Fire Tour 2020: California (Act 1)
After our little Griswold
adventure through the unknown of long-term camping, we decided to take another
shot just a few short months later.
As the time neared and we packed
the trailer, the fires began. First near our home of San Diego. Lots of smoke,
but nothing like previous years events. We had no problem continuing the
adventure as we had house sitters and weren't worried about anything out of the
normal.
Then, two days before we hit the
road it seemed as if the entire West Coast was ablaze. It also seemed our dream
of driving Hwy 1 the entire way was going up in flames, literally. We were
getting emails with links, social media posts of photos with orange hued skies
and general thoughts of concern about our trip. But, we decided to continue Northward
and monitor as we went and knew we could change direction at any time. One of
the very awesome things of hauling your home with you wherever you go.
Be sure to click the links for True
Reviews and other fun things.
First stop was El
Capitan State Beach. We had made our reservations a few months earlier.
With what seemed like everyone hitting the camping circuit during COVID, we
remained stubborn and didn't want to give up our reservations, fires be damned. Upon our
arrival, the only thing we had to worry about were the ants. There seemed to be
very little smoke in the air. We went to the beach, where there were very few
people and enjoyed some time in the water with full clothing. Spawn turned
herself into a sand burrito twice before deciding it was time to head back to
Ground Control for some lunch and a nap. It was rainy and misting the majority
of the time, so we didn’t do a lot of exploring. Oh well… There is always next
time. I thought I had prepared for weather, but I didn't prepare for rain, rain and more rain. D'oh!
Monterey, CA
Next stop, Monterey, CA. Our
original route was through Big Sur on Hwy 1, but we had to reroute to Hwy 101
due to road closures because of wildfires. Still a gorgeous drive and faster
and in hindsight, probably best considering Hwy 1 is winding AF and towing a
trailer is not ideal.
We stayed at the Monterey
Fairgrounds. The first thing I noticed was the familiar smell of alfalfa. I
grew up near farms out in the middle of what was Nowhere, Colorado. Alfalfa
meant livestock and livestock meant allergies. Yippee ki yay. Two things… The
air was a little more smokey at this location, but there was a significant
amount of lingering marine layer. Great for both smoke and allergies. Second,
the animals were just across the way from our campsite, but we weren’t bothered
and they didn’t seem to be either. I kid you not, one of the goats SCREAMED. I
about pissed myself with laughter and glee. Have you ever seen the video of
goats screaming? Click here
and you will thank me.
We only stayed a couple nights, so in one day of driving around we checked out the Old Fisherman’s Wharf and got some lunch. We live in a coastal city, so I was not really impressed or saw anything new. It was the usual touristy stop with shops and restaurants serving the local catches of the day. We are also not fans of seafood, so take that review however you will. We heard the sea lions, but didn’t really see a ton of them hanging out. The famous Monterey Bay Aquarium and Dennis the Menace Playground were COVID closed. Nuts! We did drive the scenic route and paid the $10.50 to get into the (what felt like) ultra-exclusive 17 Mile Drive. It was a gorgeous trip and I would recommend the excursion. We saw the famous Lone Cypress and other sights, including the super fancy Pebble Beach Golf Club and Course. But ZERO otters. I was so bummed.
On our way out, we were able to hit up the famous Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz. A very cool little weird roadside attraction. The tour guide had clearly given more tours than she would like to remember, but she was fun and kept the group together and played all the tricks to make us feel like we got our money’s worth.
The Redwoods
We continue on. Our next big stop
was Eureka. We stayed a night in Caspar
Beach on the way and hit up the Avenue of Giants in route to Mad
River Rapids RV. Unfortunately, we were expected to arrive by a certain
time, and I can never get my ass together before 12noon. We were able to catch
about a third of The Avenue and again – GORGEOUS. If you get the chance to
cruise the 31 miles, as it hops over and under Hwy 101, DO IT. I guess it’s
supposed to take about two and a half hours to get through, without stops. In the video below, you don't get the idea of size, until another car comes around the corner. It looks so TINY!
The Redwoods also hide within them a couple of massive trees big enough for cars to go through. I guess that's why they are called the Drive Thru Tree and the Tour Thru Tree. Both goofy enough for a stop and I was delighted to see just how small cars used to be, and to pay the $5-$10 just for a look.
 |
| We DID NOT Fit |
 |
| Drive Thru Tree |
 |
| Tour Thru Tree |
Can I just toss in the signs... Entering Tsunami Hazard Zone, Exiting Tsunami Hazard Zone, Entering, Exiting, Entering, Exiting, etc. There were also the numerous PeeWee-esq curves ahead signs. I was highly entertained with this trip's signage. Just saying.
 |
| Real |
 |
| PeeWee-esq |
Had a lovely visit with a friend
from my old Punk Rock days. It was fun to hear about the Humbolt Hillbillies
and how it’s still the Wild West, especially since weed became legal. We were
camping nearby a few HH's, clearly. Yes, that is some shade I be throwing… And some tea.
The trip to Klamath was awesome. When we first got there and saw a casino and that was about it, I got worried. Then we came across the Trees of Mystery and the Forest Café. Those three things are basically what makeup Klamath, CA. The staff at the café were very nice and took to Spawn, like so many before them.
I had an idea what to expect, but The Trees of Mystery impressed us. We loved the easy trail through the trees, the Redwood Canopy Trail and the Sky Trail. We both have our fear of heights and the Redwood Canopy Trail did not disappoint. I had Spawn to focus on and that helped me get across so many rope sky bridges. I clearly remember that if that bridge shook in any way, I would shoot a look to kill behind me thinking Cabana Boy had started to cross before we finished. Poor Cabana Boy just had his thoughts. He made it about halfway and wanted to turn back, but figured it was best to continue. The Sky Trail was a gorgeous ride through the canopy and a nice trail break.
Comments
Post a Comment