EPISODE NUMBER FORTY-ONE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA & OREGON

EPISODE NUMBER FORTY-ONE – NORTHERN CALIFORNIA & OREGON -- APRIL 1 - 6, 2008

PHOTOS NOW HERE

TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2008 – APRIL FOOL’S DAY

WILLIAMS, CALIFORNIA

Ripley and I walked from Almond Grove Mobile Park into the town of Williams – maybe a mile, to find an ATM. As I walked along, I decided that I would remain another day here, despite the relatively unkempt appearance of the park. It’s very tiring to continue driving day after day. And I’ll get my laundry, housecleaning, email and blog up to date, since there is wi fi in the park.

Along the walk, we passed a lilac tree in full bloom, and the scent was wonderful! Many plants are now in bloom here, but some are unfamiliar to me.

The Visitor Center had recommended a visit to Granzella’s Deli where I tied Ripley outside while I went in to see what they had. I could have spent a lot of money in there, but settled for frozen homemade spaghetti sauce, a bottle of their own labeled wine and local black olives – and a delicious breakfast sandwich of egg, bacon and cheddar on a croissant, with a decaf espresso. All to go! It was a challenge to eat and carry my goodies, as well as Ripley’s leash, but I managed.

Later, I took Ripley to a nearby vacant field and played with her soccer ball. We were watched by two horses in a nearby pasture, who were quite fascinated with her antics.

And even later, Ripley and I took a sunset walk around the neighbourhood, passing some very tall trees, filled with birds’ nests (couldn’t see what kind of birds) on sprawling lawns leading to large houses.

Since there was cable TV, I took advantage to catch on with American Idol participants. David Archuleta is one talented young man, but I also like Carly. Steve Guttenberg was eliminated on Dancing With the Stars and, in my amateur opinion, he deserved it!

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 2008

Before leaving Almond Grove in the morning, I asked their maintenance man to straighten out the metal bar that clamps on to my bike rack. The weight of the bike has twisted it out of shape, and I was concerned that the bike would fall out of the holder. He obliged, and hopefully it will do the trick. But just in case, I will buy a length of chain to tie around the bar.

Ripley and I had another game of soccer before we took off down the road on highway 101. Gas cost $3.58/gallon at Clear Lake, as we headed west through the lake country. It reminded me a lot of the Muskoka vacation area, with very large houses surrounding the lake. At Lucerne I saw a pair of Common goldeneye (ducks), and we passed several casinos, all operated I believe by native tribes.

A few days ago I had bought a neck pillow at Beall’s Outlet, for $7.99 and it was a great investment. Instead of ending the day’s driving with a sore neck and headache, I now do not have these symptoms. It’s amazing how something like a pillow could make such a difference!

I have noticed that the barns on farms are now enclosed and are made of wood, compared to the open concept in Arizona. And of course this makes sense, as the temperature here is much lower during the winter.

The highway is lined on both sides with a bush with orange flowers, and it really is beautiful. At Laytonville, I stopped at the rest stop, and we had a nap, Ripley curled up next to me.

REDWOODS

We finally got to the area where the redwood trees are, and one cannot look at them without being awed by the size and age of these trees. There are many that have been protected, thankfully, for future generations, with various groves being named after their sponsor.

We pressed on to the Drive Thru Tree (310’ tall and said to be 2,400 years old), for which I had to pay a $5 admission fee. Of course, I couldn’t drive my RV through the tree, but did see

several cars go through. Ripley and I took a walk around the man-made pond where there were several domestic geese and wild ducks, and then around the path we encountered what I think were prairie dogs, but they disappeared down their holes before I could get a good look – and I didn’t have my binoculars with me.

RICHARDSON GROVE STATE PARK

We stayed overnight at the Richardson Grove State park under the redwoods, for $18. There are no hook-ups, so it is a bit pricey, but it was lovely to be surrounded by these majestic giants. And the park was almost empty – an advantage of traveling here before the prime season begins. It was a wonderfully peaceful evening, lying in my bed and looking up at the trees around me through my back window.

THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2008

Ripley and I took one of the hiking paths down to the Eel River, and enjoyed walking along the river’s edge, she investigating all the great odours and me beachcombing for stones. One or two cars came by, but for the most part, we were all alone there, watching the river flowing by, and I could just imagine encountering a bear fishing in the river. Luckily, we didn’t, though!

Bigfoot is a big deal here, and the various tourist traps advertise museums, gifts, etc., featuring Sasquatch, etc. as well as giant trees.

AVENUE OF THE GIANTS

Avenue of the Giants is 32 miles in length and it is well named. We passed through miles and miles of these magnificent trees, with sometimes the highway narrowing and shifting in order to go around a tree. The Visitor Center featured information on the trees, and I bought some postcards there. According to the brochure, “the Humboldt Redwoods State Park covers over 52,000 acres, 17,000 of which are old growth coast redwood forests.” There are eight stops along the way, with markers and hiking trails at some. One could spend several days just in this area alone. And I found this to be the case all up the coast.

HUMBOLDT BAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

We stopped at Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge next, in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the Brant goose “who stop to refuel on eelgrass in Humboldt Bay”. When I stopped in at the Visitor Center, I learned that they provide a Discovery Bag comprised of a backpack filled with field guides, flash cards, a bird checklist, trail guide, a notebook and binoculars. There is no charge to borrow this bag, and I gladly handed over my driver’s licence as assurance that I would return everything. Unfortunately, Ripley couldn’t accompany me on the trail, but I spent two hours wandering around the Shorebird Loop trail (1.75 miles) which takes you around seasonal freshwater wetlands, through a brackish pond and the eastern edge of Hookton Slough. I found the flash cards very useful in identifying the various birds that I encountered and I listed Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Canada Goose (they’re everywhere!), Mallard, Northern Shoveler, American Coot, Lesser Scaup, Surf Scoter, Black-necked Stilt and Marbeled Godwit, plus two hawks that I couldn’t identify. I was hoping to see turtles or hear frogs, but perhaps it was too cool for them, although the sun was shining. And alas, no otters! It would have been great to paddle a kayak or canoe through the area, as the birds don’t seem to perceive these craft as danger, and it is possible to get fairly close to them. And I didn’t see any Brant geese.

Before leaving, I lunched on a medley of organic vegetables, dip and caraway rye bread, all bought at Albertson’s a grocery chain out here.

I have noticed that there are many colleges in California, especially in this northern region, and I suppose they offer different courses in order to compete with one another.

I got my first view of the Pacific south of Trinidad – something that I have really been looking forward to seeing once again.

Ripley enjoying the beach

We soon came to the town of Eureka, where gas cost $3.76/gallon and propane cost $3.00/gallon.

USED BOOKS, ANYONE?

It occurred to me that I haven’t really explained how I manage to get a good variety of books to read as I travel around. The answer is simple. Almost every RV park has a library of books left by travelers, and the deal is that you take a book and leave a book. In that way I have been able to renew my library without having to spend money in used book stores, etc.

PATRICK’S POINT STATE PARK

This is another of the parks maintained by the State of California, but again there is no electricity provided. So I fired up my generator, only to find that it doesn’t work any better than it did before I paid that large sum of money back in Tucson. It’s very frustrating, because it seemed to work fine in their yard and I thought that at least I would have a working generator after spending all that money. But alas, it sputtered and stalled, with lights going on and off, and is certainly not a reliable source of power. I don’t know what else to do with it, and perhaps I should consider buying a portable generator.

All the campsites overlooking the Pacific were taken, so I chose one further back amongst the redwoods, but fairly close to the showers. But when I went down to take a shower I discovered that quarters were needed to get any water! After having trouble with the generator, I was not in a good mood when I found that I would have to re-trace my steps back to the RV to get money if I were to shower. I chose to wait until morning.

Ripley was not allowed on the trails, so we walked around the paved road of the park, and turned in early

FRIDAY, APRIL 4, 2008

The shower cost 75 cents for 7 minutes.

Patrick’s Point State Park is the home of a Turok village, one of the native tribes of this region. Their traditional houses are primarily dug into the earth so that the roof is just a few feet above the ground, with a round door leading down into the living area. It makes sense to build a house like that in the cold climate here. The heat of their fire would be more efficient where the walls are primarily underground. Unfortunately there was only one graphic and it didn’t really describe the life of the Turok, who still use this village for ceremonies.

Turok House

As we walked along the path, Ripley came across a dead shrew. Interesting little creature. And we also encountered a plant that reminded me of a bleeding heart, but the flower was more bell-shaped. The trees were covered in moss, making them look quite magical. It was overcast and quite chilly, and I suppose that this will be the case for much of the remainder of my time on the Pacific Northwest coast.

Leaving Ripley behind, I proceeded down the Agate Trail, which leads to the beach far below. I got most of the way down, and decided that I didn’t have the energy to go all the way down, and then return back up – plus drive Philippa all day!

STONE LAGOON

There are just so many places to stop along the coastline, but the Stone Lagoon was said to be a good birding spot, and indeed it was. I identified a Western Grebe, several Surf Scoters and Cormorants, plus others that I couldn’t ID.

REDWOODS NATIONAL PARK

Visitor Centers are always very useful to stop at, to gather local information, and this one inside Redwoods National Park was no different. The man at the desk told me that it was often possible to see Gray Whales off the beach, and that seals could be seen down at the river nearby. I didn’t see whales, but I did encounter a large group of harbour seals relaxing on the beach where the river enters, and was able to get close enough to get some photos. They were wary but allowed Ripley and me to approach slowly until they considered that I was too close (about 200 yards), and they swam across the small river. But two or three of them followed us in the river as we made our way back, poking their heads up from the water, and then diving down again. It seemed like a game that they enjoyed playing with the human and dog!

At the Visitor Center, I bought a bird flash card (it’s a laminated fold-up showing all the birds that might be encountered in the Pacific Northwest – very handy to carry), plus more postcards and I broke down and bought a sweatshirt with redwoods on it.

By this time I was sagging, after my third walk of the day, so Ripley and I napped in the parking lot at the Visitor Center for a couple of hours before continuing on our journey. And I have hives again! I wish I knew what is triggering them.

California coast

ELK MEADOW

Elk Meadow is a place where elk can be easily seen from the parking area. Signs caution tourists not to approach them, as they are wild animals and can attack if provoked. It really wasn’t necessary to go into the meadow itself, as there was a large group relaxing within camera distance. That was pretty neat.

CRESCENT CITY

It started to drizzle as we continued along the Prairie Creek Scenic Byway, featuring more spectacular views of the redwoods and the ocean until we got to Crescent City. I had intended to spend the night at the Wal Mart there (about the only one in this part of California), but the sign stated “No Overnight Parking”. The man at the Visitor Center back at the Redwoods National Park, had recommended Point St. Douglas as a spot to watch for whales, and it was on the same road as the Wal Mart, so I continued on down until I encountered a turn-off for Pebble Beach. It looked promising, so I turned there and found a parking lot overlooking the ocean, with large rocky islands offshore. The sign indicated that this was a bird sanctuary, and that seals must not be disturbed if encountered. It seemed interesting, and I took Ripley down to the beach where she investigated while I used my binoculars to identify some of the shorebirds (Black Oystercatcher, Surf Scoters and Black Terns). And off on the rocky island I could see seals in the distance. It was a good beach for picking up pieces of driftwood and stones for craftwork.

I was tired; it was getting late; there were no signs preventing overnight camping, so I opted to remain in the parking lot, with the back of the RV facing the ocean. It was lovely listening to the sound of the surf as I drifted off to sleep. No charge! And nobody came along to tell me to move! We only traveled 100 km today, but it seemed much longer because of the many stops along the way.

SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 2008

PEBBLE BEACH

After a very peaceful evening, I was up early for another stroll along the beach, and more beachcombing. I’m so thankful for Breeda’s gift of an Aran sweater, as it is very chilly in the early morning on the Pacific. The tide was out as we walked along and encountered many of the same birds that were there the evening before. It is a sheltered area because of the offshore rocks, and I thoroughly enjoyed the walk.

Ripley seems to have strained a muscle in her left foreleg, as she was limping until she got outside and exercised. She had no trouble running along the beach and was fine later.

Since we hadn’t quite made it to Point St. Douglas, I turned left to the end of the road. The area reminds me of Ireland with the green hills, the mist and the cliffs overlooking the ocean. I did see Brant geese here. They look much like a Canada Goose, but have a different and smaller white ring on their neck. And there was a hawk flying just a few feet above the RV as we retraced our steps back to Crescent City.

Now I’ve heard everything. The local radio station was promoting adopting a salmon! And you get to name it! Just contribute $120 towards the conservation efforts. I know that a lot of wildlife organizations offer opportunities to adopt an animal, but I have never heard it applied to a fish before! But hey, whatever works.

Gas is $3.76/gallon in Crescent City. I did stop at the Wal Mart on my way back to buy batteries, and found a replacement for the slow cooker that I destroyed recently when it fell on the floor when I turned a corner too sharply.

OREGON

I’ve left California behind, and entered the state of Oregon, and immediately noticed that the price of gas is cheaper here ranging from $3.44 to $3.49 in the town of Brookings. The Visitor Center advertised wi fi, so I pulled in. The woman behind the counter was very helpful in providing me with a map of Oregon and other brochures indicating highlights. She particularly emphasized that the state parks were far superior to those in California with regard to facilities; they offer electricity and some have full hook-ups as well.

Oregon Redwoods

I brought in my laptop to hook up to the wi fi, but had some difficulty getting into the Road Connection home page, in order to sign on and pay for the service. The lady at the counter provided me with her cordless phone and the number to contact the service rep, and I spoke to two different people, neither of whom could get me connected.

Another volunteer offered the information that the local library had internet service for free. This helpful fellow was also wearing an Aran sweater, and it turns out that he came from Dublin some years ago, and settled in Oregon. I can imagine that the scenery reminded him of home.

So, off to the library I went and signed on to check my email. My access to email will be sporadic at best, as I continue on my travels north.

The temperature at 11:00 was 48 degrees F. I’m definitely not in Arizona anymore!

As I continued northward, I was pleased to find NPR on the radio station – a nice change from the heavy metal and country stations that I’ve been encountering lately. La Boheme was the featured opera today.

It’s amusing to see the names of some of the places I pass. Today’s choice is Bruce’s Bones Creek.

Oregon Coastline

The lady at the Visitor Center had suggested that I stop at Arch Rock. We pulled in to the viewpoint and I was greeted by a man from Washington state, who told me that I really needed to stop at some of the viewpoints that I had already passed. He emphasized that he came down many times just to visit these spots over and over again. So, I wonder what I had missed but was reluctant to go back, using up gas to do so.

ARCH ROCK

Instead, I took Ripley on a leash down the trail to the Arch Rock, and was horrified to come across the emaciated carcass of a young bobcat that had recently died there. It had obviously starved to death, and I wondered what had caused it not to be able to hunt for food, as I’m sure there must have been many small mammals on which it could feed. It was very disturbing to find such a beautiful creature dead and I wanted to report it to the Fish and Wildlife Service so that they could do an autopsy. Perhaps it had a disease that was contagious, or some other cause that they should know about. There was no office in the immediate area, and my cell phone has had no service in the region for some days now. Later on, I did report it to the volunteer at the Visitor Center, but he mentioned that no one would be working in the Fish and Wildlife service on a Sunday. He said he would contact them on Monday, but by that time the bobcat will have decayed.

GOLD BEACH HARBOR

After lunch in the parking lot, I continued northward towards Gold Beach Harbour. There is a large parking lot provided for people who wish to bird and to see seals. Ripley and I took a walk, going past the very small Animal Control building. There were several dogs tied up outside and a couple inside a small muddy fenced-in area. It looked as though there were too many animals for the facility to hold, and I sadly concluded that some of them would probably be euthanized.

We continued down to the jetty and saw five Hooded Mergansers (two males, three females), cormorants, gulls and one domestic goose that seemed quite at home with the other birds. Further on I watched three seals as they fed in the river mouth, their heads popping up every once in a while and then disappearing once again. The tourist information stated that they vied with the fishermen for the salmon, and indeed there was one seal that was keeping a close eye on the single fisherman down on the beach area.

We passed the fascinating names of Otter Point, Humbug Mountain, Paradise Point, Cape Blanc, and in Port Orford, one could eat at the Greasy Spoon Café. At the town of Bandon, gas was $3.41/gallon, the best bargain yet.

BULLARDS BEACH STATE PARK

One of the brochures that I had picked up at the Brookings Visitor Center was a list of all the state parks, and a description of their facilities. Bullards Beach State Park indicated that it featured a lighthouse tour, a 7-mile horse trail and 4 ½ miles of beach, so I headed there and chose a campsite, with full hook-up, for $16. However, it soon became evident that the beach was some distance (1 ½ miles) from the campsite, and that was disappointing. It was raining, so I hooked up, took Ripley for her walk and then settled in for the night. I started and finished a novel by Doug Swanson, a Texan and new to me. The book was entitled Big Town and took place in Dallas. A fast and easy read.

SUNDAY, APRIL 6, 2008

I wandered over to the showers early in the morning, and found deliciously hot water.

Today is sunny and relatively mild in temperature (approximately 55 degrees F).

Ripley continues to limp on her left leg when she first gets up, but soon walks normally once she is outside. After my breakfast of an omelet, toast and coffee, Ripley and I took a walk on the paved path down to the river mouth, encountering other dogs being walked by their owners. Ripley becomes very aggressive when she sees another dog, growling and sounding very fierce, even though her tail is wagging. I find it best not to find out what her actual intentions are to strange dogs and keep her away. We wandered partway, passing through a forest of holly, ferns and trees covered with moss.

As we returned to the campsite area, I came cross two young boys who were throwing a plastic bottle back and forth, as they might with a ball. Since Ripley has several tennis balls, I took one over and offered it to them, which they seem to appreciate.

The road to the lighthouse was paved and we passed the horse camping area where people can bring their horses to ride in the park and along the beach. Sounds like fun.

BULLARDS BEACH LIGHTHOUSE

I’ve never been inside a lighthouse before, and it was interesting to see how small the area actually was. This is one of several historic lighthouses that have been preserved, and which has not been in operation since 1939. It sits at the mouth of the Coquille River and serves as a reminder of the way things used to be. I was able to take a photo of the circular staircase leading up to the light, but visitors can no longer access the stairs.

The river itself looked very threatening, with currents flowing every which way making whitecaps. The volunteer said that the lighthouse keeper had to be on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and his family would be responsible for paddling across the river to obtain any supplies needed. I just couldn’t imagine paddling across that fierce current.

MUSINGS

There are so many scenic places to stop and admire that it is difficult to make any distance, and that is quite obvious when I stop to calculate the distances I have traveled. For instance, yesterday I drove 186 kms. Today I drove 182 kms. The object right now is not to cover distance, but to stop and admire the scenery before I turn eastwards away from the coast. There is a magical quality about the surrounding beauty that makes you want to slow down. I find it really hard to remember what day of the week it is, and it is only because I mark the calendar every day that I have any idea of what the date is. What a marvelous feeling to not be tied to time!

The radio station NPR kept fading in and out, much to my disappointment.

I’m very glad that I had bought a heavy-duty raincoat back in Toronto. Not only does it protect me from the rain, but it is also windproof.

I am impressed with the recycling efforts in both Oregon and California. There are bins in many places to leave plastic, paper and cans for recycling, although glass seems to be a problem. But it is a good effort.

I was reminded that not all the trees are protected here when I passed several areas of clear cutting – but it seemed to be predominantly pine that is being cut, which grows relatively quickly when replanted. I did notice several craft stores offering myrtlewood and I assume that that is a local tree that is used in carving.

A relatively new sign that I saw frequently was a Tsunami Hazard Zone sign and evacuation route signs.

WINCHESTER BAY WHALE WATCHING CENTER

High above the bay a kiosk has been built to overlook the area where the Gray Whales tend to linger on their journey north or south. At this time of year, they are heading back north from their Mexican winter home, and I did indeed see the spout of one of these huge creatures. Further up the coast there are whale watching tours offered, and I’m tempted to book one, despite the biting cold out on the ocean. I’ll see how much they are. My budget has been completely blown by the increase in gas prices and I have to be very careful of spending any extras now.

OREGON DUNES NATIONAL RECREATION AREA

It was pretty shocking to me to see that not only are Off Road Vehicles allowed on the sand dunes, but several commercial companies offer rentals of these awful machines. Sand dunes are a sensitive natural environment, home to many plants and which shift when disturbed (at least they are in my native Ontario). However, the dunes here in Oregon are subjected to the ORV’s tearing around up and down and around, and people are encouraged also to walk on them. Perhaps they are a sturdier type of dune, but I couldn’t help but notice the scars made on the dunes from the tire tracks of these noisy machines. I stopped at Siuslaw National Forest, paid my $5 fee and headed to the sand dunes. The wind was strong and cold at the top of the dunes, as I walked Ripley, and back at the ORV area I parked there briefly to rest, only to be disturbed by the constant drone of the ORV’s going up and down the enormous dunes.

I headed on to Florence, where I paid $3.24/gallon – and somehow lost $20 out of my pocket at the service station. I couldn’t find it anywhere, but I know I had it in my coat pocket.

It was raining as I entered Beachside State Park to spend the night (with electricity and water for $17). This park does indeed offer campsites on the beach and despite the wet and cold, Ripley and I had a quick walk.

At least I had a chance to catch up on my blog. Hopefully the weather will be better in the morning, so that we can have a long walk on the beach before pressing on.