Monday, June 9, 2014

Eastward Ho! (Day Eleven)

by Pa Rock
Wagon Master

We are back on the trail today heading south and then east.  Would like to reach Kansas City by Saturday night and be home on Sunday.

Today we drove the beautiful Oregon coast from Newport down through Brookings - and on into California as far south as Eureka.  There we turned the wagon east and headed up through the mountains in the general direction of Redding.  Tonight we are in the very small town of Willow Creek staying at the Bigfoot Motel.  (Seriously!)  We managed to get a thirty-dollar room for just ninety bucks in a sad little motel that banks on its unique name and the fact that it is the only available hostel for weary travelers within miles.  Our innkeeper looks as though he might be Bigfoot in his off-duty hours.

The Pacific Ocean along the Oregon and northern California coastline is magnificent, with tall evergreens running down the hillsides and almost out onto the beaches - and lots of big boulders dotting the landscape both in and out of the churning waters.  We drove through several tall stands of California  redwoods which are also amazing and truly awe-inspiring.  At one point we climbed down out of the wagon and walked up into the hills to commune with the giants in an up-close-and-personal manner.

I remembered lots of yellow banana slugs in the redwood forest from when I was there nearly thirty years ago, but today we didn't encounter any of those slimy forest inhabitants.

Willow Creek actually does look like the type of place where Bigfoot might put in an appearance - or at least a bunch of gun-toting old white guys with beards and wearing cammos - and being followed around by a television crew.  As Barnum said, "There's one born every minute."  And as Pa Rock said, "Yes, and they all watch reality television."

Sarah Palin would be right at home in Willow Creek, and so would those bearded, homophobic  millionaire hillbillies from Duck Dynasty.

Tomorrow we will head out toward Redding, Reno, and points east - if the creeks don't rise and Bigfoot doesn't eat the oxen!

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