Leg 2

Tall trees, blue skys, oceans greener than emeralds, and roads with more curves than a 3rd grade cursive test.

Day two was an exploration of Highway 101 down the Oregon and Californian coast.

I admittedly got too far into the whiskey the night before so a hearty breakfast was calling my name mere minutes into the drive.

As I crossed through Coos Bay, Lorraine's Stockpot restaurant reached out to me like a mermaid's siren call, drawing me in to her trappings of drip coffee and huevos rancheros. Fat, full, and sufficiently clogged full of calories, I was ready to log miles, but first a quick stop at Redwoods National Park.

Second NP under my belt, the quintessential California coast line opened up in front of me with staggering cliffs, sage brush, and waves whipping across the racks miles below me. To be fair, (to be fay-ah), I've done this drive many times before. Having spent close to a decade living in or around the Bay Area, I've made the drive up the 101 between the Bay and Seattle at least a dozen times, but there's something special about that road on two wheels. The way coast opens and closes before you, slightly distracting from the focus of apexing your turns, but inspiring you with grandeur, it's a classic top 10 road on a bike (motored or not) that anyone who has experienced it can attest cannot be missed.

As the highway turns inland, around the desolation wilderness north of Humboldt, a different type of highway emerges, one that is no less curvy, and no less inspiring, but wildly different with it's many peaks, valleys, and twists.

Benbow State Recreation Area Campground just south of Garberville is largely forgettable. Tucked back along the South Fork of the Eel River, it's old, tired, and showing it's age. I'll give the Rangers credit, they were both friendly, helpful, and chatty, but once they leave, you're left to notice how much the campground needs more love and attention.

That said, the highlight was the Brass Rail Bar & Grill. An old classic biker MC vibed bar, once you get chatting with the staff you find a deep embrace of the LGBQT community, political acceptance of all faiths, and even Euro football on the TV.

Shout out to the tow truck driver who watched me dump my bike DOWNHILL, stopped, and helped me pick it back up. Literally could not have picked that up myself.

For me, there's a nostaligia of this area. I spent most of my 20's and some of my late 30's traveling this road and seeing these cities and sites. The Paul Bunyan and Ol' Blue statue north of Klamath, the Sea Lion Caves in Florence, and Lost Coast Brewing all illicit fond memories from different times in my life. Nostaligia doesn't always have to be pleasant, but in this instance, in this space, it is warm and fond memerories for me.

Short day tomorrow, and a layover with a long, old, friend.