California and Beyond

We left Trinidad at about 8:30 this morning. It was a chilly, damp 34 degrees. Emerald Forest was a lovely RV park with nice cabins and unusual grounds. There were redwood stumps big enough to walk inside.  I would definitely stay there again. Larry says it will be without him. The cold, damp and pollen-laden air did not agree with him. He is as sick as I have ever seen him, poor baby. But he plans to make it to Whaler’s Rest in South Beach, Oregon today.

We said, “Good-bye,” to our good friends, Ken and Janet, yesterday. They went back to San Fran for a day or two then back to Florida. I have to admit they handled the weather here better than we did. Not sure why. Must have been the layers. But we will miss them and many belly laughs and good hugs.

While they were staying at Emerald Forest, we saw Roosevelt Elk just north on 101. The males and females were in separate herds. Apparently, and from what I read, it is quite close to birthing season, and the males tend to make themselves scarce. Sound familiar, ladies? Also we saw some males with no antlers or only part of full set. This is the time of year they lose their antlers. I could make some off-color remark about lack of horns and birthing babies, but everyone knows horns and antlers are two different structures. The elk were the only animals we saw.  

We visited Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park which contains Big Tree. This coastal redwood is 304 feet tall and over 1500 years old. 1500 YEARS. Hard to fathom. It was quite something. We had a beautiful hike through the redwood forest even though it was further than we had anticipated. The young lady in the park office was so helpful and informative. I must send someone a note about her. Doncha just love it when people give you extra help? In our case, we always need it, and I’m way too proud to ask. Proud of what, you ask? Hush.

After the hike we had lunch at Crescent City on the water. We watched sea lions and seals playing and lying on the dock. Maybe I would like to come back as a sea lion, if I’m not good enough in this life to be an eagle. What a lazy life. In the restaurant was a picture of Crescent City before and after the March 11 tsunami. Apparently this area was devastated as well.

 

We also went looking for agates on the beach. I found a pocketful, not agates, just pretty rocks. But since I know diddly about gems and precious stones, I am thoroughly satisfied with my “sue-agates”.

One of the best things we did included food, of course. When we took a carriage ride through the town of Eureka, the carriage driver told us how to get fresh crab from the dock. We bought the crab and a pot to cook it in and had a wonderful meal. And Janet even cleaned up the kitchen. My first crab dinner was awesome. How do you get to be almost 65 and not have had a crab dinner? Beats me. Let’s see, sushi, crab, something Mexican that I can’t remember…I need to start a list of my culinary adventures on this trip.

We are driving now through Bandon, Oregon, and I have to mention that we are passing cranberry fields. I don’t know if you call them bogs when they are not flooded. Somewhere I read that this is the largest cranberry producing area in the world. So what’s up the Ocean Spray guy sounding like he’s from Maine?

Oregon is lovely. And, can you believe it, they have guard rails? They have guard rails when there is only a ten-foot drop. I’m just saying. It is reassuring. Oh, and did I say I drove the RV? I did tell you Larry was sick, right? He went to bed and I drove for maybe 50 miles. Now that puppy must be sick, huh?

Well, we are approaching Coos Bay, Oregon, where we hope to stop for gas at $3.69 a gallon. The last gas we priced in California was $4.35, I think. If you can’t tell, we are a little bit glad to be OUT OF CALIFORNIA.

We did stop for gas. A tip for the uninitiated…one does not pump one’s own gas in Oregon. This girl who appeared to be every bit of 14, just a slip of a girl, helped us get RV to the pump. And Larry dived out to unlock the tank. That was SEVERAL minutes ago. Can you say underage and someone must be feeling better? The savings in gas will be consumed by the tip. OK, he’s back now and said there is no tipping. Well, who knew?  And you just got two.

In Eureka I saw the largest lumber yard I have ever seen. In Coos Bay I have just seen the largest sawdust pile I have ever seen. I couldn’t see any sign of particle board manufacturing, but surely there is. And now I see an enormous yard of redwood logs. Wow, the forest of the northwest are undoubtedly deserts by now. Just teasing, but I have never seen so many logs, milled lumber and sawdust. Oh, and yes, the country is going down the tubes. I am sure this wood will rot by the river where I saw it, right, Warren and Ken? Gotta tease a little. 

Heading to Trinidad, Mon. The One in the Redwoods

We got on the road Highway 101 at about 8:30 headed to Emerald Forest RV Park for a week with friends from Florida. We are really looking forward to this visit. They have rented a cabin in the park so we are all set.

First village was Hopland, a quaint little place with western-shaped buildings and a big bocce court. There were sheep in the vineyards (yes, still vineyards) eating down the grass. That was new, sheep and grapes together. I wonder if that's where we get purple wool.  We may buy all our fruits and vegetables from New Zealand, but we will never, ever be without wine in this country. The valley seems broader here.

Ukiah Speedway appears to accommodate Saturday short-track racing. This area doesn't have the wealth of the areas lower in the valley, it would appear, but there was a sign about this being a favorite of Jack London. Why can I tell his stories but not remember the titles? 

The area we have just entered is approximately 110 miles from Cloverdale and the Sonoma Valley. We have been  through Redwood Valley and Richardson Grove.  I saw a billboard showing a woman hugging a giant redwood. The caption read, "Save Richardson Grove". I'm with you, lady. What a lovely old stand of trees.

When I compare this portion of California to Pio Pico and Jamul near San Diego where we started, it’s like comparing the Outer Banks to Grandfather Mountain. For the first two months I thought all we would ever see is rocks and scrub and desert. And now the redwoods are enormous (big news, huh?), and the mountains are green with grass when they aren’t tree covered.

When you see scenes like this,

can this

be far behind?

We also passed several wildly painted "cottages" and other buildings that looked straight out of Haight-Ashbury but dropped into a Redwood forest. I suppose these are the hippies that took to the  rural life. Peace, man.

Driving through the redwoods was beautiful, but presented it's own excitement. Understandably and thankfully as many trees as possible were left standing.  They were close enough to reach out and touch from the car, or so it felt.

But when we are riding in our RV and meet this, everyone holds their breath and pulls in their stomach.

 It was a gorgeous drive. The vistas were from postcards. I hope you get to drive this stretch of 101. This and Highway 1 are my two favorite drives in California.

We crossed the South Fork of the Eel River and then just the Eel River several times. I curious about the color of the water. Here and at Russian River, the water was a murky green. I don't think it was a reflection of the trees. I suppose it is something coming from the trees, like the pines that turn the Cape  Fear a dark brown. Another question to google.

After twisting into Costco in Eureka where gas was $4.17 a gallon (Lord, just get us to Oregon), we completed the last little leg to Emerald Forest in Trinidad, Mon. . Oh, just outside of Eureka was the biggest lumber yard I have ever seen.  And the parking lot at Costco smelled of fresh cut pine because of the lumber mill beside it.  I guess not all the Redwoods can be saved. I'm glad I got to see the ones in Richardson Grove.

When I open the door to the RV there is a redwood stump big enough for me to stand inside. I will get pictures when it is daylight. 

I haven't counted up our days lately. Let's see if I can figure it out. By my estimation we have been on the road for 225 days. I didn't subtract the days we went home for Christmas, because technically I think you could say we were still traveling. The RV has logged 4004 miles. The jeep has considerably more and it doesn't count miles when being towed. In the daylight I will try to get that number and put it in the next post. 

I still find it hard to believe we are doing this.

Lord knows when that will be because KEN AND JANET ARE COMING!!!

A Ride Along

Driving north on Geysers Road/101 headed to Napa Valley. Beautiful rolling hill with grass and sheep and trees and a river alongside, the Russian River.  First time we have driven more than a couple of miles without seeing a vineyard. This is a pretty drive. Like other roads we have driven, this one shows signs of mud/rock slides from the December rains. Oh here are the vineyards again. And the wineries and the tasting rooms. These people are making a living selling wine, one sip at a time. Just saw a new bridge on private property across a stream that had obviously gotten out of its banks. Reminds me of our troubles a few years ago when the hurricanes took out our bridge.  I see workers in the vineyards, cutting back the vines. Some have six or eight workers, some are just a couple of old men taking care of their small vineyard.  Just passed a casino. Those just pop up in the strangest places. Wow, we have hit the mountain. Just passed measuring lines on the road and a warning of nothing longer than 39 feet. And, yes it is for good reason. The road is very windy and narrow in some places. “These are ass-kissing cliffs,” says my driver. And only periodic guard rails. In North Carolina there would be guardrails the entire length. That is something we have noticed all over California. I guess if you are stupid enough to drive fast and go off the edge, you've only improved the gene pool. There are signs about snow tires and chains and we signs of the road having been sanded. Thank goodness it is warm and sunny today, but apparently this area gets some ice and snow. Another thing my chauffeur notices is the lack of animals. Oh, man, we just crested the mountain, about 2500 feet up and saw a beautiful lake, Clear Lake.  On the other side in the distance are snow-covered mountains. Another day when we were just driving around and found an amazing vista. I sure hope I can get these pics to load.

  And now there is evidence of a forest fire in the not too distant past. We have seen evidence of fires in other places, particularly in redwood areas, but because the trees here are mainly just big bushes , this area was cleared. 

Sometimes we drive through magical forests. We will spot a bear or deer or buffalo or sheep or elk. It is really exciting until they magically turn into a rock or stump.

We just passed an orchard of some description. That is one frustrating thing about this area. I see an orchard of some kind and don’t know what they are growing. These were grafted trees, bigger than apple trees and smaller than pecan trees. Cashews, almonds??? Who knows? I don’t think they are pistachios because I looked into those when we were in San Benito, and they are smaller.

Wow, another big burned area. There’s a fire tower on a nearby mountain. Guess they had a good view of the fire.And horses on the other side of the road, big beautiful horses. Now big, beautiful, black cows.  Passing Beckstoffer vineyard, probably the biggest vineyard we have seen. Sorry, no time for a pic.  Behind us  is  one of those California drivers with his ass on fire and no place for us to pull off the road. Forget laid back Californians. It is not true on the highway. Even in the middle of nowhere, they cannot stand to see back bumpers.  

Just saw a bumper sticker that said, “Body piercings by S & W.” Yes, we are now in Northern California.

Lots of sheep in this area. Just saw one of largest flocks I've seen. Cows on one side of the road and sheep on the other…neat. And now a few horses.

Well, here we go through Middletown complete with Beulah’s Kitchen, a barbershop and Nobles Saloon. No Hollywood here. It looks more like a small Texas town. And just outside of town, Beaver Creek Vineyards and Twin Pine Casino and Hotel. 

Well, we found the scenic drive again, through tall pines and redwoods and another winding road with 20 mph curves.  We crested the mountain at 2300 feet. In California 2300 feet seems very high, but our home is at 3700 feet. I guess it’s because sea level is about 70 miles from here and at home it’s more like 400 miles. I sure am glad I have a strong stomach. There would be a serious mess. These curves are something.

Again I will ask, if you are reading this, I hope you will find a way to respond.

Make your own title, This is too random.

Our park in Pacifica was in a wonderful place, but we could hear pounding waves constantly. I know that is a wonderful thing, but it does take some getting used to. And any time you are near a metropolis, there are always airplanes.  But the big front window faced the Pacific so we spent a lot of sunsets with a glass of wine.

Sunsets were awesome. 

We arrived in Sonoma Valley on Friday, March 1, 2013, after a short drive up Highway 101. We worried and worried about getting through San Fran from our campground in Pacifica. Our choices were to drive across the Golden Gate Bridge, the shorter route, or to travel freeways around the city, the longer route by about 30  miles. While traveling freeways provides wider lanes, they also provide those "aggressive" California drivers in droves. So we packed up the RV and hooked up the car the night before, and at 5:00 a.m. sharp we headed through the city toward the Golden Gate. To tell the truth, it was one of the easiest drives we've had.  We drove as if we were the only people on the road because we almost were. And when you drive out of San Fran on the Golden Gate, there is no toll to pay.

We took a day or two off when we got here. After a week of chasing around San Francisco like tourists who had never been there, which we had, we were so ready for some quiet rural life. And Russian River provides that.

High Point of the Trip…So Far

Las Vegas was a real high point of the trip. No, I didn't win big. I lost four bucks that I will never get back, try as I might. No, this was when we saw the Hoover Dam, took a helicopter flight into the Grand Canyon and rode horses at Grand Canyon Ranch. It is still not that mule ride I wanted, (still want, but don’t tell Larry), but it was a grand, grand day.  I wish my son and his sons could spend the night at Grand Canyon Ranch, just so the boys could feel a little like cowboys.

We took off from what felt like downtown Las Vegas in a six-seater helicopter, kind of a small thing, but totally adequate. Larry rode up front with the pilot on the trip out. The pilot kept telling him not to touch anything. I guess he thought Larry was ready to grab something.   We flew over Hoover Dam and Lake Mead. It was sad to see how much the lake is being drained. Apparently as the deserts in Nevada and California turn green and become more populated, Lake Mead dwindles. I remember someone telling me once that someday clean water would be as precious as oil. I think that might be true in this part of the world.

Anyway, so we flew down in the canyon and disembarked only to have a glass of champagne handed to us immediately. Just one? Really what’s the point? Could there be more later. We'll see. We went to the little corral and were treated to a little show by the cowboys. It was sweet, all about how cowboys are the greatest Americans. I like a cowboy as much as the next girl, but it’ll take more than one glass of champagne to make me swallow that one. 

Then we had lunch in house that was built by the man who settled in the canyon a hundred years ago or some such. Apparently he killed someone, took their identity and moved into the canyon to be a rancher. How on earth anyone thought they could raise cattle here is beyond me. But he did and the group their kept saying it was still a working ranch. I think we were supposed to think any minute they would take off to herd and brand cattle. The work today is entertaining tourists, I think. That’s OK. I was thoroughly entertained and grinned the entire time from ear to ear.

The best part after riding up front in the helicopter, for Larry at least, was the horse ride. Not that he liked riding all that much. He just loved watching my fat butt try to stay in the saddle. And of course my horse was the one who wanted to head for a munch of tumbleweed off the path or from the bales of hay or alfalfa or something that was stacked to the side. Five horses in a row and which was the only hungry one? You got it. Mine. It totally reminded me of the last time I remember riding a horse. I was ten years old, and Martha and I took out a couple of horses that belonged to our cousin Donald for a ride down the road. Not far from the house my horse decided he was done with me. He saw a barn and took off for it. Never mind it was not his barn or even on my uncle’s farm. It was a barn. He was tired or thirsty or hungry or just ornery. Who knows?  Anyway off I went. Back then I was waaay less that 100 pounds and had little if any riding experience.  Needless to say the memory remains and came back to me in bottom of the Grand Canyon. I return  to the original and only complaint. How’s a girl supposed to relax with one tiny glass of champagne?

Back to the ranch house and it was time to reboard the helicopter. This time Larry had to sit in the back with me.  The pretty dark-haired girl from Miami sat with the pilot. Later Larry wanted to know why the pilot didn’t keep telling her to keep her hands to herself.  Go figure.

All in all it was a grand time. We even bought a CD of the cowboy’s songs. Somehow they don’t sound the same in the RV. Perhaps I should listen after just one glass of champagne. Yeah, like that’s gonna happen.


Footnote: I have pictures of the helicopter, Larry, Lake Mead, the horses, EVERYTHING. And I can't get them in here.

Attempting pictures again

OMG. I got it. I got a picture from Larry's new camera to my blog. The joy, the utter joy of doing something I was sure I couldn't. Does that mean I really could lose weight?