Crescent City, California

I enjoyed spending a couple days in Crescent City, even if I did sleep in a storage room at the bar!  Rick is really nice and easy going, and he does some excellent grilling!  After that I headed for Crescent City.

Rick Lelo at Rowdy Creek Yacht Club, in Smith River, CA.

When I got there, my Mom offered to pay for a couple nights motel, so I happily agreed and she made reservations.  Then a couple hrs later, my cousin Michelle offered to pay for a couple nights at a motel, too, but I told her Mom already had paid for this stay.  I was so amazed at both of their generosity!  Staying at a motel is such a luxury for me!  So I settled in for the weekend and took it easy.  I totally enjoyed going to Ocean World, and I wanted to see the lighthouse, but it was too foggy to see it.



Me at Ocean World, in Crescent City, CA.



Riding the Skunk Train, in Fort Bragg, CA

Then on monday I headed out of Crescent City, and that's where the adventure began!  Quite a few locals told me that I should take a shuttle bus to Arcata, because up ahead the road was windy and curvy and went over a mountain pass, and that there was no shoulder on the road and no room for me.  So that was a fairly easy decision for me -- I don't like mountain passes or shoulder-less roads, so I opted for the shuttle to Arcata.  I was at the bus stop at 7am and forked out my $25, and was on my merry way, heading to Arcata about 70 miles away.  The shuttle bus dropped us off at the main bus terminal in Arcata, where you can connect with several other busses, including Greyhound.  During the drive to Arcata, I noticed the highway turned into a 4 lane, divided highway, and I also spotted several signs that said "Pedestrians Prohibited".  So when I got to the bus stop, I asked if it was ok for me to walk on the highway, and they said absolutely not.  The lady said that I needed to get on the bus right out the door and do it now,  because it was ready to leave.  She asked the driver to wait, and in a rushed blur, took my credit card, handed me a ticket, and said "go now!"  I had no idea what I was doing or where I was going, but I went!  My cart got shoved in the luggage area under the bus, and I was on my way to I-don't-know-where.  After a few miles when my heart quit pounding, I checked out my ticket and found out that I had just paid $50 to get to Ukiah and that I'd be there at 2:45pm.  Well.  When I arrived there, it was a blistering 104 degrees out, and I called the ph# taped on the side of the bus stop to find out how I could get to Hwy 1 on the coast.  The lady told me to catch the #20 bus at 4:00.  I asked her if it was right here at this stop, and she said no, that I needed to get to the Pear Tree Center by 4.  Having no idea where that was, I went into the grocery store to cool off and get some directions.  That lady said it was 2 miles away, and told me how to get there.  Two miles in 104 degrees!  I wasn't sure if I'd make it or not.  The walk was right downtown, and I stopped for several seconds in every piece of shaded ground that I crossed.  Frantic that I might not find this place, and after asking several more people, I finally found it with 10 minutes to spare.  There were several other people waiting around, and they didn't think there would be any problem loading my cart on the bus.  I was sure hoping the bus driver would let me.  Generally, as long as the bus is handicap accessable, then there's room for my cart.  The bus finally pulled up, and the driver was pretty skeptical at first, but he went ahead and let me load the cart.  The mini-size shuttle bus was cram packed with people and it was stifling hot inside the bus, and my cart and I were squished in like sardines in the very back seat of the bus, while the radio was blaring mexican music and I wondered if this moment was really happening.  We pulled away from the parking lot and I was on my way.  The drive across the windy, curvy, mountain range was rather wild, and quite exciting.  Eventually we hit cooler weather and all the windows were soon open.  Finally I felt like I could breathe again.  By the time I got into Fort Bragg at 6pm, I was about 250 miles farther than I was this morning, and I was stressed and exhausted!  I didn't care what a motel would cost me for that night, I just knew I needed to calm down and unwind! 

The next day I took the luxury of going on a 4 hr long train ride into the beautiful California Redwoods.  The day turned out perfect with clear blue sky and 65 degrees, and the ride on the Skunk Train was very enjoyable.  According to the locals, I'm in for the best part of my trip, walking along Hwy 1 on the California Coast, so I'm really looking forward to that.

Bandon with Michelle



Nicole & Brian, at www.FarWesthostel.com

 I totally enjoyed staying at Brian & Nicoles hostel in Port Orford, OR.  While there, I also met up with Beck, and she offered me the use of her pickup to drive around in while she was at work.  I had a great time checking out the areas around Port Orford!  Also while I was there, my cousin Michelle decided to drive down and spend the weekend with me.  She booked a motel in Bandon, and came down to Port Orford to get me and take me back north.  We had a great 2 days in Bandon, even though it was really foggy!  I always enjoy spending time with Michelle, and was thrilled to see her again.  Some of my foggy beach pics turned out almost eerie!

Beck and her pickup




 

On Sunday, Michelle took me back down the road and then she headed back north to Lebanon.  I made my way into Harris Beach State Park, by Brookings.  This park was one of the nicest I've stayed at, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that they even had laundry facilities.  A few days ago I received an email from Dannie who lives in Brookings, and she had offered to meet up with me for coffee.  So when I got settled in at the park, I called her up and told her I was there.  Come to find out, she works at the park, and she'd be in to work on Monday morning.  I decided I'd stay put for a day, and we'd get together then.  The next morning she met up with me at 8am and handed me a sausage & cheese biscuit and a hot cup of coffee from McDonalds.  What a pleasant surprise!  We visited for a bit before she needed to check in to work, and decided to meet again during her break time.  Dannie was a permanent rv'er for about 12 years, and I enjoyed hearing about her travels and how she worked at different places -- especially because that's exactly what I want to do after this trip.  I totally enjoyed spending her break times and lunch time with her!

My cousin Jeff lives in Roseburg, OR but has been temporarily working in Brookings, so I texted him and asked if we could get together.  He suggested we go out to eat that evening, so he swung by and we went down to the dock and had fish & chips.  It was great to see him again, too.

After that I headed down the road the next day.  I made it to the California State Line, and then only walked a couple miles more to Kamph Memorial Park, where I pitched a tent for the night.  I've seen plenty of parks that were better than this one, but I was still glad to have a spot.  Plus it was right on the beach, and i got some great sunset pictures that night! 

Bandon, OR

Port Orford, OR

Port Orford, OR



From there I headed to Smith River the next day.  It was only 6 miles away, but it seemed like a really long 6 miles.  It was a cloudless, sunny day, and the sun was hot beating down on me.  During the whole 6 miles, there were only 2 spots on the road where there was any shade -- and I stood in those 2 spots for a good 20 minutes each.  I knew my arms and face were turning really red, but wasn't sure how much until I got into town.  I stopped at the tavern right next to the grocery store, and the first thing Rick said to me is "you are really red!"  He then handed me a cold beer, and we started talking.  I was exhausted, and was glad to be sitting in a cool, shaded area.  After visiting for awhile, Rick offered to let me stay there for a couple nights and do some cleaning for him, and that he'd pay me for it.  He showed me a large storage room with a bed and a bathroom in it, and i said sure, that I'd stay put for a day or two.  So I did some cleaning and vacuuming for him, then in the evening it felt good to kick back.  The next day he drove me back to Brookings and dropped me and a ton of dirty laundry off at the laundromat.  6 loads and 3 hrs later, he picked me back up and took care of a few more errands before heading back to Smith River.  He paid me for my work, and the next day I was heading for Crescent City.

Michelle, sending me down the road!

Bullards Beach State Park

Cape Blanco Lighthouse

I left North Bend and headed for Coos Bay 3 miles away, thinking I'd just probably find a spot on the north end of town and not really leave town.  Well, I did find a spot on the north end of town.  There's an RV park there, and when I asked if I could camp overnight there, the owner said no, that no tenters are allowed.  The motel nearby was over $100, so I just kept walking.  I headed out of town, and kept going.....and going....and going.  Fourteen miles later, I spotted a lake, with a gravel road that ran alongside of it, and several houses.  I headed down that gravel road, hoping to find an inconspicuous spot to pitch my tent.  The sun was still out, and it was nice by the lake, so I decided to get out my chair and just sit for a spell, to see if anyone would drive by.  Sure enough, awhile later, Scott drove by.  I asked him who owned the property and if it'd be ok if I put my tent up overnight.  Scott said that his Dad owned the property, and that he was sure it'd be fine if I camped out there.  We visited for a bit longer, and he drove off.

A few minutes later, while I was setting my tent up, Scott came back.  He said he had to go to Bandon and get some gas, and why don't I just let him take me there?  I mentioned that I was hoping to get to Bullards Beach State Park just before Bandon, and he said fine.  So I put my tent away, and he drove me 10 miles to the park.  I totally enjoyed visiting with Scott, especially when he said that he's never, ever picked up a stranger or given anybody a ride before.  So of course my next question was "Then why me?"  He said he didn't think I looked like an axe murderer to him, and he knew I could probably find a more comfortable place to pitch a tent than on a gravel road.  He went on to say that he's not real keen about talking to strangers -- again, I was quite amused! -- and that he was visiting with his pastor, who said he loves to talk to strangers so he can talk about his faith.  I guess Scott mulled over that, and I was his first recipient.  I mentioned to Scott that I'm also carrying Bibles with me to give to others, and he asked me if he could have one.  So when we got to the park, I gave Scott a Bible and he gave me a hug.  And as I set up my tent in a nice spot at Bullards Beach State Park, all I could think of was God Bless my friend Scott.

I have a huge blister on my foot, and after getting situated and taking a hot shower, I felt much better.  It was around 9pm, and I was glad to be safe and warm and settled in. 

Coquille River Lighthouse

Camping out at Bullards Beach State Park

I spent the next day taking it easy at the park, and enjoyed visiting with other campers.  I took a walk to the beach, and enjoyed a day off.  I had contacted Brian through couchsurfing, who owns a hostel in Port Orford, and when I contacted him, he emailed me back and said I could stay at their house in Bandon, and also their hostel in Port Orford.  So that evening I texted him and said I was at the park and that I'd be in Bandon in the morning.  He immediately called me and said that they live a mile away from the park and that I could stay with them if I'd like.  I said I was already settled in, and he told me they were cooking some fresh crab and that he'd bring me some.  A bit later, Brian pulled up to the park gate and handed me a bag full of cooked crab.  I headed back to my camping area and chowed down on some wonderful just caught, just cooked crab.  Life is good.