Picture 1 is a beach just north of Fort Bragg, CA. Picture 2 is the drive thru in Leggett, CA. Picture 3 is a hollow log near the drive through tree. Picture 4 is on the Avenue of the Giants. Picture 5 is a carved wooden indian head on the Avenue of the Gaints in the town of Miranda. (DID YOU KNOW THAT IF YOU CLICK ON THE PICTURE, IT WILL ENLARGE IT SO YOU CAN SEE IT BETTER?)
Obviously this being my 14th day on the road, it is the end of the first fortnight of my trip. The things that I have seen in that time are absolutely overwhelming. My experience so far has left me in complete awe at the vastness and variety that this country has to offer. From the flatness of the farm lands of Indiana and Illinois, the rugged desolation of northern Texas and New Mexico, the extreme heat of the deserts in Arizona and the Mojave desert in California, to the really cool (cold) rides along the Pacific coast; the range of experiences has provided me with a foundation of new memories that have done so much to enhance my view of the greatness of this country and this land.
Today started out cool as usual, but it wasn’t long before CA-1 turned away from the ocean and move inland several miles. This helped to warm things up considerably; enough in fact that I was finally able to ride for a while without my chaps and eventually without my leather jacket. Not only did the temperature rise, but so did the elevation. I was riding up into mountainous terrain that was covered by a lush green forest that in many places covered the road with a tunnel of tree branches. The farther I rode the bigger the trees became. By Michigan standard, they were huge, but I knew there were larger ones to come. I was looking forward to riding on the “Avenue of the Giants” today because after hearing about it yesterday, I did some research on the internet last night and that really piqued my interest to want to see it even more. Just before reaching the Avenue, I came to the town of Leggett. This is the town that boasts the “Drive Thru Tree.” Seeing the sign, I had to stop and check it out. The $3 admission charge was well worth the experience. I am really glad I took that slight detour. After a few pictures at the drive thru tree and a “Hot Diggity Dog” [that is what they called it] for lunch I was again on my way to the “Avenue of the Giants.” The Avenue is a 32 mile section of road that parallels CA-101 which takes you through the largest single concentration of original growth redwood forest in all of California. The experience of this drive was just amazing. It is hard to describe the size of these 2000+ year old trees. I am not sure what the experience will be like tomorrow when I ride through the Redwood National Park, but I cannot imagine how the experience can be any better than it was today. While I was researching the Redwood National Park today I also came across other nearby national parks. I discovered that Crater Lake National Park is only about 50 miles from Medford, OR which is were I will be heading tomorrow, so I have added that to my list of “things to see.” Also nearby is the Lava Bed National Monument in Tulelake, CA. I am not sure about going to this one but I will make that call after the Crater Lake visit.
When I started this trip, I decided to bring my computer along for the purpose of maintaining my blog. As the trip progressed, however, the computer has evolved into something much more useful than just that. It became my weather guide as I tried to avoid the thunderstorms and to figure out what to wear the next day. It became a useful research device and trip planner as I tried to figure out what route to take and what distances were between various points on the map so I could plan my next day’s itinerary. Between the computer and my GPS this trip has been electronically enhanced in ways that I never imagined when I first left Michigan two weeks ago. This trip has opened my eyes to a new travel companion that will be with me on all my future trips.
Today started out cool as usual, but it wasn’t long before CA-1 turned away from the ocean and move inland several miles. This helped to warm things up considerably; enough in fact that I was finally able to ride for a while without my chaps and eventually without my leather jacket. Not only did the temperature rise, but so did the elevation. I was riding up into mountainous terrain that was covered by a lush green forest that in many places covered the road with a tunnel of tree branches. The farther I rode the bigger the trees became. By Michigan standard, they were huge, but I knew there were larger ones to come. I was looking forward to riding on the “Avenue of the Giants” today because after hearing about it yesterday, I did some research on the internet last night and that really piqued my interest to want to see it even more. Just before reaching the Avenue, I came to the town of Leggett. This is the town that boasts the “Drive Thru Tree.” Seeing the sign, I had to stop and check it out. The $3 admission charge was well worth the experience. I am really glad I took that slight detour. After a few pictures at the drive thru tree and a “Hot Diggity Dog” [that is what they called it] for lunch I was again on my way to the “Avenue of the Giants.” The Avenue is a 32 mile section of road that parallels CA-101 which takes you through the largest single concentration of original growth redwood forest in all of California. The experience of this drive was just amazing. It is hard to describe the size of these 2000+ year old trees. I am not sure what the experience will be like tomorrow when I ride through the Redwood National Park, but I cannot imagine how the experience can be any better than it was today. While I was researching the Redwood National Park today I also came across other nearby national parks. I discovered that Crater Lake National Park is only about 50 miles from Medford, OR which is were I will be heading tomorrow, so I have added that to my list of “things to see.” Also nearby is the Lava Bed National Monument in Tulelake, CA. I am not sure about going to this one but I will make that call after the Crater Lake visit.
When I started this trip, I decided to bring my computer along for the purpose of maintaining my blog. As the trip progressed, however, the computer has evolved into something much more useful than just that. It became my weather guide as I tried to avoid the thunderstorms and to figure out what to wear the next day. It became a useful research device and trip planner as I tried to figure out what route to take and what distances were between various points on the map so I could plan my next day’s itinerary. Between the computer and my GPS this trip has been electronically enhanced in ways that I never imagined when I first left Michigan two weeks ago. This trip has opened my eyes to a new travel companion that will be with me on all my future trips.
