Healdsburg

March 27, 2022

Dry Creek Road going north

Keith taking over for Kathleen today. The forecast for today was a high of 14 degrees Celsius, cooler than the temps we quickly got used to in Palm Desert. It was 23C yesterday in Healdsburg so it was quite a plunge. Rain was in the forecast for the late afternoon so we expected to remain dry for our ride. After a little research last night there were a couple of popular rides that tweaked our interest. Without too much discussion we decided to do the out and back Dry Creek Valley ride which involved a nice little climb to an outlook over Lake Sonoma. After a leisurely breakfast at a restaurant adjacent to our hotel we slowly got our bikes and gear together and managed to get out the door around 11:30. We do need to mention our cute personable waitress who impressed us both. While she couldn’t give us any information on bike routes in the area she was a pleasure to talk to. No drama on our ride today through the quiet rolling road through the vineyards.

Sculpture at the entry to Wilson Winery.

Artwork to spruce up a winery utility building.

We had a nice climb to the outlook over Lake Sonoma. Kathleen couldn’t get into her lowest chain ring so in sympathy I chose not to use mine. The steepest part of the climb was a bit of a challenge but tacking up the road made it more manageable. At the top of the climb we enjoyed the views and had a short visit at “The Ranch”.

Image not found :( — The Ranch, located next to the outlook.

Kathleen chatting it up with the owner. The Ranch is a popular spot to hitch up the horses or get hitched. If we had more time we could check out the country on horseback.

We put on our Gortex jackets for our coolish ride back down in misty conditions. A short stop was made at the impressive Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery on our way back to Healdsburg. Appointments required for wine tastings … the place was very busy.

The alterations to the sign caught my attention. Ironic that we are riding along the Russian River valley tomorrow. Perhaps a name change should be considered.

We arrived back to the hotel shortly before 4:00 and after a small snack we headed downtown to check out the local bike shop and a few art galleries. Impromptu takeout pizza on the menu this evening along with a little Tobin James Red Blend from Paso Robles. One thing notable today was the number of people (in vehicles and on bikes) who stopped to see if everything was okay when we stopped for whatever reason. We were impressed. Maybe they were just concerned about two old people on bikes.

To see a short video of our ride today click on the link below.

https://www.relive.cc/view/v7O9BDdr3Q6

Today's ride: 55 km (34 miles)
Total: 534 km (332 miles)

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