Crescent City CA
Today
was a good day to depart OR and mi familia.
First, because I need to get back on the road again (Sophia was
complaining and Snoopy was whining), second, I’ve been here waaayyyy too long
(My bro and Sis in law were considering adopting me J), and third, today was the first day
of rain since I arrived in OR….so Fall has now officially arrived in OR according
to the Gonzo Book of Seasons! And I’m
outa here! Heading for Northern CA and
finding country roads, scenic roads, yadayada.
My visit with family in Tigard has been a good one. The resting and sleeping that began in Tacoma and continued here has renewed my spirits somewhat. and I've gained unneeded weight from Tere's cooking! I played a little golf, got sophia her 40K service, hosted a party with mi familia and friends to celebrate the year's riding.
Here's a pic of me at The Reserve and of the next door neighbor, little Cooper with his mom. Lil Cooper loved to push all the buttons and make the horn honk :).
Actually,
it wasn’t raining at Tigard….it was just foggy and the air was heavy with
moisture from the fog, making the roads look like it was raining. However, about 10 miles south of Tigard the
clouds began to drop those little Oregonian jewels upon the windshield. This continued on and off all the way to
about 10 miles north of Eugene. A total
reversal of my previous rides through here.
Typically the ride is dry until reaching Eugene, where the Oregonian
heavens bless me and Sophia with a departing gift! But this time was different….the gifts
abounded until reaching Eugene, and the gods of California sunshine stretched
their boundaries attempting to influence the rainy foggy perspectives of the
southwestern Oregonians.
Speaking
of pretty sights (I was wasn’t I?), I was at a gas station, I think in Eugene,
standing next to my parked Sophia and letting the blood flow back into my butt,
when a young lady asked to take a photo of Snoopy. I don’t know how that mongrel does it but all
the young ladies pay attention to him!
The
young lady is Kristin and she wanted a photo of Snoopy to send to her friend in
Denmark. She sure looks a lot better
sitting on Sophia than I do, do you think?
Continuing
south on the I-5 the future began to brighten.
About 45 miles south of Eugene, far in the distance past 3 mountain ridges
and associated valleys, I could see a patch of blue sky peaking over a mountain
and underneath the overhead cotton blanket that was greying my mood. And sure enough, when I reached Roseburg the
sun greeted me warmly. Ahhh, my old
friend was lighting my way to California! So I pulled off in Roseburg and
visited a Burger King for their Jr Wopper sandwich and a coke. Then I ditched the rain gear and headed to
Grants Pass, about 70 miles further south.
I
finally arrived at Grant’s Pass and headed west on US199, also known as the
Redwood Highway, for the Northern California coast and Hwy 101. And what a very pleasant surprise!
The
road is a combination of two lanes, separated lanes, three lanes-one for
passing on the hills, gentle curves, slight ascending climbs, forests, views of
distant mountains, and no traffic! The fun started about ½ of the way up when I
finally entered the twisties with posted speeds dropping to as low as 20. I noticed that I am taking these turns a lot
smoother and faster now….of course, there weren’t any cliff hangers ala
Beartooth Highway, so my confidence is definitely up. These twisties follow along towering rock
cliffs and shaded, wooded forests lining the highway. Not once did I encounter a bad spot on the
road! I liked this scenic ride and,
although not on the 15 Best Rides list, I enjoyed the twisties as much as any
of the previous USA 15 Best Rides that I have done. I think I’m going to ride some more of these
roads designated as scenic highways in CA.
Arriving
in Crescent City around 6 pm I decided to get a motel room. The air is cold and I expect it to get colder
during the night…and I am now a fair weather camper only….especially at the
prices they charge now for camping.
Found a Days Inn but they wanted too much, then found an America’s Best
Value about a block later. They were in
my price range after getting the Gonzo discount, so I got the room. Which turned out to be a timely act because
the place filled up as the evening wore on.
Dinner
was a ‘spoil me’ dinner. Next door to
the motel is a Mexican Restaurant, El Torreros, that served an excellent
chicken enchilada and taco with the frijoles y arroz and good tasting
salsa. My last Mexican restaurant was a
disappointing visit to Carlos and Mickey’s in El Paso so this helped to make up
for it.
Tomorrow
I will head south on the US101 so it’s time to get some sleep …but first a
little reading of Craig Johnson’s “The Cold Dish” to see if Walt Longmire is
getting any closer to solving his Wyoming murder in the local Big Horn
territory.
C ya mañanaGonzo
Twitter: @GonzoCrossUSA
Email: GonzoCrossUSA@gmail.com
Cell: 949-433-0761
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