Road Trip Begins

It's our first stop at a Starbucks with wifi on the trip. Time to update the blog!

Day 1 we drove out of the Bay Area and north on US 101. We stopped in Ukiah at Mendocino Brewing for a beer and a late lunch. We arrived at Humboldt Redwoods right after the ranger station closed. We were tired from the frantic last-second packing in the morning and decided to go for the $35 campsite after all. It was a good site with hot water pay showers and a nice fire ring. The campground was quiet and the DEET kept the mosquitoes at bay. (DEET does however attack rubber. Like sandals. And watch bands. Good to know.)

In the morning we rearranged the car to make it easier to find stuff. As a result we got another late start , ah well. We continued along 101 and stopped for lunch along the Elk River. We tried to visit Six Rivers Brewing north of Eureka, but unfortunately Monday is the day they don't open until 4. Too bad, we wanted to try the Chile Beer. Further along 101 we arrived at Redwoods National Park. We got a permit for backcountry camping (free!!!) and hiked down to Redwood Creek. Several river crossings and a giant tree across the river later, we found a nice sandy spot to camp. They even let us light a fire on the bank of the creek. The creek was deserted and we didn't see anyone hiking in or out. We were however awoken to the sound of ravens trying to open our bear can. Fortunately for us the birds haven't figured out tools yet.

The hike out was good, other than the toad who decided to camp in Hilary's boot. We visited Lady Bird Johnson Grove and walked around in the trees (very huge!). On our way out of the park we took the scenic alternate route for even more trees, and now we're in Crescent City where we got some Thai for lunch and are enjoying some hot beverages. Good trip so far!

Map Link