{"id":538,"date":"2015-03-04T17:25:58","date_gmt":"2015-03-04T17:25:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jfmac.local\/~jf\/wptest\/?p=538"},"modified":"2015-03-04T17:25:58","modified_gmt":"2015-03-04T17:25:58","slug":"feb-2015","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.whufu.com\/wpwhu\/?p=538","title":{"rendered":"Eureka and fishing creeks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thursday (Feb 19)<\/a><\/h3><\/p>\n

I slept better, and my refrigerator seems to have cured itself. That makes no sense, but it seems to be back to running (relatively) quietly, turning off then back on at\u00a0tasteful intervals as it as done all it’s useful life. I will maybe get it looked at in Reno, but for now my trusty little Norcold is off death watch – woo!<\/p>\n

The road noise really is a problem here. There’s very little traffic at night, so that’s cool, but now at 10:30 am, the times I can hear the creek are increasingly rare. Other than that, a real gem of a place, AND the tent site price is $2 less than the fancier state parks ($13\/$15).<\/p>\n

As always, drive through Gold Beach<\/strong> with its beautiful bridge over the Rogue River<\/strong> and its friendly harbor restaurants, and as always, don’t stop. Going south, I seem to always saving myself for Brookings so I never quite end up stopping here.<\/p>\n

In\u00a0Brookings<\/strong> I eat at the Vista Grill<\/strong>, highly recommended by Martha – best burger ever she says. It was a good burger, and the wifi and general ambience were very nice – more of a bar than restaurant, but that works for me.<\/p>\n

Seamless transition from Oregon to California :) \u00a0Drove straight through Crescent City<\/strong> and the beautiful Redwood Coast<\/strong> south of there. Martha texts that they are out and about, so I decide to finally visit Aimee’s pub to kill a few hours. Richard’s Goat Tavern<\/strong> is the fancy name – don’t ask me to explain the name. Not sure what I expected, but it’s way more of a happening concern than I thought it would be.<\/p>\n

Friday – Sunday<\/a><\/h3>
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little cutie<\/div><\/div><\/p>\n

Highlights of this visit: watched a couple of 9 year-old basketball games – very fun! Went to one practice, maybe even more fun. Ate at the Hangar Cafe<\/strong> at the airport, maybe for the last time, since the service is so crummy. Multiple coffees at Because Coffee<\/strong>, also, multiple coffees at Old Town. Two successful Sunday paper searches – got the first at Starbucks and the second from the box in front of Denny’s. Three stints at The Goat<\/strong>, and one big night on the town in Arcata!<\/p>\n

The most memorable experience was hanging with the Troubadours (CD&TDVT) at the Van Duzen Grange Hall<\/strong>. I didn’t quite relish is at the time as much as I do looking back, but what an interesting little adventure\u00a0that was – way out in the boonies by a bridge over the Van Duzen River, a birthday party for the guitarist’s girlfriend.<\/p>\n

The final sunday afternoon hung out with the boys at Sequoia Park<\/strong>. A very interesting dog training group, and an out of control game of Capture the Flag in the well-used redwood forest.<\/p>\n

Monday<\/a><\/h3>\n

Finally leavin day. I schlep all my stuff out of the attic. Going down is a lot easier, just throw stuff downstairs. It’s harder to throw stuff upstairs. Martha is still gone, so Chad and I go to Gills By The Sea<\/strong>, an excellent little locals right on the bay south of town. Then home, finish packing, and I’m outta here!<\/p>\n

Stop at Hayden Flats<\/strong>, ready to\u00a0press on to Pigeon Point<\/strong>, but afraid it will be closed. Happily there are Forest Service dudes there doing winter stuff, and they said it is open, so I’m going on to there – another 1\/2 hour basically. Tomorrow will be a way longer day than today, and this will take half an hour off of it.<\/p>\n

  Pigeon Point Campground<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/div>
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WHUFU page for: Pigeon Point Campground<\/a><\/b><\/p>

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On a bend in the Trinity River. The main deal here is the heavily used boat ramp, I think the campground was built as an adjunct to it. Just seven sites, a couple of which are really nice.\r<\/p>\n

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Busy Route 299 is only 30 yards away, so when a truck passes you hear it. Fortunately, the road is not busy after dark.\r<\/p>\n

Not quite as torrid as Redding, but still pretty darned hot until the sun goes down. <\/p>\n<\/p>

<\/p>tonight<\/b>:

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As always in my experience, the primo spot on the little knoll is taken, I decide modest little #1 will meet my needs better than secluded #6. I enjoy my private bench and view of the bend of the river until after dark.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Had a delightful time here tonight! Now that I’ve figured it out, poor neglected Site 1 turns out to be the best site of all. My own personal bathroom plus river viewing party platform, a mere 40 paces away. I must of had some pent-up stuff about visiting the family (also it’s very dry out here :), but I drank all three cold beers in swift succession, then despite clearly thinking I wouldn’t, I cracked a new wine bottle to eat my sando. That’s way more partying that I am used to doing on a night on the road. \u00a0pretty fun though… :)<\/p>\n

Tuesday<\/a><\/h3><\/p>\n

Slept a little poorly, but that was the only known negative consequence of my night of thirst quenching. Hung out and read on my river bench and Tai Chi’d till 12:30. My jaunt from Hayden Flats to here meant that the fancy coffee place on the river is behind me, so the waaay less fancy place Mama Llama<\/strong> looms in my future. \u00a0It got the job done.<\/p>\n

It’s a very good thing I did stop, because ahead was maybe the longest road work stoppage I’ve even been involved in that was not the aftermath of a natural disaster.\u00a0The stretch of mountain highway that was under traffic control had to have been 5-6 miles. There were TWO parades of vehicles going the other direction of 60 cars each, I counted. I think they were creating really big firebreaks – denuding steep stretchs of hillside along the road<\/p>\n

Then, cherry on the sundae of a very annoying 30 miles was that I got pulled over by the effing National Park police! Over 40 minutes and 30 miles ago, the vehicle that pulled up immdeiately behind me for the work stoppage was a Park police pickup, cherry lights on top and all. I thought nothing of it, those dudes are the good guys, or so I thought. The lead car switched us from right lane to left lane to right lane a few times, somewhat arbitrarily I thought. On my own I kind of wandered around, there was nobody else on the road and I slowed to watch the equipment. Then finally we were past all that crap, back on the “open road”, past Oak Bottom and the entire length of the reservoir. I’d totally forgotten that dude was on my tail.\u00a0At the VERY LAST pull-off before the end of his jurisdiction the sucker puts on his cherry lights. \u00a0I pull to the shoulder figuring he has somewhere to go. He doesn’t go, so I turn off at the Vis Cen parking lot, since I was planning to use the bathroom anyway. The dude was hassling me!<\/p>\n

At the time I was just glad it was over and him and his creepy little kevlar-vested friend with the nasty stare were out of my life. But the more I think about it the madder I get. \u00a0Here were his two choices:<\/p>\n