Tour DAY California - Here They Come

Living in San Jose allows you to experience many unique and exciting events.... like the Tour of California. Now, if you are not a bicycle nut like Mark, you may not KNOW what the Tour of California is. It is becoming the US equivalent to the Tour de France. And there are some BIG names that ride in it.... like Levi Leiphammer and David Zabriskie and Lance Armstrong. You get it - REALLY important bikers. The tour started in 2005 and this hosted 16 teams. The race lasted 8 days and covered 800 miles. And...... Taylor St. (just 1.5 blocks from our house) was part of Stage Four! Isn't that AMAZING!! So, of course we HAD to walk down early to be sure to get a good spot to see the racers ride by. We were very lucky as our section was part of the warm-up before the riders ACTUALLY started racing. So Mark said that they would be going by slowly. Good. I put my camera on fast speed and got ready. We arrived on Taylor St. and there was no one there...... well, just the police blocking traffic and one race marshall's car. But no spectators. Now, we were 30 minutes early. But we wanted to be READY with the best photo spot and best view and chatting with the crowd about our favorite cyclists and all that other important stuff. And then, the person in the marshall's car got a message on his walkie talkie - the racers would be by in SIX MINUTES. My heart started racing. I would get to see Lance and all the other famous riders! We stared down the road waiting and waiting..... and then I saw something! Look dear! They're coming..... no, it's just more police cars..... and police motorcycles..... and official race cars with important people in them..... and more police cars. I began to think that this might be a great time to rob someplace in the other end of town. And finally! A wall of bicycles appeared in the distance moving towards us........

Oh My! Where's Lance? I quick started snapping the camera.... which didn't QUICK take the pictures...... and the riders were right here.....

And I was trying to make the camera snap quicker.... and then they were past and I never even saw ANY of them. But I did get some great pictures of cops and cars and more cars!

And NEXT year, I'll be better prepared..... I'll leave the camera home!