Humboldt County...

The one street of Orick is lined with run-down scruffy trailer parks and closed motels. The first motel recommendation in our Lonely Planet guide has been demolished! The second is the last building, the Palm Motel, where the advertised swimming pool has not seen water for several years and someone has lobbed a brick through the word "rooms" in the lit sign. However, the owners are very welcoming and the rooms clean, with free wifi. They also own the only diner still operating in town. We are served such tender beef by a witty waitress (who claims to be a former super model). She demonstrates her very close encounter with a large bear, on her way to work.


It was at the road side eating blackberries.
We are used to the morning fog now which burns off soon, revealing a herd of elk by Humboldts lagoon. There is a relief from the wide Highway 101 as we take the old road. We hear the sea lions through the trees before we spot them. A rock just off the shore is covered with brown baby seals all barking like dogs.
There is a rail trail, which crosses the Mad River by a metal bridge.


This used to be made from enormous Redwoods until some bright spark sold it to Disneyland, to build a ride in their Florida Park! At the end although there is a back drop of forested mountains on one side and blue Humboldts bay on the other we are right by busy traffic for 5 miles into Eureka. First impressions are not good as there are vagrants congregating in the centre, but we head into the south suburbs of Cutten where we are hosted in a beautiful traditional house under fir trees.The hosts are actually away but have arranged for their student house sitter to look after us. Jerrin takes us to a Mexican restaurant. Ian has never been to a fast food establishment until this trip and this Mexican is a successful first too. Jerrin tells us there was a small earth quake last night, but we didn't notice it!


Tour miles to date: 1,393

Location:Orick to Eureka