The view from Grizzly Peak
This wasn’t my first time on Grizzly Peak Blvd, and there’s no doubt that it wont be my last. There’s something truly tranquil about this route, it’s refreshing and invigorating, and car/motorcycle enthusiast or not, this road is a must-see for anyone living in the SF Bay Area.
The views of San Francisco, the bay, the bay bridge, and Berkeley are all simply astounding; nothing short of breathtaking. I’ve done this route three times now, and I am fairly familiar with the road, but this time was different for me; it was at night.
Foggy GPB at night
I don’t normally take pleasure drives at night. Not only is it somewhat dangerous (animals, etc), but it’s usually not nearly as fun. This time was an exception though. Allow me to explain..
Grizzly Peak Blvd starts in El Cerrito, and eventually connects to Skyline Blvd, where it continues to curve all around San Leandro until it gets to Castro Valley. I didn’t take it this far, but it’s a worthy drive if you have the time and are adequately prepared for hairpins and switchbacks for miles at a time. The wonderfully unique thing about GPB (That’s what I will call it from now on) is that it’s not all about the road. That’s not to say that it isn’t a fantastic road, but it’s rather tame. Long straight-aways are equally as common as hairpins and switchbacks, and while you’d think the 25 mph speed limit would put a damper on the thrill, it just simply doesn’t. Because like Redwood Rd (although an entirely different brand of beauty), you come to GPB for the views, the scenery, and the experience, not just the drive.
I started in Berkeley, by climbing to the very tippy-top of the hills on Marin ave. A right turn on GPB gets you going south, toward Skyline. You will pass what locals call “The Wall”, a famous meeting spot for bike rides heading south through Skyline to San Leandro. The residential area is rather tony; the streets are lined with Porsche’s and BMW’s, and the reason for this becomes evident no more than a mile down the road when the trees open up and the view (seen above) reveals itself.
Beautiful curves of GPB
I didn’t get a picture of the view at night. there was something working against me tonight: The fog. It almost defies gravity. The higher up in the hills you go, the more intense the fog gets. I always thought fog settled in the valleys… Hmm. Anyway, it was borderline unpassable because of fog. But I trekked on, and it didn’t take away from any of the magic that GPB provides. The dull lights of the city could still be seen, and the mere thought of me winding my way down the Berkeley hills was enough of a high for me tonight, regardless of whether not I could actually see where I was headed.
I could ramble on for days about GPB, but I wont. The point is, go there. You absolutely must experience, hands down, one of the finest views in all of the east bay.
-ah