The Occidental Tourist

It was a chilly morning as our gang (Cassie, Steve, Jen, Mark, Renee, Eric, John, Jean, Shaun, Sarah, Phil, Gayle, Graham, and Mike) met at Santa Rosa’s Finley Center for an inaugural team ride. After a brief orientation on cycling skills, we departed by making a 14 rider pace-line towards Graton via Guerneville Road. The first two climbs of Green Valley and Harrison Grade were moderate and tolerable particularly with the crisp weather. We made our way into the town of Occidental via a speedy descent on Graton Road (reaching speeds of 35+ mph). The sun began to shine and many of us shed the warm clothing layers at our SAG car (thanks, Gary). After a brief rest, we left West Sonoma County with a straight shot up Occidental Road for about eight miles. The rolling hills were picturesque as we made our way past Sebastopol in team formation. We approached our Santa Rosa destination via Hall, Fulton, and West College Roads. It was a beautiful day to cycle 37+ miles and climb 2,800 feet with such a motivated crew - life in paradise! Check out the Garmin GPS ride details.