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!!!