Day 22--GARDEN GROVE

Sept 26, 2000

Eureka to Humboldt State Park

We are camped at a gorgeous hiker/biker site in the middle of a grove of towering redwoods & on the banks of the Eel River...the only campers here. There are bear lockers here, so we shall store all food in them.

Our campground was right in the dark redwoods shown at the left bend in this photo of the Eel River

Our tent, dwarfed by the redwood forest and Jess relaxing at our campsite table. It is daylight in both pix but the forest makes one feel that it is night.

We left our sleezy KOA "campsite" at 9 and pedaled to Victorian Eureka. Such beautiful and gigantic Victorian gingerbready homes. Legacy of the early timber barons. We bypassed Ferndale, also noted for its Victorian homes, but went into Lolita, a tiny town with a real old-timey grocery store, for lunch.

We got lost getting to Loleta and found ourselves at a large alpaca farm. The alpacas had just been sheared, each with its own distinctive "poodle" cut. We took some pictures and if they come out, you will understand how funny-looking and droll these animals were.

Shortly after encountering these S.A. animals, we asked a "directionally challenged" individual how to get to Loleta. He sent us to Loleta by way of the Andes, or so it seemed as we had a very steep climb to Table Bluff Rd and then a left turn rather than the right turn he had told us…

We browsed about in the Loleta Cheese Factory and then decided to find lunch.

The Loleta grocery served as all things for this little town, and it had a two-inch pile of dead yellow jackets in the front window. A young girl made sandwiches for us & we took them outside to eat . . . but all the yellow-jackets that had escaped death in the grocery window were outside trying to get a taste of our sandwiches. So, we ate in the dilapidated laundromat next door.

Just as we finished eating, Jeff and Theresa pulled in on their tandem. We exchanged "hi's" and said we'd see them at camp this evening. It is 6:15 right now, but still no sign of them.

Loleta Cheese Factory and main street

While writing this I ate a whole little box of tiny yellow tomatoes shaped like pears. Delicious. Bought them and some corn and fruit from a Muskogee, OK couple about 5 miles back. They picked everything right out of their roadside garden.

Rt 101 was a freeway today with cars and trucks whizzing by at 65 mph. We had an exceptionally wide shoulder so felt safe, but the roar of traffic is tiring  But the absence of noise is also. It is early but already nearly dark here in this peaceful grove of enormous old trees and I feel sleepy.

Good night all. I'll  visit with you tomorrow again.

Miles: 60

Route:  Rt 101 and Avenue of the Giants (Rt 254) and a couple of side trips into Lolita and Eureka. The redwoods along Ave of the Giants are awesome—in the original sense of that word. Actually brought a tear to my eye to think that some are over 2,000 years old. A very undemanding day with several "unearned" downhills and a great tailwind in the afternoon.

Susan at the north end of Avenue of the Giants; notice how dark it is in these towering trees

Weather: Chilly and wet along the coast with a cross wind off the ocean, but warm and dry here in these magnificent trees.
General: Pampas grass has  naturalized and become an invasive all along route 101.

Total Miles, Week 1: 360.85

Total Miles, Week 2: 286.34

Total Miles, Week 3: 352.26

Grand Total Miles: 999.45