We have continued our northward trek up the coast by covering a small patch of beautiful road each day. A change in routes has afforded us a more leisurely drive north than originally planned.

Sunset on the beach

I write from Oregon, and we were not sad to say goodbye to California a few days ago. As we moved along the California coast, the scenery became more rugged and beautiful. Traffic died out, and we had some breathing space to enjoy the view. The people also became a little more…crusty. Northern California forests supposedly produce some of the most powerful marijuana in the world, and we did see some evidence of a drug presence. My tour book says that more than half of Humboldt County’s residents earn some portion of their income from pot. Quaint Mendocino would have held a lot more charm had it not been for the weird druggie vibe. Two days later, in Eureka, we parked downtown to explore the historic Old Town area I had read about. The two homeless people on the curb looked harmless enough, but we were happy to see two undercover cops arrive to talk to them. Just when we were about to leave the RV, the cops came over and advised us not to park in front of the house they had been investigating for “all sorts of drug stuff.” We decided against Old Town and drove up the coast, hoping to find a scenic beach spot for lunch. The reviews I read about the next few beach areas were colorful, to say the least: reports of teenagers shooting up meth on the beach, homeless people living in vans in the parking lot areas, the common occurrence of theft and vandalism. Then there was the family and their teenagers openly smoking pot in a Walmart parking lot, letting their younger kids do whatever they wanted late into the evening. And now we’re in a state where recreational pot is completely legal. The weed store just over the Oregon border proudly proclaimed its wares as we drove by gawking. We hope to see the Oregon coast without seeing too much drug culture, but it may be hard to avoid.

Had to work hard to find cell service on Mother’s Day

Hiking in the northern CA redwoods

In an effort to avoid the expensive state park fees of California (must keep that nightly average low!), we have stayed recent nights in a few creative places. We passed a quiet night in a casino parking lot outside of Loleta, CA. Our Walmart parking lot night in Crescent City was not at all quiet, but it sure made for some good people watching (see above) and a heavy night of sleep the following night.

Hidden Beach

The last two nights we have been happy to come back to our old routine of forest road pull-outs in the Siskiyou National Forest. As I write, we are parked in a quiet alcove just above the Chetco River east of Brookings, OR. We are surrounded by towering redwoods and dense forest undergrowth. And with our desire for forests and water, we have also received what inevitably accompanies such abundant floral life: an army of mosquitoes. We spent yesterday afternoon basking in the sun by the river’s edge. Our dogs got out every bit of energy swimming in the river (or sticking a face in the water for rocks, in Homer’s case) and running along the rocky shoreline. We saved our water and bathed in the river as the last bit of sunshine coated its eastern shore. Swimsuits drying in the warm evening breeze, we sat at the river’s edge and talked about our desires to not have this be our only long-term road trip. We feel so fortunate to be seeing and experiencing such a wealth of places, tiny off-the-beaten path sights we might never have seen otherwise during a typical time-strapped vacation week.

Playing by Chetco River. We camped just above this part of the river.

Here are a few more highlights from this week:

• Three gray whale sightings just offshore during our beach walk in Big Lagoon County Park.
• One more gray whale sighting from an amazing overlook of the mouth of the Klamath River.
• Scalding showers at Big Lagoon County Park – too good to be real and only $1!
• An overgrown but beautiful hike along the Coastal Trail to the deserted Hidden Beach.
• The heady fragrance of evergreen forests.
• Clean laundry, hot dryers sucking the coastal damp out of our towels.
• Doctored frozen pizza – always guaranteed to make our highlight reel.
• A helpful new app that makes finding campsites easier without cell service.

Klamath River Overlook