Eureka California {Yuma Trip)

5:30 pm and we’re in another Motel 6 in Eureka.  We left from the Motel 6 on I5,  296 miles south of San Francisco.  The distance from San Francisco to Eureka is 271 miles or 4 hours and 37 minutes. Today I drove 9 hours and the distance was 271 plus 296, a total of 562 miles or 1247.4 km.  I didn’t stop for lunch.  Had a Egg sausage at Mac Donalds.  

I didn’t get off the free way.  The highlight was crossing the Golden Gate Bridge.  

Memories of coming into harbour with Gilbert and Angel and memories of leaving harbour with Gilbert and Angel, and watching land disappear and I began sailing 24 solo in winter through a hurricane to the Kona , Hawaii.  

I am so thankful to have made Eureka. I arrived at 4 50 just in time to buy a warm coat that was water resistant. I lost my fall jacket I drove down with.  The last few hours the weather became quite cold .  I am glad I made it and now have a winter fall winter coat that will serve me well tomorrow . Tonight I ‘ll use it for walking the Madigan on the lawn out back.  

The time I drove Pendergast  my Baha VW Beatle from Canada en route to San Francisco I’ll just dropped my companion off to hitchhike to Eureka after hitting a deer. I pulled into a diner and as I got out of the car the two front wheels fell off. The fellow in the diner said he was a Volkswagen mechanic and would help me fix it the next day.  Sheered lug nuts from hitting the deer that had been hit by the big truck ahead of us.  We’d just sailed over the carcass.  I always thought it was one of the most godly synchronistic moments.  

That’s when I first heard of Eureka. I’ve passed this way before and here I am again.  

It was a lot of territory today , going from south of SF heat then the bare hillls to the Red wood Forest. Major transitions.  

It says it’s 12 hours on the I5 and I’m taking the coast 101.  It says that’s 17 hours. I want to miss the altitude at Grant’s Pass and Sisykou.  Rain and snow are forecast for tomorrow. It’s actually a shorter distance taking the 101 Pacific Coast route.  I could cross back to the I5 there or go on through Aberdeen,   I expect that decision can wait for tomorrow night after a 9 hour drive.  I am driving in the Mini Cooper with all wheel tires .  I expect it can do it just fine but I wouldn’t like wind and rain and snow. I’m also considering coming down and back with the camper or hauling an RV or taking a bus so figure this is a good recannaisance.  Wind rain and snow are less than ideal conditions so we’ll take longer getting back.  

I’ve not been driving at night as well.  No need for speed. I’m exhausted each night from a long day of driving.  

Great scenery.

Motel 6, i5 south of San Francisco. (on return from Yuma)

I left the Best Western in Yuma at 745 am . The distance from Yuma to San Diego was 171 mile (275 km), approx 2 hour and 37 minutes according to Google. I stopped at the Marina to pee. It was exciting to see the Pacific Ocean and San Diego harbour

I drove over this hill in a residential area and there it was.

I drove from San Diego to Los Angeles.  Google give3 th distance as 120.5 miles (120 km) and 1 hour and 51.  I stopped at at Burger King so Madigan and I could have our burgers.  

Then I drove from Los Angeles to here, 300 miles short of San Francisco. Google says the distance from Los Angeles to San Francisco is 381.9 miles (615 km) or 5 hours and 41 minutes.  I’m 296 miles south of San Francisco in this  Motel 6 with Madigan. They’re almost European in their simlicity, friendliness and acceptance of dogs.  

I liked seeing this in the Best Western parking lot.

I stop at most rest areas , getting 15 minute break on the hour.  Lunch was at most an hour.  I filled up half tanks twice.  

So I started at roughly 8 am and finished at 6 pm - 10 hour driving. 1201.2 km or 546 miles,  It seemed like at lot longer but as I was travelling at 120 km / hour mostly on freeway it jives with 1201 km.  6mph and 10 hr gives close to 546 too so I guess this is accurate.  I was at 4000 km in the hills.

It was tiring especially the last hour  in the dark.  Sunset just after 5.  Warm day.  I wore a jean skirt and t shirt with sandals I changed to boots at a rest stop.

I had pull off the road to pee and some police saw my car in the bush and came to see if anything was wrong  I heard them and came out as quick as I could.  Said all was well , “I was just peeing’.  So I jumped in the car behind Madigan who’d picked up a hard piece of cow poop.  I chucked that out before I drove off.  This was up in the foothills. I’d see a sign camping but took the dump turn off 

I listened to the radio. Mostly Mexican. I didn’t like much music but it was a break.  I prayed a lot. Madigan wanted to climb in my lap but I didn’t let him.  I’m downloading audiobooks for tomorrow.

It ‘s unlikely I’ll make it home till Sunday. I read it was 15 hours, 1000 miles (2,200 km).  10 hours was exhausting for me today.  I’m glad I’ve taken the coastal route. It’s been great weather compared to the rain storm coming down.  My sciatica is much better. I just have a twinge of pain standing up from sitting and some soreness walking Madigan. But I’m not brought to my knees and I can walk without tearing soul destroying pain that seemed to ignore the pain killers.  Now I’m here and I feel okay.

I’m looking forward to a good nights sleep.

I’m still moving like I’m in the car. Almost like sea legs.  

I felt less than in the nautical world dressed au femme.  I found that unusual but all of San Diego was that experience. I didn’t care and no body dit in LA but in San Diego I was awkward.  Driving was fine but when I got out of the car at rest stops I felt little confidence. I thought this whole experiment was insane too. I thought I should purge and go masculine . It’s all just boredom and anxiety. I need to get off Netflix and Social media and set some goals like writing the books or taking courses. I’ve been coasting and resting on my laurels.  Patients have been phoning me Friday night. I’lll answer in a day or two, I tell them all my patients I’m not on call but they can have my number and I’ll get back to them in a day or two if it’s a straight forward question especially about medications,  

I really felt and looked relaxed when I left this morning.  

I’m going back to winter and rain and likely snow.  I listened to Christmas Carole’s on the Christian radio station, That was a good half hour or so while I had the reception.  

Thank you Jesus for keeping us safe and caring for Madigan and I. .  Thank you for the Mini Cooper,  

San Diego



San Diego

Motel 6 i5

Soledad to SAN Diego in the Mini Cooper with Dog and Girl

We arrived at another Motel 6.  They’re dog friendly.  Gilbert likes anything dog friendly.

We left Soledad at 830 and have arrived here just after dark at 7 pm.  We’ve stopped at rest stops for pee breaks and Gilbert walks. We’ve filled up a couple of times. The Mini is getting great mileage.

The weather has been amazing.  With the panaramic sun roof on the Mini open we’ve acquired a tan. Laura and I had to take off our sweaters before noon and Gilbert was panting most of the day.  Definitely shorts and tshirt weather tomorrow.  We love the sunshine.  

American free way rest stops are great. We stopped at one where there was even a sign in the pet area warning of rattlesnakes that might fancy one’s children.

I couldn’t drive past LA without cruising down Hollywood Blvd.  Both Laura and I have been here before. With all the NCIS Los Angeles I watch because I love the characters , especially Hetti, I wanted to see the Hollywood sign again.  They show it so often in the show.  

We ended up driving up Laurel Canyon expecting to see famous people taking out their garbage but even at Lookout point we didn’t see anyone we recognized.  

No one recognized us either. I would have at least thought someone would have known Gilbert.

We cruised Sunset Blvd but it’s not the same as it was 30 years ago.  Without Cecil de Mille or the Rat Pack it’s just another street.  

Heading back to the freeway, there was Hollywood Bowl and that fabulous Hollywood sign. We’d just listened to an audio book on the way down where the serial killer drop a body by one of the letters. On this last stretch though we really enjoyed Michael Connolly’s Detective Bosch finding suicides were really homicides.  Great writer.

On the number 5 we got off at a view point and watched the most beautiful sunset over the Pacific. It was wonderful  looking out from the coast remembering sailing down this way some 20 miles off shore. SAN Diego Harbour is something special in my memory.  

Now here we are. 2500 km, 3 1/2 days of all day driving.  Today we were speeding along in 8 lane freeways at 120 to 140 km /hour with motorcycles passing us on the white lines between cars.  

I’m exhausted. These American freeways are so demanding I had to forego reading and texting on  Facebook.

Laura is glad she arrived alive. We’re now settling in for SAN Diego pizza.  

Driving the Mini Cooper from Eureka to San Francisco, Christmas Day

Christmas Eve we stopped at dog friendly Motel 6 Eureka. Eureka Christmas Eve!
While we were sleeping in the Motel 6 Jesus was being born for approximately the 2017’s time.
Laura and I slept in.  While Laura was showering I walked Gilbert and got us coffee.
10 am we got started. The weather was incredibly warm.  Fragrant sea air.   Heading south we passed through more Red Woods.  Then valleys of lovely farmlands.  California hills with dry yellow grass appeared. Laura pointed out the pampas.  It was terrific seeing palm trees.
Eventually we passed Marin County. So many memories of living in San Rafael, anchoring in Sausalito, eating breakfast in Tiburon. Then Golden Gate Bridge appeared.  I love the Golden Gate Bridge.  Passing over it, passing under it.   Sailing in the SV Giri from Vancouver in fog.  Sailing out from under it to cross the Pacific solo in winter.  I love that Bridge.  Now Laura, Gilbert and I  in the Mini Cooper were passing over it again.  What a rush!
We drove about San Francisco a bit.  There was just too many cars.   A line up of cars just  to get to Fisherman’s wharf turned us back.  I’d tied my sailing boat to Pier 39 so what more is there to do there.  Laura had been to San Francisco too. We began singing, "Do you know the way to San Jose? and headed south.
We kept on to Soledad.  We're here in dog friendly Soledad Motel 8.

Three Macdonald’s Restaurant pit stops fueled the road trip. Gilbert loves Macdonald's plain beef patty. Those MacDonalds staff were amazing, working so hard and efficiently on Christmas.

Gilbert liked the rest stop walks too, the international au de dog poo and piss.

I love the Mini Cooper. Laura loved the Hail Mary roof  handle.   While I was doing 65 miles on serpentine highways she told me the Mini's were rally cars. I loved driving down the  amazing California highway 101.

 Incredible!  Roadtrip! Christmas day roadtrip!