Redwoods are big! VERY BIG!!!!

Woke a little late after a the night at the baseball and the drive from Pioche. It had been a late game due to a bench clearing brawl just as the game started. The action was over before we arrived leading to a late finish and for us a fairly late night! Oh well no school in the morning, lol!!!

 We joined a queue of what seemed like thousands of cars on the I ------ when we left Reno and headed back on our way to get to Highway 1 - the north coast of California! Roadworks and differences of opinion between Mrs G (the Garmin) and the navigator (Apiarist) added a little stress and a little time to what should have been a 5 hour trip. 

We did survive the stress but we really felt for the girl who was driving the vehicle that lost 2 plastic kayaks off her roof. Her car was 2 ahead of us and thankfully the guy who was in between us was able to stop without damaging them any more than the road impact may have. Goes to show how strong plastic kayaks are!

Just to add a little to the trip we'd decided to head to where the northern California coastal trip starts, at Bodega Bay, taking a very busy Highway 12. The road was busy but we were, after all, travelling through the Sonoma wine region and it was Sunday! Bodega Bay was nice but still a fairly busy little coastal village. I guess being not far from San Francisco has something to do with that!

Commencing driving on Highway 1 we were reminded immediately of just what a great coastal trip we were about  to start. The road was a slow, tightly winding one but the scenery was stunning with little coves with dark sand and ubrupt almost forbidding headlands and all along the coast large random rocks!!

Arrived at our night's accommodation at Fort Bragg and were pleasantly surprised to find the Motel 6 room complete with Wifi, fridge and microwave. All unexpected and all we needed for dinner, keeping icepacks and Copaxone cool and for communicating, bonus!

Slept in a bit but were on the road by around 10, first stop was at the Visitor Centre  where a Kiwi expat gave us advice on places we should go to and what we should see on the Avenue of the Giants. She also suggested a winery - always take advice from a knowledgeable person! 

Wine was good but the view was even better. We bought a bottle of "It's Not My Fault" which was named because of the Seismic Fault Line that runs across the property!

No matter what you have read about or photographs you have seen of Coast Redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) it is only when you see them close up do you realise their immense size. Sequoia sempervirens 

We  were even able to fit the ExTerrable through one

And in case you were wondering this is a natural opening through this tree. They are this big and even bigger. Wow moments aplenty!

We continued onto the suggested side trip and, if you can believe it, it was even more spectacular because the drive included great ocean views as well!

The drive took us to our destination of Eureka after a quick look at Ferndale which was a somewhat hidden marvel and a great way to finish another great day.

Either would have been nice to stay at but we had already chosen the Travelodge. The accommodation was OK but we were tired and it filled in for all we really wanted. A nearby Pho and a comfortable bed. Big ticks on both!!!!!

Another late start the next morning but nowhere as long a distance to travel today, but when you think about it we put the destination we are heading towards into Mrs G every day and you can generally add at least 50% to the expected time for the journey. Having no exact itinerary is part of the fun of our trips!!

Breakfast in our room of Travelodge muffins and coffee and some final packing saw us say goodbye to our accommodation that although it didn't have a view of the ocean did have a view of yet another great mural. Murals seem to be wherever we go, some good some not so good but this one was a good one.

Eureka's best days seem to be behind it but the GFC and the general turndown of the economy has made life a little more difficult for many places. The waterfront was nice but more people spending more money in a town like this would make it even nicer!

The sculpture of the fisherman was outstanding but again the fishing industry here is like it is in many places, struggling! Stopped a few kilometres down the road at the Kutchel Visitor's Centre where we got great advice after watching an excellent 12 minute film on the Coast Redwoods.

Not far north of Kutchel we saw yet another Elk warning sign and we were joking about the lack of animals each time we see a warning sign, WHEN!!!

We naturally stopped. They are big and they didn't really care about the eXTerrable!!

Following the advice from the Visitors Centre we followed the Newton B Drury Parkway. The advice was good the trees were huge the scenery unforgettable and the day was wonderful and we even found an idyllic river for the Narooma Nymph to swim in. What another amazing day! We are so fortunate!

Thank you California we'll see you in a while. 

Now for Oregon!!