Day 147 of Year Long Road Trip Along America’s Scenic Byways
Wow. I stayed up way too late in the K-Mart parking lot blogging and taking advantage of 3G service, and I’m paying for it today…feeling a bit sluggish. I saw all the redwoods I could handle yesterday, so I opted for a change of pace today. First, in dire need of coffee, I utilized the “Around Me” application on my iPhone to find a local place. The Boat House Expresso Bar, located on the harbor, sounded good to me. As soon as I hopped out of VANilla, a nice lady greeted me and said, “I’m sorry, we’re closed right now…doing a little remodeling and painting.”
“Oh, too bad, I was just looking for a cup of coffee,” I replied.
“I have some coffee brewed, but I can’t make you anything fancy,” she responded.
As she handed me a cup of coffee, I asked if she had change, and she said, “No, it’s free.” One of her friends who was helping her paint chimed in, “Technically, she is closed and can’t serve anyone.”
Confirming her friends comment, the owner stated, “I just bought the place and don’t want to turn anyone away. I hope to be open in May so come back then.”
I explained I was just passing through, but there might be a chance I’ll be in the area again in October on my back home. We’ll see. Hopefully my post will send a few coffee drinkers her way since she was nice enough to provide me coffee on the house!
Dogs were allowed on the beach near the coffee house, so Petey and I wandered around the area in a light drizzle. The wet weather prompted me to spend some time reprovisioning…gassed up VANilla and went to the grocery store hungry…really not ever a good idea, but certainly a poor choice when living in a van with limited space! Though tonight, I’ll be able to try some Miso soup with seaweed sautéed in sesame oil.
Old Town Eureka
The rain let up just in time for me to take a short driving tour of Old Town Eureka, long ago a neighborhood of bordellos and saloons, now transformed into a district of shops and eateries housed in vintage buildings. Located at the end of Old Town is Carson Mansion, one of more than 100 Victorian homes in Eureka. Carson Mansion is now a privately owned club, thus I snapped a photo of the ornate building from afar.
While the sky briefly cleared, Petey and I took a stroll along the boardwalk fronting Eureka’s busy harbor. I thought I might pick up my first geocache in days, but muggles spoiled my chances. I can’t imagine how many geocaches I’ve passed up in these California parks due to not having cell service…it pains me!
Azalea State Reserve
We finally bid farewell to Eureka, and stopped at the Azalea State Reserve in McKinleyville. My Reader’s Digest book claims the Reserve “bursts into bloom” each April. “Well marked trails guide visitors through this unique natural garden, where pink and white blossoms of western azaleas enliven the banks of quiet forest creeks. Well, I found a small creek and lots of bushes, none of which were in bloom. I’m not sure if I was too early or too late for this unseasonably cool year.
Trinidad State Beach
Continuing farther north, we stopped at Trinidad Head, near the old fishing village of Trinidad. While I keep forgetting to look for migrating whales, I tried today, but didn’t see any. I did catch a glimpse of a seal lion resting on rock before it plopped into the water as Petey and I strolled along Trinidad State Beach. A memorial lighthouse, a replica of the 1871 original, stands above the beautiful beach and overlooks the rock strewn harbor. I had hoped to find another geocache here, but recent logs recorded it missing, so I didn’t spend any time looking.
Redwood National Park
As the rain picked up, I decided to find a campground. As we headed toward Redwood National Park, we saw a herd of Roosevelt Elk in a meadow aside the highway. As we continued further, Elk Crossing signs peppered Rte. 101. I hope tomorrow is a slightly nicer day as Redwood National Park, which also encompasses Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, offers a variety of trails through the forests and meadows as well as trails along 30 plus miles of coast. ETB
Map of My Road Trip Across the USA
For a summary about my road trip across the USA, click HERE. For the interactive map, see the below link.
I’m loving all your posts, it makes me want to hit the road! Have you been to a Trader’s Joe yet? Great place to shop for your provisionals. Safe travels! Mary
Actually. Yes I have. Good suggestion!
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Oh man, thanks for this. I used to live in Eureka and have been missing that area like crazy, so it was nice to get a glimpse at a place I used to call home. And I LOVE Trinidad. 🙂 You were probably too early for the bloom in McKinleyville this year… both this year and last have been unseasonably cold so I’m not surprised there wasn’t much in the way of signs of life yet.
There are lots of beautiful trails in that area… now that I live in the Rockies (which live up to their name) I miss the soft Redwood trails… I run in minimalist shoes and the kind of rocky trails here are not terribly comfortable in them. 🙁
Carson Mansion looks spectacular! What a cool old place.
Love the photo of the pink flower!
Mom
good read
Wish we were still with you. Love your pictures!
Me too! It takes a few days to adjust every time I leave friends and go back to solitude. Join me wherever you like.
Website is not up yet, but will be soon. Thank you for the awesome blog.
Looking forward to watching your trip.