Back to mainstream Civilization

Ok it's 60 and sunny out at 7am in Lodi Ca, 

That's a far cry from yesterday's temps we left crescent city from the coast at 50 sunny and took rt 199 east now that was a real nice drive but for a stop at The Burl Gallery 250$ later  and  a 6 mile stretch that was slow and narrow 

To Grants Pass Or, to I 5 south now i 5 in Ashland Or, was a bitch  with a 10 mile climb to 4200 ft

But down hill was 4 5 6% grade to Weed Ca, for our first over night at a pilot truck stop that was at the base of Mt Shasta  and got up at 7am with 42 out side no wonder we had 3 heavy blackest on over night, it did not get warm till we got  to  Sacramento. 83 sunny 

We took 12 east to Lodi to the Walmart parking lots camping ground (free) then south on 99 but 

We're only going as far as Manteca Ca, to a TTCampground on the river for 2 night

After that were working our way to interstate 10. ??

                                                From this 

                                               To this 

                                        To this 

WOW best drive yet

Now yesterday's tourist drive to Newton B Drury Scenic parkway  was a BIG let down 

And about 80 miles long (down / back )

WELL today's was a whole lot better by far 

And lots shorter  to boot 20 miles we went to Jedediah Smith Redwood state park 

This road runs from the small town of Hiouchi Ca, on 199 (Redwood highway )to Elk  Valley rd in Crescent city Ca

This is a 1 lane dirt road called Howland Hills road  smack dab in the middle of a LARGE old growth redwood forest,  this dirt road was first used as a 1800s stage coach road it's 12miles long but 7 miles are dirt and if a car comes along he or you pull over to pass and anything over 10 MPH is way to fast,  at 2 points on this road it only 8ft wide and a sharp u turn 

And there's no room to being a car towing a 12 foot long trailer,, at 2 points we had to fold the truck mirrors in to pass big  trees its not a road for the timid but if you do you will love the drive and if you hike it,s there's trails go lore some short an some long so take your pick 

This park has the BEST redwood trees and your up close and personal 

With not much light filtering in at 11:30 lots of photos were hard to take 

And the redwood  big boys were so tall no way to fit the giants in   

We let this clown do the stunts He needed to change shorts after,, all covered with dirt 

California's northern-most covered bridge is also on Douglas Park Rd. as it parallels the Smith River. Spanning Sheep Pen Creek, the scenic bridge was built in1976 especially for the Bicentenniel and tourism.

battery point lighthouse california

Well its time to Paint,,  coz,, we can't go anywhere, anyway 

Near the Oregon border at Crescent City, Battery Point Light was first lit in 1856, long before the Spanish had influence on the architectural design of the region. Since then, the structure has weathered many changes including automation in 1953 and a tidal wave that flooded the peninsula in 1964.

In the 1850s, lumber was being harvested in Northern California and sent south to build the rapidly growing city of San Francisco. Crescent City was a hub of lumber shipping, and many ships loaded with precious lumber were in danger on the rocky coast. The station's first official keeper was Theophilus Magruder, who arrived at Battery Point on Christmas Day in 1856, thus the origin of the light's local name as "the Christmas light." Magruder was a sophisticated Easterner who was drawn to the west coast by the promise of gold.

In 1964, the earthquake that stuck Alaska sent a tidal wave toward the Battery Point Light that threatened to finally destroy it, but the light and its keepers were spared because the wave struck at an extreme angle that protected the structure. Crescent City was not quite so lucky, though, as 29 city blocks were destroyed.Captain John Jeffrey and his wife Nellie took over the station in 1875 and stayed there for 39 years. The location was a trial for the Jeffreys family, and Captain John sometimes had to get out a boat and row the children to shore so they could attend school. The family's difficulties didn't end there, either. In 1879, a huge wave knocked down the kitchen wall, knocked over a lighted stove and the house would have burned down if it weren't for a second wave that put out the fire.

Accessible by foot only at low tide, Battery Point is currently a Maritime Museum and is operated by Del Norte County. The Cape Cod structure built of brick and granite offers visitors a look at the maritime history of the region and gives great insight to the life of a light Keeper. Worn from storms and tidal waves, this 45 foot tower and attached lean-to still function today as an important navigational aid to seaward Visiting Battery Point LighthouseThe light is reputed to house a resident ghost, seen by at least six different people, who have heard its sea-booted feet slowly climbing the tower steps during storms.

Access to the light does depend upon the tide, thus making it important to call ahead (707) 464-3089. 

Well a trees a tree

But a redwoods a tad bit bigger 

So we drove through the northern coast national redwood forest 

Ok a trees a tree and some are darn big,, but 

let me have the coast anytime 

2 more days ???

51/65 partly cloudy /sun wind 5

Went to the beach coz we could but looks like mon/tue will be the last 2 days before heading in lan

We're here at  Crescent City in a Walmart,, home of the free parking 

In the state of the big sales tax,, seems funny in Oregon not paying sales tax and now in Cal, we will 

Food at Safeway and Fred Myers the costs are 10/20% higher then Walmart's but there only 3 WM,s on  the  Oregon coast 

But in all fairness to. Safeway,, it's a real nice store with foods not found in most markets 

And with Fred Myers has lots of food and a tad less, but there clothes apparel is the best and most all top name brands with good deals 

Reg gas is about 3.7? Something 

Diesel in Or. Is 3.89 / 4.03

         In    Cal, 4.37 / 3.99

 LP gas in Or 1.80 / 2.99

             in Cal. 2.29 +tax   Or about 2.48 pr gal.

?? Welcome to California $$$

Ain,t  nobody rides Free in the shackey State 

South or east ??

Fog  cold 53 no sun spitting rain 

The Cape  Blanco rv village 28.$$ pr,day was one of the best we,ve stayed at so far real small but clean well keep

Only down side was the showers lack of real hot water felt like it was set at 85/90 but besides that we still give it a 10+ 

Short today were still on 101 but we stoped at Smith River lucky 7 casino (free)  on the California side for  one night and will move down to Elk Valley casino (free) to Crescent city,, I'm still debating on taking 199 to Grants Pass or 299 to Redding 

And yes there's a Casino just over the Ca, line and one south of Redding Ca,, do you see a pattern here  

Hummers,,,no not the truck

There's a humming bird feeder set up 6ft from our side window and the hummers are at it all day long 

So I'm thinking today's my last day to hit the beach and fly my kite so I did it in the fog and the cold

However I only lasted about an hour and had fun and the beach all to myself  well all most it was me and the seagulls and no gun it would have been like popping seagulls  in a rain barrel 

It,s to bad there a trash bird and you can't eat em 

Did you know squirrel up here are small and there black and there a pest to,, But  you can eat them 

And ducks to 

Cape Blanco Lighthouse

Well golly the rain stopped  the sun came out someone say hello to the sun god 

So after a late start it,s lighthouse time 

We picked  a good time for today 4 of the coolest bloggers were on the job and that would be Chris and Cherie

From  Technomadia  doing the outside History and Paul and Nina from  Wheelingit  with the house and light  tour  

We got to spend lunch with Chris and Cherie even so no food was offered some tour host and Nina left us holding the oil bucket and Paul took us to the sauna room,,, so all in all we cut out food,, strained ourself,,hit the stairmaster,,

and went to the solarium /sauna,,, and if that wasn't,t much we did the stairmaster one more time back to the ground floor,, well some workout 

This is a cool lighthouse as one can stand  in the lantern  room and the view of 360 degerees no wonder Paul calls it his free penthouse office  with a view 

Thanks you  guys 

	Before construction began in 1869, the site was covered with a dense spruce forest that had to be felled to prevent obstruction of the light and eliminate any chance of a fire endangering the station. Since no roads led to the cape, the following cost-saving decision, as recorded in the 1869 report of the Lighthouse Board to Congress, was made: It was agreed the bricks would be made locally, instead of bringing them from San Francisco at an enormous expense. So an agreement was made with a local craftsman to furnish two hundred thousand brick for $25/thousand - about a third the cost of transportation from SF alone. About eighty thousand of these brick were accepted and paid for, the rest rejected. The remainder of the supplies had to be landed at the Cape through the surf. The first delivery arrived in May of 1870. When the vessel was partially unloaded, a gale struck, driving the ship onto the beach and causing the loss of the remainder of the cargo. Another shipment arrived in July, and the tower and keeper duplex were completed.
			So, on December 20th, 1870, the lighthouse began operation and began to warn ships away from the reefs and to provide a position fix for navigators. This isolated lighthouse holds at least four Oregon records: it is the oldest continuously operating light, the most westerly, it has the highest focal plane above the sea, (256 feet), and Oregon’s first woman keeper, Mabel E. Bretherton signed on in March 1903.
	Today, history is shared with guests from all over the world, through a partnership between the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Oregon State Parks, the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians, Coquille Indian Tribe, Curry County and the Cape Blanco Heritage Society. Tour Cape Blanco and learn what sets it apart from other Oregon lighthouses. Explore Oregon's only working lighthouse, where you can climb into the working lanternroom where the historic lens still serves as a beacon and a warning.

Rain rain go a wayyyy

Here we are at camp Port Orford Rv Village till Saturday with rain and overcast it has not rained for some time now ,but we were hoping it held off for 10 more days till we get off the coast , kind of ran out of luck 

We left Coos Bay  The Mill Casino after 6 days there and only paid for 3 nights 

All I did was leave my sticker on the truck side ways 

So with free  slow Internet and a free real good club house and free CLEAN shower room a free concrete pad  and free dump  free good water and a free lumber train,,, the free part of life's good 

I would rate this 10 

However we did leave and contributed to the Coos Bay economy by way of the Veterinarian establishment to the tune of 300$$$$$$$$ for Mister Marcos poor health

And it seems after 300$$$$ an a thermometer stuck up his ass he's somewhat fine now 

So it's onward south to Port Orford 

The Village Rv park is small about 40 sites, setup nice and clean at 27$ a night 

Theres no free or lower cost camping that I can find here or in Brooking so it,s bite the bullet and pay the man, till Grants pass 

See I told you so