Bon Voyage Breakfast

I am going on a big adventure to the biggest mountain range in the world. In a few days, I will be on an 18-day trek in Nepal hiking the Annapurna Circuit.

My buddy, Herb, organized a get together of some of my cycling friends for a bon voyage breakfast at a local eatery.

There is an ancient Tibetan proverb that says, "the essence to a happy life is the capacity to eat, ride, laugh and scratch." Today's events epitomized this ancient proverb . . . :-).

Mike, Lesli, Marie, Eric, Steve and Jennie

Some of the gang came by early and we rode over to Crepe Escape to meet the others

Castelli ROCKS!

Jim, Herb, Dick, Mike, Jennie, Steve, me, Marie, Lesli, Don, Dennis (Eric taking pic) rendezvousing at Crepe Escape

Round of coffee for everyone and yak butter tea for me

Marie and Jennie

Mike, Eric, Steve

Dennis

Jim and Herb

Breakfast is served

Great meal and great friends!
I'll miss ya' all!

After an easy ride around the Delta, we swung by Chocolate Fish and checked in with Frank, a worker bee, who couldn't make the party.

A great day . . . I'll catch up with you all later.
Thanks Herb for organizing a nice little gathering.

Steven and Heather

October 2nd was a joyous and momentous day for Steven Kuntz and Heather Hargis. My nephew Steven got hitched to Heather at the Tennenbaum Event Center outside of Reno. It was a beautiful affair.

Since the wedding was at 4 p.m., I had plenty of time to drive up to Reno. I took the long scenic way via Lake Tahoe and Hope Valley. The Bee reported peak fall colors in Hope Valley so I drove over the mountain to check out the colorful fall foliage and continued on to Reno on some beautiful back country roads along the eastern flank of the Sierra.

The day turned out to be a double bonus day - a stunning drive topped off by a wonderful wedding.

Here are pics from the terrific day.

Click on pic once/twice for enlarged view

I took South Upper Truckee Road over the summit and caught some foilage just beginning to turn (above and below)

Over Luther Pass to Hope Valley and the aspens were ablaze. The following pics were taken near Sorensen's Resort on Hwy 88.

A couple loaded cyclists taking a break at Woodford's Store

View of Minden Valley

I continued toward Genoa and Carson City via Emigrant Trail and Foothill Road

Statue of Snowshoe Thompson, a mail carrier in the mid-1800's

I stopped off in Genoa to visit the Mormon Station State Historic Park

Artifacts at State Park

Replica of Mormon Station in beautiful park-like setting

Genoa Courthouse Museum

Main Street Genoa

Gathering thunderheads over Sierra range

Water skier at Sand Cove

Driving along the east shore of Lake Tahoe

Big rocks at scenic overlook

Storm clouds over North Shore

Mt. Rose, just up the road from the Tennenbaum Event Center, where the wedding took place

View of Reno from Mt. Rose Highway

Steven with grandmother - Mrs. Kuntz

Let the wedding begin!

A new addition to Jens and Sara - little Owen, my little grand nephew

Maria (Steven's mother) with grand-daughter Emma . . . what a cutie!

Steven's uncle Dwayne and aunt Melina

The bridesmaids and Heather at the alter

Family and friends getting organized for photos

The bride and groom with proud parents - Terry and Maria Kuntz and Bonnie and Kevin Hargis

The wedding party

The first dance

Heather making the rounds with friends

Steven getting the big congrates from Uncle Dwayne

The Gary Kuntz family form Oregon - Terry's brother

David, the best man and childhood friend, roasting and toasting the bride and groom. David's dead-pan delivery was hilarious!

To Steven and Heather . . . Here's to a long and happy marriage!

I send best wishes and much love from Aunt Patti

Princess Promenade

SABA Valet Parking Lot

SABA (Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates) put a call out for parking valet volunteers for the 4th Annual Princess Promenade Fitness Festival. I have never volunteered as a parking valet before although being a long-time member of SABA. The event took place in Discovery Park which is not too far from home, so I saddled up and rode over to do my good deed for the day and lent a hand.

The Princess Promenade is a green event, embracing cycling chic, benefiting WEAVE and Girls on the Run Sacramento. The fun ride with distances of 3, 15, 26, 55, and 64 miles is primarily for women and girls and takes place entirely on the American River Bike Trail.

This fun event was a real girlie, girl's ride with most of the riders dressed up in colorful and amusing costumes.

Here are some pics from today's cool event.

Bike parking valets - Don, Terrie, Rad and Kristy

After we volunteers set up the portable racks and fencing, Kristy puts up the SABA sign

Riders lining up to check in the bikes

Everyone is asked to sign the check-in ticket, even the youngens'

Festival vendors occupied a portion of Discovery Park

This was a real girlie girl event so the color of the day was PINK!

Cute girls all dressed up . . . moms getting massages

Even the dogs were into it

Trying to find yur' pic

Plenty of healthy food for the cyclists

Live music provided by the Minks - an all girl band. What else?

Luv' the Go Go boots

On the ride back home, I took some shots of neat stuff happening on the river

The City Water In-Take Plant

The STRS building festooned with Kings banner

A lazy day Sunday