There ended up being about 20-30 others on the ride, most of whom I had seen on other rides or knew of through mutual bikey friends. They were very welcoming of our crazy Bullitt-mobile and kidlets. Our ride was mainly along the Sacramento Northern bike trail and was kept at a nice, casual pace--not slow but not overwhelming to keep up with, even with our loaded bike. We had a great time chatting with the gang and enjoying the peaceful morning.
We turned off the trail and were suddenly at a little farm, just a few blocks away. There were chickens running around and mama sheep with their lambs checking us out. This was where the real fun began. Our hosts were extremely welcoming and had set out tables and chairs, chatting and showing us around as everyone settled in. Food was pulled out of panniers and began to adorn the tables. A few of the riders fired up their stoves and within minutes, yummy things were sizzling--bacon, chimichurri rice, eggs, poached eggs in salsa, veggies with steak--it was a feast! The boys were thrilled to be running around, free from the bike for a little while.