Chapter 2, Arcata, California at Mad River RV Park

It took us longer than anticipated to get to Arcata. The weather wasn’t our friend, with strong winds and off and on rain, which at times came so hard the windshield wipers could barely keep up. This coupled with winding bumpy roads made traveling slow. Visibility was also poor at times, as we moved in and out of one fogbank after another. On the flip side, when it cleared up enough to see our surroundings, it was breathtakingly beautiful! We drove through lush green forests, some with towering old growth redwoods, blankets of ferns, windings rivers, lakes, waterfalls and rocky cliffs.

At the RV park in Arcata, we were assigned a back-in site, so Dave had the chance to practice his budding ‘backing-in’ skills. Between you and me, this could use a tad more finessing. I tried to help direct him into the spot which, to my surprise, he did not appreciate in the slightest. We worked it out.

The plan was to take the dogs for a quick walk and get settled in before my niece Sunshine came to meet us for dinner at our trailer. This didn’t go so smoothly, and by the time we got it all done and ready to sit down to eat, it was nearing 6:30 p.m. which is about an hour past our usual dinnertime, so we were very hungry! Our mantra is becoming “flexibility is the key to a happy trip” and it was never as true as it was this evening! Dave made chicken sausage with kale and parsnips that we brought with us from our garden (the kale and parsnips, not the chicken!). While cooking, he accidentally dumped the equivalent of two or three tablespoons of black pepper in the kale. He did his best to scrap as much pepper out of it as he could but unfortunately it wasn’t enough to keep from overpowering the kale. Then, come to find out, Sunshine doesn’t care for black pepper! Despite our difficulties, we managed to have a nice dinner (outside of the pepper incident) and visit with Sunshine.

The next morning, we went for a run with the dogs down country roads, passing numerous cows and horses grazing in picturesque green fields with white wood fences just like you’d see in a painting. The cows were curious about us and would approach the fences in mass.

Maggie had never seen a cow before and she didn’t quite know what to think of them. She kept charging towards them, woofing tentatively, then running away. It was funny and annoying at the same time! The hillsides along our route was dotted with turn-of-the-century farmhouses and old farming equipment from a bygone era. It was an enchanting run in it’s own right and we enjoyed it immensely.

After a hearty breakfast of grilled sausage, eggs, toast and coffee (and a small amount of the peppered kale from the night before), we drove to Sunshine’s house in Eureka to help her with some outdoor projects. When we were finished, we went for a short hike at nearby Arcata Community Redwood Park. It was a beautiful, wooded area with a sweet little bridge going over a creek that meandered through the forest. Sunshine hadn’t hiked there in a while and wasn’t sure of the route, so we winged it. This worked out okay for the most part, until we came to an intersection that nobody could decide on which way to go. I piped up confidently, “We should go this way,” pointing to a trail leading off to the left.

Dave should know by now that I’m quite directionally challenged, and to never follow my suggestions when it comes to wayfinding. Needless to say, the going got a bit challenging before it was done! We climbed up steep inclines and down into low ravines, the trail almost disappearing completely at times, as we scrambled and stumbled over rocks and downed trees in the path. At one point Dave had us wait while he went ahead to scout it out before giving us the all clear to continue because it looked so iffy. We did manage to pick our way through to a main trail that eventually led to the way out. It was a true adventure in only two and a half miles!

After the hike we met back at Sunshine’s house to have a bowl of her hearty homemade chicken soup and acorn bread she’d made from scratch. Both were delicious and we ravenously devoured it all! We headed back to the trailer in Arcata, tired but happy, to prepare for an early departure the next morning. Next stop, Morgan Hill, California!