12 June: Fortuna, CA to Gold Beach, OR

This may seem like a long ways, from state to state, but in reality I only rode 168 miles. Some days have been 500, others more or less, with the whopper ride through Nevada on US50 of 600 miles. So from getting started later in the morning, to stopping for pictures and a great walk in a Redwood forest, not much progress to Seattle was made. However, the journey is what it is all about, not the destination. (Just did not know that northern CA and OR can be THIS wet and cold and windy this time of year.)

Met the Pacific Ocean today. Cloudy and windy, showing its wild and boisterous temperament.

Sandy beach with rocks offshore, beach grass, and a sort of cold beauty. 

Road construction is everywhere in the summer especially where the rains or snow prevent repairs. This person represents the thousands of people who are helping to keep the construction area safe while we continue to use the roads.

I was kind of shocked seeing the Tsunami sign. One could forget that the entire Western coast of CA, OR, WA would be greatly devastated by a large wave coming from the Pacific ocean.

More Redwoods today, but at the entrance of a park where I did some hiking were some Elk munching on some grasses. A sign told us NOT to approach the animals. It would not be humorous to see a threatened or scared Elk in a confrontation with a human.

Took a hike into the Redwoods to a place that had rhododendrons growing all over the place. In the nursery business these plants are bushy, near the ground. I had walked by many of them without noticing because these were trees! 20 - 30 feet tall Rhododendrons with some blooming a pink blossom. Looks like these were the early bloomers.

It is difficult to 'show' another person the size and magnitude of these redwoods. Try to visit them someday yourself

Finally the rugged coast of Northern California and Southern Oregon with a breakthrough of the sun for a moment before the fog closed in.

That's it for today from Gold Beach, Oregon :)