California Coast to the Canadian Border
From Vegas, we headed west into California. Our sites were set on the coastal route with stops in Half Moon Bay and northern Cali to visit friends. Along our route we tried “world famous”date shakes, bought fresh strawberries on the roadside, and enjoyed views of the Pacific Ocean. In Half Moon Bay, we explored the coast by foot, kayak, and bike. I found a nearby yoga studio for a couple of classes and Chuck met up with a NOLS friend to do some paddling and kayak surfing with Half Moon Bay Kayak Co. We peered out over Mavericks (the infamous big wave surfing spot), carried our bikes over a collapsed road above the sea, watched seals nursing pups on the beach, walked through a cypress tree tunnel trail, visited the site of an old speakeasy onthe oceanside cliffs, and wandered the marina where fish was being sold right off the boats. After two nights, we were ready to continue north. We crossed the Golden Gate Bridge (Chuck and the Casita's first time), Chuck played a round of golf in Monte Rio among the redwoods (if you're a golf aficionado like Chuck, enjoy this video explaining the magic of Northwood), and we stayed one night in wine country at a riverside family campground before heading into Fortuna to visit Timmy & Kelsey (and Segar & Waylon – the dogs).
In northern California – near Eureka
and Arcata – we stayed at the Humboldt County Fairgrounds. It was quiet and
peaceful this time of year with views of the agricultural fields beyond. It is
set in the small, peculiar town of Ferndale. The residents are quick to give
you the once over, but friendly enough if you say “hello.” I got the notion
that this is the type of town where if a crime were committed by one of the
residents, the whole town would work together to cover it up: tight knit, a
little off. But don’t take my word for it. They also have adorable shops
on Main St. and a beautiful community garden.
In addition to checking out
Ferndale, we enjoyed Tim & Kelsey’s home in Fortuna making meals and spending
some quality time chatting and admiring the gorgeous view from their deck. We
adventured into Eureka one day to visit the beach and try out our first weed
lounge. We found a nature center on the ocean that had been donated by a family
who originally built it as a home in the 1980s. We also got some bagels at Los
Bagels – always a delight. We spent our last day in the area with Tim &
Kelsey going to the Arcata Farmers’ Market, walking some riverside trails, and
making delicious food on their grill. (Photographic evidence of this time is
limited – I do a great job at being present with friends and family. In turn, I
don’t always do a great job of documenting that time).
On our way out of town, we stopped to buy some discs at a pawn shop. I had the idea that disc golf was an activity we could do together almost anywhere. It combines some of our other favorite adult leisure activities: walking in the woods and smoking weed. It turns out that there are a lot of disc golf courses around. On our way through Oregon, we camped for one night on the Rogue River and played our first round of disc golf together in Grants Pass. I was objectively not good at the sport portion of disc golf, but I truly enjoyed the experience, and we quickly found more places to play. Next up, a drive through the Redwoods towards Oregon.
We stopped in Bend along our route and got the chance to see an old college friend, Leanne, and her partner, Scott (and their dogs – Otto & Zeya). Leanne (Alpenglow Jewelry) is the talented and magical soul who created multiple pieces of jewelry I own (and other people now own as gifts from me), including the engagement ring Chuck commissioned her to design. While Leanne & Scott worked in the morning, we played two different disc golf courses and explored the town. Leanne then took us to SmithRock, a world-famous rock-climbing area. We did a loop-hike around some of the main cliffs and along the river late in the day. The orange color of the rocks was stunning against the blue sky. We also saw some formidable looking Canadian Geese who had taken to perching high on the rock cliffs above the river – Chuck described them as Disney movie villains; I must concur that they were giving that vibe. We set off the next morning toward Seattle. One more planned stop before heading into Canada.
Arriving outside of Seattle, our
main objective was to rid ourselves of any contraband prior to crossing into
Canada. The list of restricted items is long and confusing. We were clear of
the obvious suspects (alcohol, weed, etc..) and needed to eat through or cook
our fruits and vegetables before crossing the border to avoid a full search of
our camper and truck. After consuming, cooking, or tossing any illicit items,
we planned to meet with another Green Mountain College pal in the morning. We
enjoyed a coffee and a long chat with our friend Matt at Temple Pastries on our
last morning in the US. It was wonderful to see our dear old friend (we even
got to briefly talk to another GMC alum on the phone, hey Bittner!). Then, it
was time to head north.
On our last stretch through
Washington, we stopped at a park where I handed off a bag of green goodies to
some locals. Next, we headed toward the border with our fingers-crossed for an
easy trip through the checkpoint. Our hopes were dashed as I remembered that I
was carrying pepper spray in the camper – illegal in Canada. Bear spray is good
to go (use it on bears), but pepper spray (use it on humans) is a weapon and a
no-no for Canadian travel. So, we had to submit ourselves and our vehicle to a
search before being allowed in the country. Fortunately, we had done a good job
of cleansing the Lil Home of all other prohibited wares and nothing else emerged
as problematic. I had to sign a form that said they seized my pink-pepper-spray
and it was set for destruction (I have written a parody song called "Pink Pepper Spray" recounting this experience - free performances for anyone who asks). From there, the boarder agents handed us back the keys and we
were clear to enter Canada, huzzuh!
What an incredible journey so far to Alaska! Love being apart of your travels with photos and narration, so fun to travel around with you both through your blog. Lots of smiles and happiness love to see, will talk soon love you both.
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