Wow. I slept surprisingly well! Unlike the Walmart parking lot at Clearlake, there were no leaf blowers, no street sweepers. And the rush of traffic on the I-5 is such soothing white noise.
From Grants Pass, it is Highway 199 to the coast, going through the Siskiyou National Forest, then the Smith National Forest. When we were on this road last year, there was no agricultural inspection at the border but today there is.
There is a lot more traffic – cars, RVs and motorcycles. And more sunshine!
Back on 101 to Cresent City, where we stop for some lunch at a Mexican place (most authentic chile rellenos this side of the border!) then, another stop at Kamp Klamath, at the mouth of the Klamath River. Aaron who we met in Baja runs the camp here but he was away in Medford so we just had a peek inside.
The Newton B. Drury Parkway is a 9-mile road through Prairie Creek Redwood State Park and just as magical as the Avenue of the Giants. Unfortunately, the park was packed and we couldn’t stop by the visitor’s center for lack of parking.
“Man, there was a time when no one came out here,” Big Dog whines. “Too many people!”
There is camping here and trails to Gold Bluff Beach as well as Fern Canyon. We’ll have to come back during the off-season.
It’s so unusual to have such nice weather at the coast in the summer and it makes us stop at Stone Lagoon but it is too windy for kayaking. And just when I am wondering where the elk are this time of year, there is a wild herd in a meadow south of Orick.
From there, it is a short distance to Arcata and the end of this roadtrip, but Bailey is not getting out of Sprockets.
“More! I want more!” she pleads. Yes, we will have more. Many, many more.
On The Road With Sprockets 