San Francisco to Eureka...More on a trip North
As I mentioned in my last post about my travels North to Alaska from the southern tip of the Baja, and originally leaving on this trip from Minot N. Dakota, I have a few more insights about some of the places we have stayed and visited.
While in San Francisco we did most of the touristy things. I have been there many times but my best friend and traveling companion has not. We spent a morning at the SF Maritime National Museum which I highly recommend and toured China Town and North Beach areas.
The next day we enjoyed a sunny warm alfresco lunch at a spiffy little Italian restaurant in Sausalito. Nothing like a good Pinot Grigio, some Calamari and a great plate of assorted Antipasti....life is sweet.
We left the dubiously named San Francisco RV Resort at about 6 am the next morning and headed north to the Humboldt Redwoods State park where we stayed 3 nights. The drive up US 101 is one of my favorites and is very scenic the entire way. I had originally intended to take Hwy 1 but I stayed in SF too long and had to take the fast route to the Redwoods. This is OK because we had previously drove hwy 1 through Big Sur on the way to SF. And will be back on the coast from now on through much of Oregon and Washington.
Humboldt State Park is a very nice park set among giant Redwoods and on the Eel river. There are some really interesting hikes taking you to specific trees including the tallest tree. It's a magical, sacred place where these living things have survived for up to 2000 years through floods and fires, storms and drought, mans thoughtless depredations and ultimately his help in preservation.
We camped at the Burlington campground and if your trailer/rv is more than 33 feet it could be a serious problem maneuvering in the campground.
We will be seeing more of these giants in Redwoods National Park in far northern California...Just up the road a ways...and look forward to it.
A drive along the Avenue of the Giants is very worthwhile as is a visit along the way to the roadside pullouts to read the signs about the area. Two cities here were totally wiped out in a 1964 flood that saw the high water mark at 33 feet above flood stage. In case you are wondering that is at the tops of the utility poles. Two of the towns which in 1964 were quite active and well populated are virtually gone. Only a few houses remain on high ground.
We are now in Eureka California. This is a working class Victorian Charm of a town with great historic buildings, a lot of great restaurants and 3 of the most interesting bookstores I have ever encountered. Set on Humboldt Bay there is plenty of history here and tons of original Victorian architecture. Coffee shops, bakeries, and seafood restaurants with fresh crab and oysters are on nearly every block of the historic downtown.
We have traded the warm/hot weather of the Baja, the dry desert air and the colors of brown earth, cactus green and cerulean blue of the Sea of Cortez for the foggy sea air, the slate colored Pacific, evergreen green and lush green grass covered hills. It is a nice change.
While in San Francisco we did most of the touristy things. I have been there many times but my best friend and traveling companion has not. We spent a morning at the SF Maritime National Museum which I highly recommend and toured China Town and North Beach areas.
The next day we enjoyed a sunny warm alfresco lunch at a spiffy little Italian restaurant in Sausalito. Nothing like a good Pinot Grigio, some Calamari and a great plate of assorted Antipasti....life is sweet.
We left the dubiously named San Francisco RV Resort at about 6 am the next morning and headed north to the Humboldt Redwoods State park where we stayed 3 nights. The drive up US 101 is one of my favorites and is very scenic the entire way. I had originally intended to take Hwy 1 but I stayed in SF too long and had to take the fast route to the Redwoods. This is OK because we had previously drove hwy 1 through Big Sur on the way to SF. And will be back on the coast from now on through much of Oregon and Washington.
Humboldt State Park is a very nice park set among giant Redwoods and on the Eel river. There are some really interesting hikes taking you to specific trees including the tallest tree. It's a magical, sacred place where these living things have survived for up to 2000 years through floods and fires, storms and drought, mans thoughtless depredations and ultimately his help in preservation.
We camped at the Burlington campground and if your trailer/rv is more than 33 feet it could be a serious problem maneuvering in the campground.
We will be seeing more of these giants in Redwoods National Park in far northern California...Just up the road a ways...and look forward to it.
A drive along the Avenue of the Giants is very worthwhile as is a visit along the way to the roadside pullouts to read the signs about the area. Two cities here were totally wiped out in a 1964 flood that saw the high water mark at 33 feet above flood stage. In case you are wondering that is at the tops of the utility poles. Two of the towns which in 1964 were quite active and well populated are virtually gone. Only a few houses remain on high ground.
We are now in Eureka California. This is a working class Victorian Charm of a town with great historic buildings, a lot of great restaurants and 3 of the most interesting bookstores I have ever encountered. Set on Humboldt Bay there is plenty of history here and tons of original Victorian architecture. Coffee shops, bakeries, and seafood restaurants with fresh crab and oysters are on nearly every block of the historic downtown.
We have traded the warm/hot weather of the Baja, the dry desert air and the colors of brown earth, cactus green and cerulean blue of the Sea of Cortez for the foggy sea air, the slate colored Pacific, evergreen green and lush green grass covered hills. It is a nice change.
