When the fog rolls ins

The fog, and the barely discernible road below

We still don't understand San Francisco seasons — the beach was pleasant in the winter, Big Sur was deliciously warm in November and Half Moon Bay was cloudy and cold in March. Most confusingly, on Saturday we spent the whole ride out of the city shivering. Ben remarked the drive home was like riding through hell: cold, misty and windy.

And yet the roads were packed with cars. Which brings me to a theory I have recently devised: Motorists who use the roads all year long should get their own special lane in the summer to let us bypass the fair-weather roadsters ruining our favorite routes.

On Saturday, we were attempting to enjoy one of those favorites routes: the coastal highway up to Point Reyes Station. In the winter, the sun was always out, the roads were empty and we could escape the city in 20 minutes with miles of open road ahead of us.

Route 1 as it should be

Yet this weekend, the Golden Gate Bridge was shrouded in fog and I had to hold onto my helmet to fight the wind. Worst of all, we couldn't escape the traffic. Just when we thought we had it beat, it backed up for miles leading up to Stinson Beach.

Approaching Stinson Beach (before we hit the traffic)

Fortunately our perseverance paid off and we enjoyed a delicious lunch at Marin Sun Farms, a butcher shop and restaurant with grass-fed and pasture-raised meat (SF's food consciousness is rubbing off on us). And far enough away from the city, the weather was indeed beautiful. But we're hoping we won't have to endure the cold and fight the traffic all summer long — because if we do, this might have been our last trip to Point Reyes for many months.

(And that would make us sad.)

- Steph