Through the Redwood Forest...

From the Redwood Forests…
12 July 2006

The Long and Winding Road outta San Francisco.

An overcast day and an extremely winding stretch of the PCH between the Golden Gate and Stinson Beach did not prove to be a good combination for our Taco Bellies, so we were a bit sullen for our first few hours after San Francisco. Eventually, the winsome coast worked its magic, and as the roads mellowed out a bit, we enjoyed the ride, heading into Mendocino just before sunset. We found a beautifully located campsite just north of the little artsy village, poised just offshore, about ¼ mile behind a working lighthouse. The coast was shrouded in mist, making a great effect with the light beam. If silent, we could here the surf in the distance. We set up Sir Guano and sat down to our dinner of leftover chicken and potatoes, and, realizing that it was our three-week anniversary on the road, we marked the occasion with a Cabernet Sauvignon juice box that Beth had found at the Whole Foods. It was remarkably good, as was that chicken, which even held up under Kelly’s EZ Cheez test.

To celebrate our third week on the road, Beth presents a fine cabernet.
Mmmmm... leftover chicken...

13 July 2006
After a remarkably good night’s sleep (aided by the lusty sea air?), we noticed a growing flock of weird little trailers congregating at the campground in the morning. We finally approached one of the owners who introduced us to the Teardrop Trailer – essentially a little tent on wheels! Inside this little pod fits a quee-nsized bed with some storage over the feet and the back opens up to reveal a kitchen area. Really low maintenance way to travel! We want one and apparently Beth has Kurt working on one back at home – right Kurt?

Get crackin', Kurt!

We continued up the coast (still beautiful, of course), stopping for a snack at a little general store and organic café where we met a nice man and his daughter, who was visiting from Alaska and savoring a mighty fine looking grilled cheese and hot chocolate with whipped cream. Which apparently inspired this man to tell some odd stories about his bear encounters, including a recent event in which a bear approached him but was acting strange. After the man threw gravel in the bear’s face, thus shooing the bear off, he found a decimated Reddi-Whip can nearby and concluded that the bear was high on nitris. Bear Whippits. This was the first of many bear discussions to follow over the coming week.

Route 1 leaves the coast in Humboldt county, just at the beginning of the Lost Coast, where road builders decided to stop fighting the landscape and head inland. This area is now known for producing Humboldt County’s Finest Crop, although we were unable to find any patches to harvest for ourselves. The inland diversion is just as stunning, however, winding through the redwood forest mountains, ultimately leading to the Drive-Thru tree in Legget, CA.

Driven-Thru Tree!

After that, it was onward to the Avenue of the Giants in Redwood National Park. Again, nature overwhelms. This is lumberjack country, and frequently the surrounding hills would be a bit sparse from logging, but still the views over the Eel River were gorgeous.

Giant Redwoods

Ride along for yourself - less neck cramping this way.

We cruised through the quaint Victorian town of Ferndale in order to stop at a Soda Shoppe that Kelly recalled, but they had closed early (why would a store specializing in ice cream shut down at 6 pm in the summer?!), so we headed up the road a bit to Eureka, a totally cool little liberal town on the water. Eureka is a main stop on the Kinetic Sculpture Race held each Memorial Day – a wicked cool local event where fantastical sculptures engage in a 3-day, 42-mile race over sand, sea, and land – it’s a real trip. If you ever find yourself in the Northwest near Memorial Day, check it out! Eureka itself is a worthy town, and we walked in on a traditional Celtic music seisun at a local coffee house, browsed some nice shops, and had yummy ice cream. As darkness fell, we headed about 20 miles north of town to camp for the night.

14 July 2006
Extreme Northern California

Not much to say for the day… we rose, and ate at a great little local café called the Palm. Beth was tempted to buy Betsy and Quinn their first anniversary gift – a painting of a cozy little cottage by a local artist clearly inspired by the work of Thomas Kinkade. More beautiful driving through the woods and along the sea, we set ourselves the goal of reaching Meg’s place in Eugene, OR by dinner time. Because we really wanted to see Meg, of course – the fact that she was going to be cooking us a fantastic salmon dinner was just a side bonus ☺

Beth's Happy Place

Even comes with a bird!

We crossed into Oregon and then wound our way through Grant’s Pass and cruised into Eugene just in time for dinner. Meg kept the competition for Best Home-cooked Meal (and, by this we mean “Best meal” full stop) intense with the pinkest salmon we’d ever seen, cooked to perfection with a lovely dill sauce, as well as fresh local corn on the cob and salad. Beth and Kelly brought a berry pie that they had bought fresh at the campground that morning. Our salivary glands runneth over. We worked off the meal with a brief hike with the sprightly dog Layna at a nearby open space overlooking Eugene and then hung out back at Meg’s always cozy abode.

So long, California!

Hello, Oregon!

Good bye, Chicken - Hello Salmon! Meg brings game in home cookin'