San Francisco: Sausalito

Naturally I wanted to see the Golden Gate Bridge up close, so cycling seemed a good idea.   I was also really keen to visit the little town of Sausalito, which sits on the 'other' side of the bridge, on the edge of the bay.  So I combined the two things.  

Alcatraz looks quite attractive in the sun: see my earlier post for the real story.

A large number of cyclists and pedestrians compete for the single pavement/sidewalk

While heavy traffic roars by

There is a constant flow of boats under the bridge, tourist and giant freighters

People visit for another reason too

In Sausalito I very much wanted to see the famous houseboat community, which sits to the northern edge of the town.   

Sausalito is a Californian town of about 7,000 situated near the northern end of the Golden Gate Bridge.  Prior to the building of that bridge it served as a terminus for rail, car, and ferry traffic. Developed rapidly as a shipbuilding center in World War II, the town's industrial character gave way in postwar years to a reputation as a wealthy and artistic enclave, a picturesque residential community (incorporating large numbers of houseboats), and a tourist destination

The Sausalito houseboat community consists of more than 400 houseboats of various shapes, sizes, and values, along the north end of town, approximately two miles from downtown.  

The roots of the Houseboat Community lie in the re-use of abandoned boats and material after the de-commissioning of the Marinship shipyards at the end of World War II.  

Many anchor-outs came to the area, which created problems with sanitation and other issues. After a series of tense confrontations in the 1970s and 1980s additional regulations were applied to the area and the great majority of boats were relocated to approved docks. Several are architect-designed pieces that have been featured in major magazines.

It looks idyllic.

This chap entertains the queue waiting to board the ferry. He claims to be the only remaining '60's hippy in Sausalito.

After all that cycling, and a large 'turkey and swiss' for lunch, I bought a 5$ ticket and brought my myself and bike back on the ferry: it was far too hot to cycle back.