" we are getting up early honey. . . " The thought wavers in my head as I fall asleep slowly. Ceasar, the larger of the two cats that we have, jumps on the bed and finds a small patch to do his paw paw paw thing. He's finding a place to get comfortable and his purring sounds his accomplishment at endeavor. 20 lbs of fur ball comes to rest at my hip. Its like sleeping with a bowling ball. I'm exhausted from several days at work and Maria has not yet begun to pack. "we are getting up early . . . z.z.z.z. "
6:30 am - there is no f'n way I'm getting up. I slam the iPhone to shut it up and drift back into an uneasy guilty sleep. Maria shifts about and soon she's sound asleep as well. Our Oregon road trip thus begins. We finally hit the road around noon after we have gotten the house cleaned up. Snacks are prepared and we have over packed our bags. I feel like a rookie again as I crush too many clothes into my small suit case - roller deal. We're late, but it doesn't matter. The sense of being on vacation is beginning to set in . . . but slowly.
We start up the 101 and the contiguous cities of southern Marin county give way at first to relatively flat cow and sheep grazing land. This is replaced by the rolling hills and of to our left are the mountains. These are the final borders between us and the Pacific. Its dry season in cali. The hills that pass us are a brilliant shade of yellow, brown, and mustard. A fire hazard, but a pretty one at that.
After an hour or so we arrive at that strange comfort zone border near Santa Rosa. Up until now, we know the area pretty well from repeated use. Its only past this that we get into that unknown area where the roads get narrow and winding. At first it is a little unease, but this is meant to be a road trip. I did, however, do my home work. I buzzed the area on Google earth. Found the hot spots on tripadvisors and cross referenced these with the likes of Yelp and Urban Spoon. I've got all the apps of a true digital age conquistador. But we are 5 hours behind and the spots I wanted to stop at, are left on the way side.
That said, the country up here is beautiful and compensates for my lack of will power to over come the fact that I'm not a morning person. There is one ace up my sleeve. We still have time for one hike, there is some amazing hike territory coming up, and I have a significant other who loves hiking no matter what.
Thus before the sun sets, we arrive at Humbolt National Park near Eureka, CA. The setting sun casts intricate shadows and illuminates the park. Maria is in heaven. She loves nature and I'm beside myself in seeing that blissful smile on her face.
After getting in a short hike we are forced to hit the road as day light fades. The 101 at this point presents a challenge. It goes from a rural road to a major highway and back again. The speed limit changes at the drop of a hat and the road is strewn with speed traps and cops eager to meet their quota. Its this very highway that meanders down from the mountains to the shore at Eureka.
We drive briefly through the city and I get an eerie feeling about the place. Maria feels it too, I can see the expression in her face. Its not just the dank smell of dead fish in the air but the strange burn out feeling of the town. Its as if this is a city that has seen better days, but is trying too hard to hold on to its diminishing assets. There are signs that point away from the sketchy areas of town to the "old city" as if this solace. We drive through quickly.
Heading further north, we arrive at the Kalmath River and the Requa Inn. Like most B&B's, this place looks amazing on the web site, but is ok in real time. I've come to expect the following from most B&B's
1) musty smell - like a wet dog has run through the place
2) old worn out books in the "main room"
3) doilies - lots of them
I'm not disappointed. I wouldn't usually pick a B&B - but the motels along the way (which are my only other choice) are really shady. Furthermore, I've been watching too much Breaking Bad lately and so every motel along the way looks like a meth lab / hang out at this point.
Well, I've seen some amazing country side. 101 is thus far not bad. I'm excited to see the Oregon Coast next. . . . better set my alarm for 6:30 AM. . . ..
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