A Big Drive

Today will be a very long drive (6+ hours) to get us back on the itinerary.

After a reasonably early breakfast, typical hotels fare, we hit the road. Drove Rte 1 through San Francisco. Typical heavy traffic congestion (with lots of traffic lights) we got to 101. Ran into fog on the Golden Gate Bridge. Stopped at a vista point for views to Alcartraz (shrouded in Fog), downtown San Fran, could see just the tops of the high rises.

Then back onto Rte 101, 3 lanes both ways, traffic all going 80 mph plus (speed limit 65 mph). We decided to get back to Rte 1 (coastal rode), so we dropped onto 138 throgh vineyards (all looking rustic and very unlike NZ vineyards). What a road, very windy, very demanding. Stopped at Boonville for a break and coffee. Quaint is a word I would use to describe Boonville. Good coffee and according to Lynley, great empanadas. Drove through coastal redwood fores before we hit Rte 1, fog!!. Didn't stop in Mendocino (we were booked to stay there last night, will go back someday), the town from the road look very New English(ish). Stopped in Fort Bragg (at a Safeway) to buy a sandwich plus 6 pack of water and a few bottles of wine. The road back to 101 was long, with many bends, so slow going.

While at Fort Bragg, we discovered a crack in the car windscreen. Will need to contact Dollar and sort something out. We will monitor the crack between now and Olympia.

Route 101 was just as hectic, lots of road works. Diverted to Avenue of the Giants to drive between giant redwood trees.

By now it was around 3.30 pm. So decided that Eureka and our motel was still and hour away. 

Finally made our motel Comfort Inn around 4:45 pm. Checked in a started to relax.

Went for a small walk and stopped in to Have Chinese. When we were given a fortune cookie, yours truely forgot there was my fortune in it.....I ate it with out thinking...Lynley just about fell about laughing.

So that's it took us almost 8 hours to get here. Tomorrow will be much easier. 

I must report that the photographer started work today. I will try and include a few of her 'great' shots here.

Golden Gate in fog

Statue at Golden Gate vista point: dedicated to all lost seamen.

Driving the Coastal Redwoods on Rte 128

Yours truely with out upgrade car. A Kia somethings....

Avenue of the Giants. Giant Redwoods.

Giant Redwoods with our car for scale.