, although one not too often talked about. It arises when the sun warm air meets the icy chill brought by the Pacific.
But to be honest, instead of despair - what about those Kitsch photos - we were actually intrigued. It was as if the Golden Gate was suddenly shrouded in mystery and we totally loved the thrill.
The way up the bridge is well marked and both pedestrians and cyclists share a road. The weather also had the advantage that we were almost riding by ourselves. And the bridge swings, a rather curious feeling that makes one think of the San Andreas fault underneath.
Cycling back towards the city, we raced down dark hills and streets. The tricky bit only came when we arrived at the hotel. San Francisco sleeps early so it is not that easy to find open restaurants after 10 pm. The Grubstake Diner however is open until 4 am and serves breakfast all night along with a great mix of American and Portuguese food.
Travel tip of the day:
Surprise is the spice of life.