Trinidad and Eureka

Day: 56
Destination: Trinidad, then Eureka, California
Miles Ridden: 204 Total Miles: 12,576
Route: Highway 101 South
Points of Interest:

• Scenic view from Port Orford
• State and federal forests and parks to the Oregon border
• National Redwood Park, California
• Trinidad wharf

We were on the road at 8:30 a.m. today on our way to Trinidad, California. It was clear and sunny, but we could see fog to our north, and the forecast was for cooler weather, fog, and 35 mph winds from the north. On came the jackets, and we began our journey. It became apparent, however, that jackets alone would not be enough. Within a couple miles, we began hitting fog banks stretching across the highway. Each time, the temperature would drop dramatically, only to rise again when we hit sunshine rather than fog. We stopped at Port Orford, a small town, for fuel. When we began to leave, we saw a painted sign on the pavement of a side street, pointing in the direction of the "Ocean View." We took the road and found a tiled bench setting high on a bluff above a cove and beach below.

The Oregon coastline is beautiful, but it is very rugged and rocky. We were told that whales were visible from this vantage the day before, but today we did not see any whales, although the view was great. We took a few pictures, and we were off again. We rode through the redwoods of California. Not our first time, but the giant redwoods are always impressive.

We arrived at Trinidad, which is a very small town 20 miles north of Eureka. The small road curls west from the freeway, and makes its way down the hillside to the ocean and cove. We ate at a great restaurant at the end of the road, and took in the great view. We then made our way to Eureka, a much larger town, with the problems you would expect to find in any larger city. We found the Red Lion, had a snack while watching the All Star game, and settled in for the evening.