PC_Day17

Day 17

Tuesday, 15 June 2004
Patricks Point State Park, CA to Eureka, CA
35.1 miles, 2h48m, 12.5 mph
Elapsed Time: 4h30m, Max speed: 33.6mph
Total Climbing: 1053ft, Max elevation: 307ft
Total mileage: 932.2

Today was a short day so we lounged about the campground for a while and tried to dry our tents. It didn't rain but it had been cold at night and the insides of our tents were covered with condensation. But they never totally dry out.

We didn't get started until about 9:30, and then we only rode about 5 miles to Trinidad, where we ate our second breakfast.

The cove at Trinidad is littered with rocks and boats.

After breakfast, we rode along a neat shoreline road to Luffenholtz Park. There we saw more rocks and took pictures of them.

Can you spot JT?

We called this rock "El Splasho del Norte."

Leaving the park, we met up with Barney, an older guy who was out for a ride. We rode with Barney all the way back to Eureka and he gave us the neighborhood tour. We stopped in the college town of Arcata and he bought us coffee. He took us into Eureka by a back road and showed us the old town and the Carson Mansion. He's a really interesting guy who's lived life on his terms with few regrets and is in great shape.

Barney said that everybody who visits Eureka takes a picture of the Carson Mansion.
Who am I to argue with him?

We'd been on the lookout for the first "big" palm tree.

Old town Eureka.

We parted ways with Barney in downtown Eureka when he turned off to visit another coffee shop. We continued on and checked in to the Best Western. They gave us old sheets to park our bikes on in the room even though our bikes were dry. At other motels, we had to ask for plastic bags to put under our bikes when it was raining and they were dripping with water and grime. Maybe they've had some bad experiences here.

Tomorrow we'll be riding in the Avenue of the Giants and camping out. Tonight we eat.

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