Golden Gate Bridge Bike Ride

Bonjour !

Today is the first day of classes, are you excited? I hope you are! You have travelled far to come to Berkeley, to receive a world-class education, and to work with brilliant professors and peers. Although you have left family and home thousands of miles away, I am sure you will find a new family and home at I-House Berkeley.

How have your first days/weeks at Berkeley been so far? Did you go to the retreat? Have you attended some of the welcome activities? Feel free to share your experiences in the comments, I would love to hear from you. As I mentioned in my previous post I went to an I-House reunion in Amsterdam last weekend. Here is a group picture in front of the iconic “I amsterdam” letters.

I-House reunion in Amsterdam, 2010-2011 IH alums from Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United States

We had a lot of fun, Amsterdam is a beautiful city and the things we did include trying new food (Ethiopian), renting a boat to cruise on the canals, seeing a comedy show, and doing a lot of sightseeing thanks to our I-House friend/guide. One thing I loved about Amsterdam was how bicycle-friendly it is! With all the bike paths it was so easy to bike from one place to the other one, no need to rely on public transportation! By the way, if you have not done it yet, doing a San Francisco bike tour over the Golden Gate Bridge is a must-do!

Biking along Crissy Field, with Alcatraz in the background

Just take the BART to Embarcadero station, and on the way to Ferry Building there is a bike rental place next to the Hyatt Regency. From there you can bike along the waterfront and see many landmarks such as Pier 39, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Alcatraz. The bike ride is flat and easy, with a small hill at Fort Mason. While biking along Crissy Field you will have beautiful views of the Golden Gate Bridge, as you get closer and closer to this wonder of the modern world.

I-House Golden Gate Bridge bike ride

Before you get to the bridge there is another (bigger) hill. Once on the bridge you will be amazed by this engineering masterpiece, the Golden Gate is so beautiful! After crossing the bridge continue down to Sausalito, where you can eat a well deserved ice cream. Finally, take the ferry back to Ferry Building and enjoy beautiful sights of the city from the boat. To complete my directions, here is a map of the route. So how does this bike tour sound? Get a group and go for a ride this weekend!

Golden Gate Bridge Bike Ride map

With that being said, International House and I wish you all a wonderful semester/year at Cal! Go Bears!