Here Comes The Sun – Humboldt Redwoods State Park, Weott, CA 9/17

Rain, rain, the sound of rain – that’s what we woke up to again this morning. We decided to get up early, hit the road and see if we could drive out of this storm. We had hoped to hike to the Heceta Lighthouse but it was raining so hard that wasn’t an option. Our plan B was to visit the Sea Lion Caves, however we got there before they opened so decided to just keep driving. Our original plan was to spend another night on the Oregon coast, but the rain was just coming down in sheets so we decided to stop for lunch, check on the weather pattern and figure out what to do next. About 3 years ago we had stopped in Gold Beach and hung out at a coffee shop/bookstore. We enjoyed it so much we decided to go back. The place was still great, but by the time we had arrived they were out of soup and only had pastries. They recommended another place, Barnacle Bistro, so we gave it a try. It was great! We not only had a yummy hot lunch, but we got an internet connection too. This was quite a storm and it looked like it was packing a punch down the entire coast of Oregon and parts of California too. Sigh. We thought about turning inland and catching a Shakespeare play in Ashland, but the storm was supposedly hitting that area too. We decided to just keep on driving south until we couldn’t drive anymore. (By we – I mean, Ned. He’s been the hero doing most of the driving). The coast drive was beautiful, despite the rain. (See today’s pic) We were able to see the ocean, the dunes and the rocky coast of Oregon with wisps of fog hovering around the trees. It was actually quite stunning in some places. Josh had given Ned a book for Christmas and we’ve been reading it to each other at night. After listening to some “Fresh Air” podcasts, we decided to continue reading the book. So, while Ned drove, I read aloud. It certainly helped pass the time! We did make a couple of stops during our long drive. The most interesting was the Redwood National Park visitor’s center. Once we ventured into California we enjoyed some of the tacky tourist attractions along the road such as Dinosaurland and a huge replica of Paul Bunyan with Babe. (It was not nearly as cool as the one in Bemidji, MN). By the time we arrived in Arcata the storm had broken up and we were blessed with sunshine! Ned started singing “California Here We Come” with gusto. The absolute highlight of the day was taking the scenic drive through The Avenue of the Giants. Our campground is actually situated along the Avenue amongst the Giant Redwoods. It’s gorgeous!! It’s so warm and dry here that we really enjoyed having dinner outside and playing cards until we couldn’t see anymore. We loved being outside so much (without getting wet), that we took a walk in the dark around the campground. Lovely. Here’s hoping the weather holds for a nice weekend in Mendocino