Day One?

Current Location: Crescent City, CA
Miles Driven: About 400

You know, it’s really odd when you don’t sleep through the night in a bed and you only take naps. Do I call yesterday Day One? Or am I still on Day One now. It’s tough to tell.

True to my nature, I got started a little bit late yesterday. I had intended on leaving around 1pm. As it all fell out, I found myself leaving Burlingame around 5:15pm after paying my rent and going to the bank. The journey started with the song Bulletproof by La Roux which has been stuck in my head for the last two weeks. Believe me when I say that I’ve listened to it several times so far this trip. I am not embarrassed by any of this at all.

My route took me across the Golden Gate Bridge and then over to Stinson Beach and up Highway 1. This is not the most direct route, but it is a very scenic drive. By the time I was at Stinson, it was about 7pm and the sun was beginning its long descent.





There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and I was able to appreciate the sunset for a good two and a half hours. It was amazing, especially after the sun went down. The afterglow produced a deep orange color layer just above the horizon.

I had decided to forego a sit-down dinner because I got started so late and picked up a deli sandwich at one establishment and a 2 pound bag of salt water taffy in Bodega Bay. About 7 miles north of Bodega Bay is the town of Jenner (population 107). Just north of Jenner, there is a gate on the road that was luckily open. The next 15 miles of driving is incredible and a little bit scary, too. You’re essentially driving along the cliffs over the Pacific Ocean. There is a huge drop off and no guard rail, plus the road is SUPER curvy. With the dark blue sky over the yellow and deep orange horizon, it was a spectacular drive and well worth the time it was setting me back to take Highway 1.



Unfortunately, I found myself getting tired early on. I needed to pull off the road and took an hour nap around 10:45pm and I wasn’t even at Fort Bragg yet. After driving for a couple more hours (just short of Eureka), I took another hour nap. And then again midway between Eureka and Crescent City, I took a two hour nap.

I am now at a local diner called Fisherman’s Restaurant and am having their Oyster Casino Scramble – it’s eggs scrambled with bacon, oysters, and mushrooms and is QUITE tasty despite the fact that I ate a bit too much beef jerky (a road trip essential) and salt water taffy on my way.

I discovered that the California coast is much less populated than I had thought. There was almost zero cell phone reception along the way. I did manage to get a call in with Sandra around 4:45am, though. However, I’m worried that if the rest of America is as sparsely populated, my plan to do phone dates may be hampered.

Other stuff:
- I passed Confusion Hill on the way, but didn’t stop. I wasn’t sure what to think of it.



- There was a Van Damme State Park (see picture). I really wish this was what I envision it being.

- I saw Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox!



Music
The music that really stood out for me beyond La Roux was Miike Snow’s album, Daptone Gold (daptonerecords.com), and an album I got for free on amazon that is titled something like 4AD Sampler. Look it up and I think you can get it for free, too.

Just finished breakfast and am going to try to get to Crater Lake by 11am or so, get a hike in and the head to Bend to meet up with Chris Mezzetta who I knew in high school and was a mentor of mine there!