Richmond is the East Bay city that built ships for a war. Between 1941 and 1945 the Kaiser shipyards on the waterfront produced 747 vessels, more than anywhere else in the country, and tens of thousands of workers arrived from across the United States, many of them women and many of them Black, to fill jobs in the yards. The Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park, at the old Ford assembly plant and along the shoreline, tells that story with museum displays and restored buildings, and it is a surprisingly affecting place to spend an hour.
Today Richmond looks different. The big Chevron refinery sits on the shore north-west of town, with towers and flare stacks that dominate the horizon, and the city has a rough reputation, though the waterfront has been transformed. The Marina Bay shoreline has trails, parks and views across the bay to San Francisco, and the old town of Point Richmond, a pocket of brick buildings and small restaurants, has a village feel. At the end of the point, the old tunnel leads out to a beach and a view of the Golden Gate and Mount Tamalpais.
The label here says Big, which could stand for Big Sur, but the real sense of the place is as a launch point for the Marin Headlands and Point Reyes side of the bay. The Richmond-San Rafael Bridge crosses from here to Marin County, a long double-decked span with views of islands, ships and the Marin hills. It is windy and exposed, and in strong gusts the lanes are narrow, so hold your line and take it easy. Beyond it the road joins Highway 101 and the quiet back roads of Marin.
Richmond has about 110,000 people, so fuel, food and repair shops are easy to find along the main roads. On the bike, the best time to cross the bridge is mid-morning, outside the commute, and spring brings green hills and clear air. In summer the fog arrives in the afternoon, so carry a jacket and be ready for a sharp drop in temperature when you reach the coast.