(Saturday, September 9)
We are once again in travel mode. This time we are headed back to south Alabama to deal with my father-in-law's belongings. And there are a lot of them, including cars, car parts, and airplane parts, as well as every tool known to mankind.
That last one might not be an exaggeration.
Today was our first day on the road. We had a bit of packing still to do this morning, so finished that up, made a breakfast of the last leftovers in the refrigerator, and were on our way shortly before noon.
Two hours later we had only gone about 70 miles, and the frustration was growing. We had tried to take Highway 101 - the Pacific Coast Highway - for the first leg of the trip. The distance and estimated time aren't that much more than going 60 miles inland and hitting the I-5 freeway, unless the coastal traffic is bad. Which it was. There was one point when we were stuck behind a giant RV that was literally driving at 25 miles an hour in a 55 zone. On a two-land winding road where there are almost no opportunities to pass. When he finally found a turnout and pulled over Steve muttered, "Your parade thanks you."
We made our first stop in Florence, got a quick lunch and switched drivers; the traffic on the coast had taken its toll on Steve. We drove a short distance south and abandoned the coast route, heading east through the Coast Range, finally joining up with the I-5 freeway.
The final straw that drove us to the freeway was the presence of several groups of bicyclists on 101. As I said, the road is two narrow lanes, and winds along sea cliffs in many places. There is a bike lane, but it's very narrow, sometimes almost too narrow for a cyclist to ride safely. While I understand the appeal of biking that gorgeous coast, having to pass a cyclist in those circumstances is beyond nerve-wracking.
Once we were on the freeway we rolled up the miles quickly. There was traffic, sure, and there were a lot of trucks, but there were always opportunities to pass. Bonus: no bicycles on the freeway.
There was also a gorgeous sunset, though a quick photo from a moving car does not do it justice.
On previous road trips we often took turns reading aloud from a shared book. But in our newest car we have the ability to stream podcasts from our phones (or tablets). Downloaded over wifi, we carry many hours of information and entertainment with us without any concern for signals, wifi, or added expense.
These two signs show our progress so far!
We didn't listen the whole time we were driving, but here's what we did hear:
Criminal podcast episode about some British POWs in WW I who ran a spiritualist scam on their captors;
Joy, a podcast from Craig Ferguson. This episode featured a conversation between Ferguson and Josh Robert Thompson, the actor/comedian who brought robot skeleton Geoff Peterson to life. This one, in particular, was quite interesting as the two men are both wildly creative and the wide-ranging discussion touched on many facets of creativity and self-doubt;
Another Criminal episode, about the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone, and the killing of Wolf 10. By now I think most of us are familiar with the story: how the Yellowstone ecosystem suffered when the hunting of the wolves eliminated them from the park, and the revitalization when this apex predator was re-introduced. But this episode covered a story I hadn't heard before;
And finally an episode of The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong. This was Psych Out, Part 1, about a horse that could tell the future.
By the time we got through with the psychic horse we were close to Redding, California, and our hotel. We arrived, checked in, and Steve went to get a burger while I got us settled in and ate my leftover chicken from lunch (we have a lovely new cooler, so leftovers were just fine).
This sign is right before the agricultural check station at the California-Oregon border. It comes at the end of four miles of downgrade. The first two miles are a 6% grade, and the next two are a 4% grade - which means a truck may put a lot of wear on the brakes in those few miles. I think our Dash Dino may be as terrified as I am at the necessity for this sign!
I will be trying to write while we are on this trip, and I brought some knitting, so I am not letting my creativity suffer. I hope. Tonight I put together this post, but anything else will have to wait for tomorrow, 'cause I am tired!