perimeter

i rode leisurely along the perimeter of alameda island today—about 15 miles. perfect weather for it—warm with a breeze. i lazed around on my favorite bench on the east end of the island. then biked along the sandy bay path, to the naval base, down spirits alley. along the estuary, i read a plaque about the old shipyard, the largest on the pacific coast when it opened. at one point, i think it said 8,000 people were employed by the shipyard. and then when it reopened around WWII, 4 or 5,000 people worked there. also rode over the rails that were part of the original transcontinental railroad, whose end stop briefly was alameda. history!