Our route had us continuing up the California coast. We were prepared for redwoods and ocean views, but not for the depression of continuous rain. We know, we know California needs the rain! But come on…our towels in the Airstream never dried out! We definitely praised the sun gods when any little bit of sun trickled through the forest…
There were multiple campground stops as we made our way up to the tippy top of California…Duncan Mills, Mendocino, Myers Flat, and Eureka. You would think driving along the coast in California that sand would be sand and ocean would be ocean, but in Northern California, one town beach after another can be totally different…
Like in Jenner where the Russian River meets the Pacific
and Glass Beach in Fort Bragg where sea glass is the silver lining of ocean trash dumping in the 50s and 60s
and Moonstone Beach in Trinidad, CA
or even Gold Bluffs Beach, in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. Here Roosevelt Elk are sitting on the grassy/sandy part of the beach with the ocean just behind the trees (promise it is there!).
Best thing we did?
You would think the answer to this question would be hiking among the majestic trees. With driving roads like Avenue of the Giants and walking through the Redwood National and State Parks we were indeed amazed by all the trees labeled Big, Giant, and Gargantuan, wait that last one might not be on a actual sign, but after five or six hikes we saw them as they were…trees.
Extremely large trees, but still trees. So, our eyes began searching for other things in the forests we conquered. Banana slugs intrigued us for a hot minute (mostly trying not to step on them). They seem to slither around on the trails like they own the forest!
While neon yellow slugs may be interesting, mushroom hunting became an obsession for us during these hikes. Let’s be perfectly clear, hunting not foraging. We were certainly not prepared for eating them just yet given we could die if we make the wrong assumptions. However, searching for mushrooms is like looking for Waldo or staring at those posters where you have to make yourself practically cross-eyed to see the image. Once you start looking you see them everywhere and you can’t stop.
Best thing we ate?
Olives.
Yes, olives. Not the kind you popped on all your fingers at Thanksgiving as a kid or the briny kind stuffed with blue cheese that you dunk in your dirty martinis as an adult. These were wood fired Castelvetrano olives at Saucy in Ukiah. Wood fired = mind blown! They were mixed with caramelized orange zest and fennel, roasted garlic, and chili to give them extra flavor, but the true depth came from the seared olive flesh.
These olives are important because they were not only yummy, but also represent our motto “Next Stop Always.” You might think that it simply means always investigating new places, but it is really a reminder for us to strive to learn and grow. To never get stuck being comfortable just because it is known. That is where the olives come in…Gary never liked olives…ever! They were too briny, vinegary (remember the oysters) and just pure unappetizing to him. But, following our motto, he tried again and loved these! So, remember to always be open — maybe you just haven’t yet experienced something in the right way.
An honorable mention must go out to the dessert we had at Café Beaujolais in Mendocino simply because it was called Candy Cap Mushroom Banana Cake. Um hello, mushrooms, banana slugs, have you even been paying attention??? Not necessarily the best dessert of all time, but they made it with Candy Cap mushrooms, so they get an A plus for creativity.
What we learned?
Rain and RVing don’t mix for long periods of time. Once in a while it is fun to hear the rain bouncing down on the aluminum roof and have it sooth you to sleep. But, if you are going to be in it for very long you need a dehumidifier, covers for your fans, and a good therapist to talk you out of the depression.
Oh that’s why all the full time RV peeps stay in in places such as Arizona, Utah, Texas or other drier states until the Pacific Coast spring fully passes. Oh, well, live and learn!
Next Stop: The Beaver State