Next time, I'll listen to my gut

We were on the road at 8:15.  This time, the California Agricultural Inspection Station was right on the border, but again there was no traffic; one quick question and we were on our way.  Almost immediately after entering California, we began seeing redwoods.  We also ran into some interesting fog.

At lunchtime we stopped at Costco in Eureka for gas and a little shopping.  We were hardly back on the road when we passed a Bed Bath and Beyond.  We stopped and found just the clock Nancy has been searching for.

In Oregon, Highway 101 did not always hug the coast, but it was always the highway closest to the ocean.  Until a day or two ago when we started looking for camping sites in California, we had assumed the same was true here.  Not so.  South of Eureka, 101 leaves the coast and follows an inland valley all the way to the Golden Gate Bridge.  To actually drive down the coast, it is necessary to get off 101 at Leggett, 99 miles south of Eureka, and get on California 1 which takes you across the mountains to the beach.

Leggett is the site of one of the three remaining Drive Through Trees.  We considered taking a look, but got no further than the entrance.  The famous tree was out of sight and the road leading to it was steep and narrow.

If only my prudence and good sense had stayed with me just a wee bit longer.

This side road was just yards from the junction of US 101 and CA 1.  Just a few yards farther down Route 1, a sign reads:  narrow winding road next 22 miles, next services 28 miles.  To my credit, I did find this disturbing news, but foolishly drove on anyway.

There were absolutely no shoulders, never saw a guard rail, and some of the curves had a 10 mph speed limit.  I don't think I ever got over 30 mph and probably only averaged between 15 and 20.

When we finally got out of the mountains, there was another sign:  narrow winding road next 16 miles.  The good news should have been that we had finally reached the scenic coast.  The bad news was that it was socked in with fog which made driving the seaside cliffs even scarier than navigating the mountain roads.

Tonight my lower back is killing me.  We are near the beach though not within easy walking distance and are happy just to be camping in the redwoods.  There is one on each side of our spot.

Day 83
Harbor, OR to Fort Bragg, CA

Daily Mileage:  249.4
Total Mileage:  12,981.1