Chapter 23

Chapter 23

 

 

Eureka to Garberville 23rd Sept 70 miles

 

I woke up this morning in my rather nice hotel after spending two nights. Why did I spend two nights? I didn’t need two nights rest in a hotel. Answer is. I got lazy! Oh yeah it was nice to treat myself and pamper myself. But now, I don’t want to get back on the bike! If I’m going to do this trip, then that has to be my last day off. This feeling is not worth it. I’m heading out of Eureka and I have no excitement or motivation to cycle any further. If I have a nice breakfast in this nice hotel I will not want to move.

So, its back on the bike. I drag my ass across this metropolis that is Eureka and out on the open road. A few miles out I find a Subway. Coffee and a bagel and cheese while I try to get the juices flowing again. My destination today is Myer’s Flat, a state park some fifty miles down the road.

Twenty five miles out I come to “The Avenue of Giants”. A heavily forested area of Giant Californian Redwood trees. Even more than my last venture into the redwoods, this is so awesome.

Miles of giant trees lining the road. You might think boring! but WOW you want to be here. These are true giants. Something you never forget. Being here amongst these giant trees makes me feel so very insignificant. 

Cycling slowly through this forest there is much to see and awe about. It’s a leisurely cycle and I come upon some bikers I saw yesterday in Eureka, off their bikes and enjoying the spectacle. We all stop for lunch at a roadside cafe and have a great old chinwag. Not something I have done much of on this trip. They are two brothers from Fresno who just decided, on the spur of the moment one day, to buy two second-hand bikes. And because their jobs were unsure going into the future, they decided to cycle to San Diego. No preparation, no training, nothing. See! This is what I like about America. This vast country is there to be explored and is, by crazy guys on bikes. They hooked up with a French couple and the four are peddling along happily to San Diego. I thought I was impulsive! Together we do a bit of exploring through these beautiful woods. Finding trees that you could park your car in and many other exquisite examples. I could stay longer but my destination beacons.

I leave my friends back there enjoying the trees and I head on out of the Avenue of Giants. Its not long before I reach my destination of Myers Flat. And IT’S CLOSED!!  A closed State Park! It is so remote here, so I have no other choice but to keep going. - Into Miranda. I stop at a petrol station, for an ice cream. There is nothing else in Miranda. I meet a guy who is motorbiking to Seattle for a couple of days. He is from San Francisco and he gives me some tips about San Francisco and where to stay before heading on his way.

Phillipsville is next on my map so its on ahead again. Phillipsville is an even smaller town. Nothing to see here so move on again. I have now 60 miles done and I’m tired. But nothing else for it. I have to move on if I don’t want to sleep in the hedgerow. Remember the Bears!! No thank you. Eventually I reach Garberville, on top of a big climb it's getting dark now and I roll into the first motel I find and collapse. 70 miles... what a day!!

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

#1 Son, Sean said: Should have got that bike with the engine on it. Just for uphill! Sounds like hard work. Roll on all those L.A. beaches. Chin up you are flyin’. Lots of love.

 

 John replied: Forgot about those! All those crazy women parading themselves half naked on the beach. Hope I heard that right when the lads told me about it!!

 

 

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