Today was all about the Avenue of the Giants.
I got an early start, and had the first section almost all to myself. I kept leap-frogging a woman from Eureka who was showing her friend from Nevada around, and a few other cars passed me, but I was mostly alone.
I was passed by three vintage cars with rumbling hot rod motors, and later I saw them, and their owners, standing outside a shop in Redcrest. We talked for a while, and I took their picture, but I forgot to ask their names! Two of them are from Utah, and one is from Arizona (I think!). They go on these adventures regularly, and they are headed to San Francisco.
They passed me, and I figured I wouldn’t see them again, but the Avenue of the Giants road was closed ahead, and they turned around and let me know there was a Caltrans person enforcing it. I’ve been able to plead for special permission before (“My bike is heavy! I’ll get lost!” And so on…), so I kept going, but it really WAS closed. A tree was down over the road. I guess redwoods fall down too! I tried to get permission to ride up to it just to get a picture, promising to come back, but he was firm. He had a picture of the tree, but he wouldn’t send it to me (probably doesn’t want to share his email address?), but he let me take a picture of his picture. 😁
The detour back onto US 101 wasn’t bad. I missed a few miles of scenery, but traffic was light, the shoulder was clean and wide, and it was a lovely day, so I didn’t sweat it.
When I got back onto the Avenue of the Giants, I stopped at a curio shop in Myers Flat. As soon as I walked into the store, a solid pit bull walked around the corner wagging her tail and smiling at me. I spent most of the next twenty minutes petting Ryder. When I sat down in comfy chair to pet her, every time I stopped, she turn around, look at me, and bump my shins with her butt. “Um, you’re not done here, mister.” The friendly clerk, Naveena, is a yoga instructor. I told her I can’t touch my toes without cheating, and have never been able to!
I also met Jay, from Philadelphia, who is driving back to Seattle, where he now lives. He was in Las Vegas for the Alvarez vs. Crawford boxing match, and is driving up the coast. We talked about the North Cascades Highway and Stevens Pass, for scenic adventures closer to home. He works in tech, and was wearing the new Ray Ban Meta glasses, which I wouldn’t have known if he hadn’t told me. We live in the future!
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