Stanford History Tour

The bicycle is the ideal vehicle for exploring the Stanford University campus, and today I joined two alums on a short history tour. We visited the resting place of the university's namesake, Leland Stanford Jr., and his parents; compared the inner quad to photos of buildings that collapsed during the 1906 earthquake; and visited the archaeological site of the original gymnasium, also a casualty of The Great Quake. I learned about the Burghers of Calais when we visited the Rodin sculptures, and one alum learned about the cactus garden she had never before visited. Did I mention how large the campus is? Having been schooled on urban campuses, I remember my first impression of Stanford many years ago: It looked like a country club, and I marveled that students could stay focused on their studies.

A ride just isn't complete without some significant hill climbing, and so we ascended a pair of them before meandering around the campus. Reaching a top speed of 47 mph on the descent suggests that one of these hills was, shall we say, steep.