Wednesday, 26 August 2009
Road Trip Day 7
After a delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs, hash browns, sausage (link) and white toast at the on-site dinner at my hotel in Ukiah, I set off to the Montgomery Woods State Nature Reserve. I'd read on the web that this was the home of the World's Tallest Tree, however when I rang the Reserve this morning to enquire about access they explained that a taller one has since been found.
Undeterred I set off for the reserve and started back over the same ranges I crossed yesterday, by a different road. Early in my journey I had to slow for a bird in the road. I didn't give it much thought except to think it looked a bit like a pheasant. A couple of turns later there were three more brids running along the road in front of me. That's when it dawned on me. Birds... running... on the road... Roadrunners! These were actual, real Roadrunners. I laughed my ass off.
During the TrekAmerica we camped at Fort Stockton which is home to the second largest Roadrunner statue in America. They looked just like the statue.
A parked up at the reserve and took the trail into the depths of the woods. There was barely a breath of wind in the woods and I was enveloped in silence. It was a deeply tranquil experience strolling amongst the huge Redwoods with only the sound of my own footsteps.
I love trees at the best of times but there was something especially lovely about the ancient giants.
Back to the PCH... Again
I have an extreme aversion to going back on myself so when the Sat Nav suggested I take the same road back to Ukiah to continue my journey I ignored it and carried on over the mountains. 20 odd miles of twists and turns later I arrived at the coast back on California Highway 1.
The scenery I have described already continued on this stretch, but there was even less traffic and fewer towns. I emerged near the picture postcard town of Mendocino and stopped a while to look in the windows of the art galleries, fancy boutiques and restaurants.
"...and then I drove into a tree"
Thanks go to my gaming Bro Mike for my next adventure. He'd texted me to make sure to find this classic example of Americana. I drove to Leggett to find the Drive Thru Tree. Here's the video...
[I'm having problems embedding the video, so if it's not showing for you, here's a link direct to YouTube]
Avenue of the Giants
By now it was getting late and I needed to get to this evening's hotel so I took Interstate 101 North towards Eureka. I'd not been going long before I saw seduced into turning off by signs to the "Avenue of the Giants" which is a section of the old 101 going through a section of Redwood forest featuring some more huge specimens... and, I noticed, another Tree you can drive through! I'm glad I took the detour and it only added a few minutes to my journey.
I arrived in Eureka around 6:00pm, rested awhile, went to get a take-out Pizza, watched "Baseball Tonight on ESPN" and now I'm going to bed.
Goodnight.
Stats - Day Thirty-Three
Distance travelled - 198 miles - Ukiah to Eureka via Montgomery Woods State Nature Reserve, Mendocino, The Drive Thru Tree in Leggett and Avenue of the Giants.
State count - 16 + DC
Room numbers stayed in - 203, 1, 148, 212, 205, 210
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