HARRIS BEACH OREGON to SAN FRANCISCO CALIFORNIA LOG

DAY 24 HARRIS BEACH SP OREGON to ELK PRAIRIE SP 108.21 KM MAY 23/01 WEDNESDAY

Enjoyed a bottle of red wine (on a sea stack) by the sea, watching the fog roll in and out last night. Woke up to a rain forest fog just over our tent, the rest of the campground was dry. wierd?? Packed up and rode off into the fog, needed rear blinker going. Stopped at an internet cafe to do our uploading and send a file to Shannon. The internet Cafe was unable to help us but fortunately the nice people at Harborside Internet(Brookings) set us up with a tempory dial in. While waiting for Ken, Sue met another biker (from Spokan) who if you can believe it was pulling his dog in a trailer. (an Irish Setter) Needless to say, the dog got out and ran up the hills.

KM 108.21 6hr41min ride time M45 A16.2 TD 1806.23 KM
Ice Flowers
Redwood Tree
View upward of large trees
Ken with Golden Bear at Klamath River Bridge

DAY 25 ELK PRAIRIE SP TO EUREKA KOA 78.96 KM MAY 24/01 THURSDAY

Woke up to fog hanging up on hills. Tent not so wet today. No other bikers, but lots of campers. Sites very nice with pay showers. Well 25 days on the road and what can I say... the old girl is tired. Not that I don't want to go on... at a stage where the setup/packup is becoming to routine and I look forward to a day staying in the same place. We have reached our physical destination (California) so the rest is gravy!

All California so far is not glitz and glitter. Most of today we have gone by modest homes. Farms continue to amaze me, how they ech out a living I'm not sure. Appear to be loggers. Lots of time going thru the Red Woods. Nice homes off 101 by Patrick's Point State Park. Would be a nice place to stay in a motel with ocean view if the weather was better. Lots of time to ponder life while we cycle thru the fog. Did learn today that chain maintenance sure makes the bike run smoother. Was trying to go backwards when I glided due to gunge.

We had a great lunch in Trinidad, then on to 101 which is now a 4 lane freeway. The shoulder is wide, but the traffic a little heavier. The most difficulty was crossing to the east side to the only campground available. (KOA) The showers and jacuzzi were wonderful and we are before the Memorial Day traffic, so it was ok. Not my type of campsite, but there doesn't seem to be anything else very close. Another good day.

KM 78.96 5hr06min ride time M46.6 A15.4 TD 1885.19 KM
Elk in the morning
California Poppies by roadside
Marshmellow Farm
flower of the day: wild fusia

DAY 26 KOA EUREKA TO BURLINGTON HIKER/BIKER 106.96 KM MAY 25/01 FRIDAY

Up to another foggy one. Locals say it usually burns off by noon and is back by 4! Yek! Not sure what they are breathing most of the time with the lumber mills here. Not a lot traffic for that type of pollution anyhow. We headed out on the dreaded freeway again, and toured the town of Eureka. It has a Mansion which is now an exclusive men's only club!! Lots of really nice restored old homes. Some as businesses, but most still as private homes. None to tour. Too bad. We hit the freeway again, but soon where on a side road to Loleta. We stopped at a Cheese factory. Very interesting and great tasting too! Right before lunch, a good choice! Never the less, dairy farming is alive and well here with the ugliest cows I have ever seen. They are very skinny in the face and grey/orangy brown in color. Not attractive to me, not being a farm girl! The sun has come out and it's gorgeous along this route.

Farther on the side route, we came to Ferndale a town full of victorian homes and main street could have been from the movies. The pictures don't do it justice, Definitely a great place to visit. Not like a tourist trap, real people were living there with children in school and jobs. We continued on Grizzly Bluff Road which to our enjoyment continued past farms with restored old homes....then the bluffs came.... STEEP... more than one.... 3..... then back to the 101 until Avenue of the Giants. This is a beautiful ride thru the Redwood trees.. not as humid as farther north... little traffic on a narrow winding road. The camp is once again in the trees, with the frogs and song birds helping me write the log... and being Friday night of the long weekend.. we have what looks like a "keg party" about to take place. The noise isn't too bad yet and I'm tired so... if you cann't beat them join them! Not... but I hope the bond fire they have going is kept under control!

KM 106.96 6hr46min ride time M45.6 A15.7 TD 1992.15 KM
Men's club in Eureka
Church in Loleta
Ferndale home
Horse and Buggy rides in Ferndale
Huge Tree
Ken in the woods

DAY 27 BURLINGTON HIKER/BIKER TO STANDISH-HICKEY SP 80.01 KM MAY 26/01 SATURDAY

started out the day with an okay rest even though the company wasn't great.(keg party) We were up earliest and off. Tent was dry for once. We entered the roadway to see 2 male wild turkeys. I thought it would be a good picture. As I stopped to photo them they attacked my Sara (bike) and every time I tried to go they attempted to bite my tires. I escaped unscathed due to Ken's valentry. Then I never laughed so hard as the turkey ran after me and they attacked Ken. The view in the rear view mirror was hilareous! No pictures!! Due to the store being closed at Weott we had no breakfast food, so headed to find a grocery in Myers Flats: 2 oranges/2 grapefruits $4...needless we didn't buy more! Ate out on the stoop (cedar log seat) with the locals who were on the 1st beer of the day! Over hill and dale to Garberville to a decent grocery. Noted to have some 20-30 yr olds that think they are from the 60's (unshaved legs and "hippy like") We enjoyed lunch beside the Eel River where all the locals knew it was a great swim hole. Ken went for a swim on a hot day +18C.

We had a great day riding on side roads 101 with no shoulder and hardly any traffic. Very similar to Golden hwy 1. We rose to 1000ft and have the largest peak on the Pacific Coast for tomorrow. Tonites camp is much nicer in the center of the usual campsite. Still $1 each. unreal! Sat by the South Eel River like a small creek to relax. We went suddenly from rainforest Redwoods to semidesert (Kelowna) type terrain. Cooling off still at night. Mosquitoes ravenous!

KM 80.01 5hr43min ride time M42.7 A13.9 TD 2072.16 KM
Turkey attack
South Eel River

DAY 28 STANDISH-HICKEY TO MAC KERRICHER BEACH SP.83.62 KM MAY 27/01 SUNDAY

Headed off with the apparent "HILL" ahead. Got off 101 to #1, and there it was. UP, UP, up 6% grade of winding switch backs for about 8 km. Elevation gain 1950 ft but at 1100 so.. should have been easy right. Twisting, turning, no shoulder... lucky no traffic so not too bad... must be getting better, or ...who knows... brain dead! Second peak Rockport Hill 690Ft steeper grade! Hypothermic on the down hill 8C. All of a sudden we are at the shore!

We came upon some local "fishermen" who were harvesting Abolony Shellfish. Very interesting how they can only take ones that are 7" in diameter (10yrs old) they are in wet suits down in the surf by the rocks taking them off. Very smelly! Stopped in Westport at a small grocery/deli for great hot cream cheese on a bagel. Chatted with other vacationers who said this was great weather for this area. I'm still waiting for the heat wave!

We continue along the shore with great rolling hills (100ft) on a narrow road with no shoulder a "cardiac workout!" Cars were great! 5th wheel drivers tried to make me road kill! as he passed on a hill as someone came! Shared our campsite with a couple from Sweden who were also heading south.

DAY 29 MAC KERRICHER BEACH SP. 15.9 KM MAY 28/01 MONDAY

Headed off OOPS!! No we didn't! We decided a rest day was in order as we got up to sunny skies! We stayed in bed until after 8! I actually read my book, had breakfast and headed to the beach. Expecting to lay in the hot sand and bake all day ! NOT SO! It was sunny, but cool breaze off the shore. We went to a Naturalist talk/tour of the tidal pools. Extremely interesting. Saw 4 types of star fish and many other marine animals. I thought it would be very smelly, but it wasn't. Ken thinks it's because all the things are living and not rotting. The Abalone fisherman were in the water as we were on the tide pools. It is neat watching them as they go out on their "float tubes" that are also their back packs that the gear and abalone go in. we were told it is the lowest low tide this week so their will be lots of abalone harvested. It is like fishing, you need a license, are allowed only 4 in your possession at one time that are >7". They stay alive up to 4 days before they have to kill them and eat the inner meat. They are not good frozen. It is a very expensive shell fish here. Only harvested north of San Francisco due to a disease in the south. We stayed a while and then retreated to camp to a sheltered spot where we could recharge the laptop.

We returned to the beach later and it was a bit warmer, but Ken still couldn't get in the water! He did get the sea mist on him. That was enough! Another day!

We enjoyed our lazy day and ended it by going to Fort Bragg for a delicious diner at a very popular restaurant. D'Aurelios is a family restaurant that is very well known and we were very lucky to be early as the lineup is usually down the block, which it was starting when we left!

DAY 30 MAC KERRICHER BEACH SP. to MANCHESTER STATE PARK 72.22 KM MAY 29/01 TUESDAY

Woke up to another sunny day. Took the bike trail into Fort Bragg to have our breakfast at Safeway, you don't have to carry those heavy grapefruits that way. We started off and a few K up the road stumbled across the quaint town of Mendocino and took a short tour.

Back out on the highway the road got narrow and windy with little shoulder but very nice ocean views. We had to push (for the first time since we left) our bikes up a short slope and again around a steep corner on a steep set of switch backs. We road thru more farmland (some cows have excellent ocean views). We both seem to be rested after taking yesterday off. Got here early enough to spend some time at the beach but it was very windy so we waited for sunset to head back to the beach.

This was a shorter scenic ride, but very strenuous. This is what I had pictured in my mind what most of the ride would be. The road never goes due south so we never seem to get a tail wind!

DAY 31 MANCHESTER STATE PARK TO BODEGO BAY 113.18 KM MAY 30/01 WEDNESDAY

Got out of camp earlier today to beat the heat! 8am +15C Hazy over the dunes. Rolling cardiac hills: 30 sec up hard pedaling then 30 sec down full tilt pedaling! Lunch at Gualala at a food court, great pizza by the slice and of course a bakery! I had ice cream!!

Warming up to +25 after lunch Shoulders either non existant or pull out every 1/4 mile. Racing from one pullout to the next to allow the traffic to pass. Watch for trucks!! View... what can I say... It's more than you can imagine 180 degree ocean on the right and road to the left! Also many areas where there is a drop off where the shoulder should be! This is fab mile after mile of ocean.

Temp rising to 30C whenever inland slightly. Continues up and down. Sighted wild turkeys... however didn't stop!! Male deer seen with full rack. Vultures waiting for us to give up!!Saw the homes that fell into the ocean. Also one spot where the road is 1 lane due to erosion. Lots of summer homes at Sea Ranch all built look alike with what looks like old barn boards. Crossed over 7 cattle guards with flat metal bars so able to ride over. Amazing still ranches right up to the ocean. Lots of day use beaches. Ocean suddenly very blue. Hypothermia of 2 days ago would be welcome to todays heat stroke!! Water drink more water!!

DAY 32 BODEGO BAY TO SAMUEL TAYLOR SP. 70 KM MAY 31/01 THURSDAY

Cann't believe 2 days in a row out of camp by 8am. More rolling hills thru farm land. Pulled away from the sea and the heat increased. +25 by 9am. Traffic not to heavy, thank goodness as we have very little shoulder. Continue to race from pull out to pull out. Tomales Bay area very nice with summer homes all along it's shore. Not a difficult day which is nice as the temp has climbed to +35C (>90F) Don't have great stats as I accidentally reset my odometer!

The best part of today is the bike path last 4k from Sir Francis Drake Rd. to the campsite. It is a old road bed thru the trees (shaded from the 35C sun) taking us back into a small grove of redwood trees. Mosquitos do live in California!

As the cycles of the moon go by so do mine. Not the easiest time to be out in this temp! Showers are much appreciated and I have the best cook and bottle washer along, so life continues to be terrific! Our companions from Sweden have yet to arrive in camp, hope they are safe and sound... maybe they opted for an airconditioned villa by the sea!!

DAY 33 SAMUEL TAYLOR SP. TO SAN FRANCISCO 72.77 KM JUNE 1/01 FRIDAY

Can you believe one day to the next a change of 25 degrees. Up to 10C morning with the mosquitos. Headed off with a coat on! The scene changed instantly to cowboy like hills. Before too long we are in suburbia (9miles into day and rest is in towns)

We wandered thru streets to see the "Archie Bunker" houses. They are so neat. I didn't realize how many and how large! this city is. We decided to go south t0 follow the sea and then go back into town via the "L" train. This became an interesting city tour as the train broke down and we switched to city buses that did a complete circle of the city before ending at Fisherman's Wharf.

We wandered for the evening at the wharfs. It was cool and breezy. As we walked past all the wharfs to Market Street there were at least a 100 roller bladers with night lights racing down Embarcadero. The skate boarders were busy doing tricks in one large park area. We felt very safe wandering the streets. We were able to take the "L" train back to our hotel with no difficulties.