Going Coastal, pt. 2, "Low Tide"

After leaving Mendocino, I was feeling pretty good about how my trip had gone so far and was settling back into my solo adventure as I headed North on Hwy 1 to 101.  With the Redwoods only a couple hours away from where I was, I thought it would work out perfectly for me to arrive there midday, go for a hike somewhere, and then decide en route if I would be camping in the Redwoods or continuing north in the direction of Crescent City.   

Just before I reached the junction for 101, I noticed a sign near Leggett, CA about a drive-thru tree park and figured it’d be a good place for a quick pit stop before I ventured into the guaranteed amazing-ness of the Redwoods.  I was ecstatic to see the trees getting bigger and knew I was headed in the right direction, so without wasting too much time, I got back on the road.

The Chandelier Tree, aka drive-thru tree in Leggett, CA

Just after getting onto 101, I noticed that despite my car’s usually great gas mileage, it seemed to be draining very quickly.  I pondered what might be causing this phenomenon, exactly how sure I was about when I last checked my gas gauge, and thought, Caleb and I were talking about our tires this morning and I totally meant to check them before I left!  Hmm… 

I was just finishing that last thought when I got an audible response to my questions.  Pulling off the exit that was immediately ahead of me, I jumped out to see that I had indeed gotten a flat tire.  Bah!  I’ve changed a tire before – when I first got my license and my dad made me do it, but I’ve been lucky enough to never have a flat, so it’s been quite some time since I’ve had to. Trying to keep a positive attitude, I started putting stuff from my trunk into my back seat so I could access my spare, and as I was finishing up, I noticed that there were a couple of construction workers nearby taking a break, or possibly just not working (I mean we were kind of in the middle of nowhere, if the boss isn’t watching…).  I decided to ask them for help, and when I approached them, they read my mind; they informed me that they had to wait for another person to get there so they weren’t doing anything, and that they would be happy to help me. 

I couldn’t have been more grateful.  Being on the northern coast of California, where it is usually cool and moist, it had actually been in the high 80’s on this day, with the sun shining brightly, so my tires and the road were sizzling hot.  With their help, they got my spare on and had me back on the road in minutes.  Grateful again that I had bought these tires just a few months ago from Les Schwab, all I needed to do was get to the nearest Les Schwab and I would be taken care of. 

Unfortunately, the nearest Les Schwab was north of the Redwoods, and the day suddenly seemed to be slipping away.  With my next chance for help just over 70 miles away, and the max recommended distance for driving on a spare is about 60 miles, I couldn’t exactly risk a romp in the woods.  With some sadness, and a fierce attempt to stay positive, I had to pass through the Redwoods, with my direction set to Les Schwab. 

Driving that portion of the highway on a spare tire was it’s own experience.  Recommended speed on a spare is about 45mph, so rather than stopping in the Redwoods, I was directed by laws of the universe and automotives, to take a very leisurely drive along the Redwood Highway section of 101.   Despite being a two-lane highway, people were getting quite upset at my slower speed (I even had my hazards on if there were multiple cars around), and it got to be pretty comical; like I said before, it’s pretty much in the middle of nowhere, so no one’s making this drive as a commute to/from work, and at no time was there more than 3-4 cars within a 5 mile stretch, so it’s not like it was EVER hard to pass me, but nonetheless people were getting pissed!  I eventually couldn’t help but to laugh at the anger they were directing my way as they glared and furiously passed me, in the passing lane.  I suppose by being forced to go slow, I was also given the opportunity to change my perspective; I may not have stopped in the Redwoods, but I soaked in their energy as they continuously filled my eyes and soul from all directions.  At times, I had to really consciously slow myself down (I’ll admit, sometimes I'm a bit of a speedy driver), and in doing so, I was inevitably slowed down enough to really be left with my own thoughts and feelings.

When I finally reached the small town of Fortuna, it felt like a relief to be getting back to a pace determined by me, not the limited capacity of my spare tire.  My experience at Les Schwab was quick and easy, and in less than an hour they had replaced my tire, rotated and balanced all of my tires, and inspected each of them to make sure I didn’t get any other foreign intruders that might cause a problem down the road.  Feeling like I had missed my opportunity for the Redwoods, I decided I might as well just continue on to Crescent City.  After all, it was already Thursday and at this point I had planned on making it to Eugene, OR by Friday or Saturday. 

I stopped in Eureka to get a little food, and found another little natural food store for me to get what I needed.  While in there I noticed a hemp-milk ice cream treat and decided to indulge; it was probably the most fulfilling decision of my day.  It may have been the best ice cream treat I’ve ever had; maybe it was the delays I'd had, or maybe it was because dairy-alternative ice creams tend to be limited in their deliciousness, but oh my gosh!  Why do we not always have access to such amazing non-dairy treats?? Haha, if you’re interested, the company is Hemp I Scream (ya, I practically did) and apparently you can find them at some Whole Foods?

Revived by the sugar in my system, I coasted my way up to Crescent City, CA to stay at a campground called Orman Ranch; a ranch with horse boarding for those travelers with equine travel companions, but it’s open to anyone and budget friendly.  I set up camp, made a warm and delicious dinner, then headed to the beach to watch the sunset.  To my slight disappointment, turns out Crescent City is on the south side of a little peninsula so I wasn’t actually able to see a sunset over the ocean.  It was still a nice way to wrap up my day though; the extensive coastline and the beautiful colors eased my mind and I stayed for as long as I could handle the cold winds blowing through.    

When I got back to camp, I was pretty quick to call it a night.  Exhausted from driving, the unexpected bumps in the road, and the emotions that had surfaced on my leisurely, thought-provoking drive, and physically feeling the work out from my previous day surfing, I was happy to just be alone and outside so I could get some sleep.  Upon contemplation, I realized that on any journey there are bound to be tougher days, and if this was one of mine, I could only be grateful for how much assistance I received and how gracefully it had passed by.  Tomorrow was bound to bring new adventures…