Welcome to California

July 23rd - 28th

Bandon to Gold Beach, Oregon to Cresent City to Arcata to Eureka, California...193 miles.

While Blake and I were still in Bandon we rode around the neighborhoods on the moped together. We wanted to explore some of the towns we were in, and jumping on Pearl together was the quickest way to do that.
Yesterday I recalled those little trips together because we had to get something done and jumped on Pearl for the first time since our trip ended. It was rainy and moist out and we were both wearing our rain jackets that were always out while we were coming down the coast. All the memories of riding on the back of the moped with Blake came flooding in and despite riding 40mph in the rain on a cold morning, it was sentimental.

 *These logging trucks were a nightmare. They were huge, loud, fast, and frequent the entire time down the coast. I'm glad I got a picture of them because they were very much a part of the trip. 

 *Stopped for construction, this guy on his bike offering ME water... so sweet. 

In Gold Beach we stayed at a little cottage-type motel. We walked into town and grabbed dinner. In the morning I went for a run on the beach and Blake made breakfast. This day was the day we'd ride into California! The state border was about half-way down the coast.

*SUCH a stud.

I feel more emotional about the moment we got to California because after living here for now eight months (not including the month on the road) I know that I love California. I know that crossing that state line on that day in July we had no idea what was ahead of us. We didn't know if we'd even settle down in this state. We didn't know that we'd make it nearly all the way through it. NorCal could be it's own state. It's so drastically different then the south. The people, weather, buildings, roads, atmosphere, and beaches are all so different. It took us less then one month to get through Washington and Oregon and we weren't looking back!

We stayed in Crescent City for three days! The first time we stayed anywhere for that long. Blake needed to rest his body and I needed to rest my anxious brain. We set up camp at a large campground next to the water and chilled out! The fog was heavy and quiet. We saw two movies at the theater, ate sushi, grocery shopped, explored, and rested in the tent. There was nothing special in Crescent City other then the campground being decently priced and quiet and it being a home base for a quick day trip into the Redwoods. Blake rode his bike and I took the moped in, wanting to avoid getting pulled over. At one point we just locked up the bike and rode throught the giant green trees together on Pearl. With a  lunch packed and hiking trails to explore, we were happy to not be on the road travelling. This was the first time either of us had seen the Redwood trees. Talk about putting your ego into check. They were monsters. I imagined George Lucas seeing them and envisioning "Return of the Jedi." Riding on my moped felt like I was riding through the trees zipping by like they did in Star Wars. Jurassic Park was also filmed in these woods located in Northern Humbolt County, California. Being in it felt dense and dark. You feel so small in the world when you have to crank your neck all the way back just to see the tops of the trees. It was incredible.

Aracata, California...The first hippies and palm trees I saw on this trip. Before I left Santa Fe, a friend told me we would love Arcata and he was right. It's like Santa Fe, NM, Manitou, CO, and California combined. There was a farmer's market going on when we arrived. We grabbed some bakery foods and produce and explored the little town. There we saw a group of biking tourist hippies putting on a music show in the park. I got a few crafty items and sent them home. We ended up having to ride to Eureka to find a place to stay for the night.

Thanks for reading about this trip we took last summer! It's hard to believe we are one month shy of 1 year leaving everything behind in Colorado.

Dream Big Ride Far!