California Dreaming : Part One - Humboldt County

A little over a year later after my last trip there I had almost forgotten how much I love California. We headed there from Portland to a campsite that we just so happened to have stayed at the last time, except we were in cabin last time. Even though Trinidad, California was a nightmare the first time we were there, I figured anywhere was better than Portland at this point. I was also excited to be camping again. The weather called for some outstanding days and I was ready. 

It was a long drive because Portland is in North Oregon and Trinidad is about an hour into Cali. It was a pretty uneventful drive until we got into California. There was some nice mountain roads in the beginning and then some big redwoods through the way. We also got to see the sunset on the ocean which was so pretty it gave me the hope and appreciation of what I am doing that I needed to go on after the previous night. Since we got there late we had to set up at night which Finnley hates. Setup went fairly easy though and it was just nice being somewhere we were already familiar with. We also no longer had to worry about bears and whatnot because this campground was the most civilized we had been to. 

Even though it was civilized the site was surrounded by redwoods and other foliage and was very pretty. It was cool because the last time we were there the weather was horrible, rainy and cold, but this time it was beautiful, fairly warm, and clear skies. We woke up and meant business, we had finally hit 6000 miles and it was time for an oil change. We got a recommendation from Finnley’s gas station friend and headed to Eureka, a bigger town about 30 minutes away. 

We went to a dealership and got it changed for a good price. It took about an hour so we just waited in the waiting room. Finnley ODed on the coffee there while I went on my computer. After we went to a nearby Target to stock up on food for camping and I also got a folder to organize all our papers from the trip. 

When we got back to camp we made some lunch and relaxed. The night before we also got some neighbors. They came in with dirt bikes and all kinds of toys. After lunch Finnley went over and talked to them. When he came back he told me they were pot farmers from Colorado and were real friendly. They told him they were going to ride their bikes at the sand dunes the next day. I knew they had to be ok because they ride dirt bikes and that’s what my daddy taught me. It brings peace of earf. Suffice to say I was relieved to know they were cool. The rest of the night we just relaxed and sat by the fire. 

The next day we went back to the beach we went to last time we were there, Humboldt Lagoon Beach. We walked around and collected pretty stones. It was just as cool as I remember it. I never seem to get used to those waves. The Pacific Ocean’s power is always and endlessly awe-inspiring. I swear I could just stand there and zone out forever. If I were the meditating kind, this would be the place for it. I have always kind of taken for granted the ocean by my home, but never again. It felt so good just to be near the coast again. 

About an hour later we decided to go back to camp for some lunch. We did the same as the day before and relaxed. We got into a lazy slump until evening when Finnley forced me to go watch the sunset. I don’t know the beaches name, but it was in Trinidad and we had also gone there the last time we were in Cali. It was really beautiful with the water and the rocks and the sun. The next morning we packed up and got out of there headed for Sequoia National Park.

On to the next...