Yesterday we continued our journey south. We followed the 101 through the coastal range.  We found the Pacific Ocean once again at Pismo Beach.

Driving through Santa Barbara, Donna spotted a gas station on the north end of town with a large lot and open access to the pumps. We took the next exit and back tracked to the station. I didn’t want another low fuel episode.

When we resumed our travel on 101 south, Donna saw police action in the northbound lanes. We don’t know what was going on, but traffic on the northbound side was at a standstill for about six miles!

We were headed to Rincon Parkway. It’s a section of Old Highway 1 on Faria Beach, owned by Ventura County. The county marked nearly a mile of beachfront with  RV parking spaces. There are 127 spaces, each about 45 feet in length. Only RVs are allowed – you can only park a car here if it’s in the space with an RV. Otherwise cars are only allowed in the day use area.

We tried to fit our 50-foot length into a space that looked promising. Although the people on either end were willing to give us some room, it just wasn’t going to work. We drove on down the road and looped back to the Seacliff exit on 101.

This time I tried to park along the seawall where there were more open spaces. I tried to back the trailer in and jackknife it behind us to reduce our length. I was still over the line marking the space allowed.

Donna came up with an idea. Every 15 spaces or so is an area with a dumpster and a pay kiosk. If I drove on the sand between the kiosk and the seawall and then pulled up into the paved parking spot, I might be able to place the trailer in a position that cheats a little behind the dumpster.

It was a tight maneuver, but it worked. I wrote a check for space #16 for one night and placed it in the envelope at the kiosk. I only paid for one night in case we had trouble with our parking scheme.

Our cheater position

I unloaded Donna’s road bike and changed the front inner tube. By the time I was done pumping her tires, she was dressed and ready for a ride. She rode for about an hour while I walked the beach and watched the surfers.

The view south from our site

Donna relaxing after her bike ride

Last night we had a campfire on the sand. Donna made s’mores over the fire. We went to bed with the windows open. The sound of the surf crashing on the beach was soothing. Waking up to that sound was a pleasant way to start the day.

Surfers catching the last wave of the day

No one knocked on the door, so I guess we won’t have any grief over the way I’m parked here. I’ll write another check and we’ll stay overnight again. I’ve booked a month at the Mission Bay RV Resort in San Diego, starting tomorrow. We’ll head out early tomorrow and make the 180- mile drive there.

Yesterday was all about the drive. We had planned on a short drive to Morgan Hill, but decided that we should push on.

We were ready to hit the road a little after 10am. While I was posting to the blog, I watched our neighbors pull out. I jumped up and stepped out the door. I called out to them just as they were about to pass by – their TV antenna was still up. It probably wouldn’t have survived the first overpass!

We cruised south on US101. Before I knew it, we were in San Rafael. I wasn’t looking forward to a drive through the bay area. The traffic thickened quickly. Drivers made insane maneuvers in their cars. We crossed the San Rafael – Richmond Bridge. By this point, I was concerned about our fuel level.

I usually fuel up when we’re at half a tank or so. Pulling a rig this size into a gas station isn’t easy. Most of the time we’ll do a drive-by to look the station over and decide if we can get in and out of it. Getting out is the key. Many times pulling up to the pump isn’t an issue, but getting out might not be possible.

Once we were in the metro bay area, cruising down I-580 through Berkeley and Oakland, I didn’t want to exit the interstate. The streets in that area can be narrow and I wasn’t sure of what we would find. We didn’t see any gas stations near the off ramps.

We continued south. By the time we got to Milpitas, the gas gauge was rapidly falling to the red zone. We last gassed up in Brookings, Oregon. I couldn’t risk it any longer. Donna was checking Gas Buddy on her smart phone. I exited the freeway and she searched for gas on the GPS.

We found a station. I drove past it into a small industrial park. I saw a way I could get to a pump and exit. The road into the industrial park was a dead end. Oh no! Every business we passed had a small parking lot with only one way in or out. I really thought I’d been trapped with no way to turn around. But at the end of the road, there was a cul-de-sac and it was just wide enough for us to get turned around.

We haven’t had an issue finding gas before this. We always found a station large enough right on the highway. I was getting a little frazzled by it all. When we turned around and entered the station, it turned out to be tighter than I thought. I barely made it to the pump. Our tires were right up to the curb with only millimeters to spare.

I pumped 60 gallons into the tank. Turns out we weren’t in the dire situation I feared. The gas gauge must be pessimistic. We have a 75-gallon tank.

Once we got past that drama, I thought it would be easy going. South of Morgan Hill, the wind picked up. We were getting slammed with wind gusts from the west. I thought of my friend Jimbo. He was a long haul trucker and described his work as “hours of boredom, broken up by moments of sheer terror.”

As we continued south, the wind grew even stronger. It shifted and was now coming from the northeast. This was a partial tailwind. At times the road would change direction and we would have a direct cross wind. A couple of times, the intensity of the wind was so strong that I felt out of control. It was all I could do to stay in our lane.

When we pulled in to a rest area, the truck lanes were filled. Everyone driving a big rig needed a break! I pulled on through and parked along the side of the exit.

Donna made chicken salad wraps while I walked around and tried to relax. I’ve never been this tense while driving before. We got back on the road and drove about 10 miles to the RV Ranch outside of Paso Robles. The wind continued to blow until we went to bed.

This morning the air is still. We’ll head out soon. Our destination is the Rincon Parkway. It’s a county park on the old Pacific Coast Highway a few miles north of Ventura. There are RV spaces marked on the roadside, right on the beach. The cost is $27 for 24 hours. There are no facilities – rigs must be self contained. We will dry camp for a couple of days there.

I didn’t post yesterday. It was a travel day and we packed up early. Before I get ahead of myself, I must share Sunday night’s dinner.

Donna really outdid herself by preparing Prosciutto Wrapped Scallops! I gave them 5 minutes on the grill and then Donna plated them with steamed spinach and lemon vinaigrette. This was a gourmet treat!

Hot off the grill

Served with steamed spinach

Overall, Sunday was a great day. I hung around the TV and watched the San Diego Chargers play. It was a brilliant display of offense by both teams. In the the end, San Diego kicked the game-winning field goal. I don’t understand why Philadelphia called timeouts in the waning seconds of the game. It seemed to be an advantage for San Diego to do so.

We had tentative travel plans for Monday. We were thinking about moving about 250 miles south and dry camping at a casino. Donna had researched free overnight camping spots and this looked like it would work.

Before we left, I spent more time than usual flushing the black tank. The level sensors haven’t worked right since we first started using it. This is a common issue. Gunk builds up inside the tank and holds moisture on the sensors. When that happens, the sensors give false readings. We’ve never had a problem with the tank filling. We’ve gone up to five days without dumping. Having the sensors work right would be reassuring though.

The drive down US101 south from Crescent City was spectacular. We drove through redwood forests. At times the road was very narrow with giant redwoods lining the edge of the highway. The road surface was poor in  some places, smooth in others.

We stopped in Eureka and ate lunch at the Lost Coast Brewery. I would’ve liked to sample some of the beer, but we still had a long drive ahead.

Back on the road, we made travel plans on the fly. Donna was working her smart phone and found an RV park at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa. This RV park was a Passport America affiliate. With our membership, we could have a full hookup, 50 amp site for $17.50. I was thinking, “Yes, Monday Night Football!”

It turned out to be a long day of driving. We covered 309 miles and arrived a little after 5pm. To my dismay, the full hookup didn’t include cable TV. I tried to use our antenna for over-the-air broadcast, but I couldn’t get the game.

We took advantage of Donna’s T-Mobile unlimited data plan and used her Samsung Galaxy as a hotspot. I downloaded the last Moto GP race and watched that instead.

When we set up last night, the temperature was 84 degrees. This morning the numbers are inverted – it’s 48 degrees out as I type this. The skies are clear and blue. I think the day will warm up quickly.

Today we’ll move about 120 miles south to Morgan Hill. We’ll meet up with Donna’s friend Kathy Palmer. She’s a full time RVer. I’m not looking forward to the trip across San Francisco, but the short mileage today should make it easier to take.

Yesterday was overcast and a bit blustery. The wind carried a stray raindrop here and there.

Donna was busy working on her book. I rode the scooter into Crescent City and toured the area. There’s a large park on the south end of town on the bay. The coastal road going north from there is a mix of private residences and public beach access.

West of the park, at the foot of A street is the Battery Point Lighthouse. This is an active lighthouse, first commissioned in 1856. It’s also an active residence with a lighthouse keeper. They offer tours and there were many people there. The parking lot was full. I didn’t take the tour. I wonder how the lighthouse keeper can go about daily life with people touring the place.

Battery Point Lighthouse

The lighthouse can only be accessed by foot during low tide. Wave action can cover the 200 foot path to the lighthouse at any time! The lighthouse is open for tours April through September, Wednesday through Sunday from 10am to 4pm (tides permitting).

Moving north on the coastal road, I turned out at a beach access point. I found a sign there describing the St. George Lighthouse. The sign had an  arrow pointing to a rock on the horizon where the lighthouse is located. It’s six miles out to sea on Dragon Rocks. It marks the western edge of St. George reef.

Arrow points to Dragon Rocks and St George Lighthouse six miles offshore

Construction began in 1882 and it took 10 years to complete. It was the least desirable assignment of all the lighthouses on the west coast. The lighthouse keepers would be out on the rock for a three-month stint followed by two months off with their families in Crescent City. The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1975.

I stopped at several access points as I rode northward. The rocky beach became sandy. Near St. George Point there were surfers riding the shore break. I imagine it must have been cold, even with wetsuits.

After I returned, Donna and I hiked the woods around the campground. At the east end of the property, we heard a band practicing in a small house on the edge of the woods. I didn’t recognize the songs. They were jamming in what I would call Seattle grunge style.

We decided to extend our stay here until tomorrow. I’ll watch the NFL action on TV and hang out today.

Thursday morning we decided to move on. Cape Blanco is a beautiful place, but we felt like we should continue our exploration.

The drive south on US101 rewarded us with spectacular views. It was a fairly easy drive, a few hills and a few twisty bits, but overall not too taxing. The biggest challenge for me were the bicyclists. This is obviously a popular bicycle touring route. The road is narrow in many places. Although I haven’t ridden much since we moved to Michigan, I’ve been a bicyclist most of my adult life. I try to give bicycle riders a fair share of the road with a minimum of three feet of separation from my vehicle.

On areas of US101 with little or no shoulder, the three feet of separation wasn’t possible. At one point I followed a bicycle at 25 mph on a twisty downhill with cars lining up behind me. There wasn’t an opportunity to safely pass, so I just followed. Eventually I pulled into a turnout and watched other drivers make dangerous moves to get past the bicycle rider.

Before we crossed the California border, I topped up our gas tank in Brookings. I knew gas would be more expensive in California. It’s about  30 cents per gallon higher!

It was a short day on the road. We arrived at the KOA a few miles north of Crescent City, California a little after 2pm. It’s a nice campground, surrounded by redwood forest. We have full hookups with 50 amp service and cable TV. We took advantage of the KOA promotion offering a free Saturday night if you stay on Friday the 13th. So, we’re here for three nights. I’m tempted to extend a day so I can catch the NFL games on Sunday though.

Yesterday the campground owner, Kevin, advised us of the best tour of the giant redwoods in the area. We rode the scooter through Crescent City, stopping at the post office along the way to mail a few items. From the south side of town, we followed Howland Hill Road and entered the Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park.

The gravel road through the park winds its way uphill into the forest. The road is narrow and you have to be alert for oncoming traffic. At some points, the road passes between giant redwood trees where it’s barely wide enough for a car to get through. As we were heading out of the park, we saw a Cruise America rental RV coming in. I wonder how they made out.

Giant tree on the roadside

Deadfall on the roadside

The rest of the deadfall on the other side of the road

We hiked the Nickerson Ranch – Mill Creek Loop. This trail took us into an old growth redwood forest. We crossed a bridge over the creek and stopped to eat our lunch. Donna made chicken salad wraps and we had fresh plums for dessert.

Some of the trees were astounding. The hike had a kind of eerie feel to it. I was reminded of the “Ents” from the Lord of the Rings trilogy. We kept stopping and posing for pictures at the base of the larger trees. Eventually the novelty wore off. There were so many ancient giants.

We passed a few other hikers on the trail, but we were alone most of time. At one point I spotted a banana slug crossing the trail. It was a bright yellow specimen. Sometimes they’re spotted or even brown in color. They can move at speeds of up to six inches per minute! The banana slug is the mascot of the University of California, Santa Cruz. John Travolta wore a UC Santa Cruz banana slug T-shirt in the movie Pulp Fiction.

Banana slug crossing the trail

The vast forest of giants becomes mind numbing. Everything is on a different scale. The hike took us back along the creek, past a swimming hole and out to the road about a half mile down from where we parked. The total distance was just over two miles.

We continued on the scooter through the park. The dirt road is about seven miles long. We exited the park and followed the Smith River to Highway 199. I drove across this highway with my daughter, Shauna, about ten years ago. It’s a twisty road that goes from US101 on the California coast to Grants Pass, Oregon. When we came through here that time, we saw elk on the roadside.

After we returned, Donna crossed a few things off her to-do list. She also researched our travel plans. We’ll continue south on US101, eventually landing in San Diego. We plan to stay there for a few months.

When we visited Jimbo and Cindy in Idaho, they gifted us with elk steaks. The steaks were cut from the backstrap, the best cut. A butcher would call this cut filet mignon! I grilled them for dinner with sauteed onions, sweet potato and white corn on the cob. Top shelf!

Elk steak dinner

Donna will be working on her book today. She has a deadline looming. I have no plans at all. We’ll see what the day brings.