Sunday June 4, 2006 72 miles - Total so far: 72 miles "A successful first day!"

Our first day will be unique from the remaining days of this trip as Gene's wife Sue and our friends Shari and Tracy cycled with us part of the way, in addition to three support vehicles. It would be quite easy to become accustomed to this special treatment. Thanks everyone for your support. We began the day with a short cycle to the San Francisco Ferry Building, then travelled by ferry to Vallejo. After the first 5 miles through Vallejo we found ourselves transported from urban sprawl into rural California countryside. We spent the morning cycling through the low Vaca Mountain range punctuated by idylic vineyards, ranches, farms, and wonderful scents of jasmine, magnolia, and eucalyptus. At the little town of Winters we entered the San Jauquin Valley, one of the most important agricultural regions in the world. We cycled through miles of walnut orchards, then the landscape transitioned into fields of tomatoes and wheat. We stopped to chat with a painter beside the road who was working on an oil landscape of wheat fields and mountains. We enjoyed chatting with Caitlin but it was late in the day and David regrets having to cut short the discussion of her work and the shared enjoyment of painting. We proceeded into Davis to find a motel for the night. After a long hot day of cycling we were tired but thankful to finally be on the road and headed towards the Virginia coast.