So I entered California yesterday, which already seems like a long time ago. I'm in Arcata and tonight will find Carly and Tratam in the Eugene KOA. I hope they have a hot tub, but I'm not getting my hopes up!
Shortly after entering California, I passed a some elf storage units, which was perfect because I'm managed to gather way more elves than I intended on this trip, so I dropped them off there. I'll pick them up some time, when I have more time in my life to take care of elves.
Going out of order here, I really enjoyed hanging with Pam and Troy. They're headed north so hopefully they'll call when they get into the Seattle area. We enjoyed the Coconut Cruzan rum I got by mixing it with pineapple orange juice. I found the liquor store in town by asking the librarian. I thought that was kind of entertaining so I went to the nearest bank, biked up to the teller, and asked her where the nearest Wells Fargo was. She didn't think there was one in Brookings.
Took off early the next day, had a tough day with 68 miles, two large hills of about 1200 feet each, dropping to sea level between the two. But beautiful woods! Finally the giant redwoods! Partly we were on a busy and very dangerous stretch of 101, but then the route left 101 onto a very quiet road, hardly any traffic, very green, shaded, with giant trees everywhere. I biked in the middle of the car lane, and the setting put the breaks on my pace, as I peacefully coasted through the redwoods under a sky of low clouds. This was one of my favorite parts of the whole trip, no traffic, so peaceful, quite, and beautiful forest, riding carefree with time to spare before dark. I stopped at corkscrew tree (photo) and at "Big Tree," and took a photo of a more interesting tree on the way to the Big Tree. Had burritos for dinner, went to bed at 10:30.
Up at around 7 am this morning, I took off shortly after Carly and Tratam, and still hungry even after my 3 packets of oatmeal, I remembered the smoked and seasoned salmon I'd purchased the day before, which was in my front pouch. I was lured into the shop the day before by aroma of smoke from a small fire outside the Klamath Reservation shop, which also sold wood carvings. The salmon was caught by locals in the Klamath River. It made a perfect snack this morning as I bicycled out of Elk Creek Campground, admiring the scenery and elk.
Today, overcast, back and forth between 101 and a very nice coastal bicycle path, rode with Carly and Tratam once I caught up, we made it to Arcata around 4:00 pm, went straight to the food co-op, bad news for me, 
since once again I was much hungrier than I'd realized. Everything looked amazing! I wanted to try every kind of cheese they had. This place was expensive, so I was relieved when I'd finally made my choices and left. Bought a loaf of sesame-covered french bread, tofu dip that wasn't as good as Toby's, a small carton of peach kefir, a bottle of mango acai white tea, a can of beets for a snack, a can of corn and couscous for tonight's burritos (I have food left over from last night), a chocolate raspberry creamcheese muffin, a bag of sweet onion potato chips, and a box of raisin flax oatmeal 
packets for breakfast. Now I won't need to go food shopping for a couple days. Except that it will take more energy to haul all this food, so I may need to buy more just to keep hauling the food.
Well, 7 minutes left on this library computer! Cheers! Oops, the remaining photos- the guy with the station wagon is a wacky dude I met after taking the walk to the Big Tree- he built the moped with a mountain bike frame, said it went up to 30, powered up hills like a champ, and that he'd crashed it a bunch of times. Then he showed me his new french press, took a big gulp from it and spilled a bunch on his shirt. The welcome sign is great- it says "where horses have the right of way."
nger, who is getting used to the hard work of her first tour. They've been good company for the last day and a half. They stayed at Harris Beach Campground, a beautiful place, campground, with great proximity to Brookings. I met them there though I was mostly hanging out with Troy and Pam, a couple that met in the Grand Canyon and have been touring since November. They're doing their traveling the open-ended way I prefer, but couldn't manage this time around. No photos of them, damn it. Or of Carly and Tratam, yet, but I'll get one. 
No comments:
Post a Comment