The familiar joys and challenges that come with long term camp travel have settled in as we are opening into coastal life. The coast is WET, no surprise! It comes with challenges living in our Bigfoot. We are learning it is increasingly challenging to keep the inside of the camper dry…the humidity is real! Paul has had to dry our clothes from the heater of the truck. We are wiping windows, our overhead hatch above our bed drips on us. However we are warm and the smells of the humid air feels so comforting.
Winding further south on highway 101, it seems as if a 20 minute drive actually is 40….because of the slow moving, through small towns and because of the endless winding turns. So we stop for a brunch at a roadside diner..and what a delight!! Homemade eggy, fluffy pancakes. Homemade maple syrup with home made cranberry sauce. Home grown potatoes with eggs and bacon with homemade rye bread aside with homemade strawberry jam…all served with the kindest people both serving us and sitting beside us. Thank you “The Spoon”!
Back on the highway and steering to California.
On our way to Gold Bluffs Beach we stop for a night just North of the Redwood Forest…however feeling very connected to the Redwoods in this very magical, fairylike forest campground just off the 101.
Our sights are further into the Redwoods. We stop in the North part of the forest park and take a leisure walk among these ancient giant trees. Feeling in awe and wonder to be walking amongst these sacred trees.
I couldn’t help pause and be curious as to why this tree(below) was spared in the logging process…and to see it standing so tall with marks from the past. (classic logging springboard holes, this tree even had the beginning marks from a saw)
Every tree telling its own story from possibly 2000 years ago. Here are some of the longest living organisms on Earth. Quite the marvel.
On our last trip a friend of ours from San Diego had recommended we check out Gold Bluffs Beach. From Hwy101 its a 6 mile jaunt up a bumpy, steep and windy dirt road but so worth the effort. Here we relax for 3 nights on the bluffs with the golden cliffs behind us and the raging Pacific in front of us. We spend our days walking the beach…watching the sneaker waves come in(being very careful not to get to close).
Barbequing, enjoying our campfire and the sunsets from our campsite. The night sky is filled with glittering stars and the most bright splash from the Milky Way.
Exploring the area, but mostly just enjoying some still moments with Olive. It fair to say that Olive’s heart belongs to the ocean and the beach. Back on the highway and steering to further head South.
Our last stop on the coast is Mackerricher State Park campground. We drove over yet another windy mountain pass to get back onto the coast after a quick little detour inland. Both Olive and I do not fair so well with the relentless windy roads. What a truly magical place of the coast this is, small communities and rural ocean side farms.
It’s been wonderfully wet on the coast and our water soaked skin is craving some heat. We have some big travel days ahead. The plan is to head to JoshuaTree (a 4 day drive) for a week or so and then begin to make our way down to Mexico. Thus far our experience in the US has been nothing but warm welcomes and kind people, the most beautiful scenery.
Now that our bellies are full of fresh seafood and our lungs full for fresh sea air, we are cold and it is time to find the sun! As Olive said (very frustratedly) one night after being cooped up in the camper for a whole day “There is no room in here for anybody” (insert a tiny screaming voice)….it is time to get outside.
Behind Heart Shaped Sunglasses 
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