We caught a glimpse of San Francisco Bay early on, but were surprised with a sudden view of the city from across the bay as we rounded a corner in Sausalito.  Everyone was stopping to capture a picture.  From there it was a long steep climb up to the park above the north end of the Golden Gate.  We all gathered for a group photo shoot with the bridge and city in the background.  It was cold and windy, but not a cloud in the sky, so great conditions for enjoying the views and taking pictures.

I was one of the two “sweeps” – designated tail-enders charged with making sure everyone got to the destination okay – so we were the last to head down to the entrance to the pedestrian/biking lanes on the left side of the bridge.  It was a tense ride as the way was filled with walkers, joggers and cyclists, but we made it across without incident.

After exiting the bridge, we climbed up a ways and then raced down to the Pacific shore.  From there we made a long, easy climb through Golden Gate Park and eventually to our host church — St John Armenian Apostolic Church.  They were wonderful hosts and provided us with an awesome home cooked meal that night.