So we spent the next morning in the coastal tow of Fort Bragg (FB). FB originally existed as a military fort. According to Wikipedia (good old Wikipedia), the original fort was part of the Humbolt military district, headquartered in Fort Humbolt.
By around lunchtime, we were feeling hungry and we decided to get a bite to eat. We went to this small but very inviting diner/restaurant in FB. The place was very friendly, there was a painted 'yellow brick road' which I followed out to use the restrooms before the food arrived.
Maybe I am too self obsessed. But here´s an anecdote. The proprietor had heard me use the word "Blimey" on my way out there, so she came over and used that as a conversation starter. It's always nice to be addressed personally by the staff in an establishment, and this lady was very friendly. I ordered my usual favourite Californian food – Eggs Benedict. I think it was the best that I had sampled so far.
Once again, it was a lovely day as we drove up the coast road. At this point the road winds around a lot and also it drops up and down as it follows the cliffs and the coastline. We had planned to stay the night in Eureka. Eureka didn't, upon first sight, seem to be a great place. As you drive in from the South on the main road it seems to be just generic suburbia. Almost like it could be anywhere (Reading in the UK, the outskirts of Edinburgh my home town;even perhaps Slough.). But as you get to the town centre heading north, your curiosity is rewarded if you take a left turn and head a few blocks to the old town.
I'm no expert but the Eureka old town seemed to sport Dutch architecture. Pretty painted buildings, and lots of small antique shops and second hand book stores. We went into some of the second hand stores and one of them was – I think – the largest second hand bookshop that I have ever been in. Furthermore, it was mostly naturally lit (by daylight) and it had an upper tier. It was a very pleasant building to be in. More like a traditional library somehow than a second hand bookshop.
The variety of books was also impressive. A few steps down to the river, and you're rewarded with good views of a Marina on the other side of the river. The old town of Eureka is quite pretty, well worth a look if you're passing by.
We decided to pop out for a drink that evening. We decided that it would be good to go back to the nice 'Irish' pub where we had food. Strangely, the place had closed although it was only about ten o'clock in the evening when we got there. After that we decided to go somewhere else, but after a reasonably thorough (although definitely not exhaustive) search, and asking a couple of locals, it did seem that the bar that we went to was the only place that was open in the town.
It seemed strange to me that a place that is of such a reasonable size would only have one bar open on a weekday evening. Maybe it's because I'm British, where many small villages have several pubs. We ordered a drink and Morag beat me at pool.
Well time was pressing on, and the hire car had to be taken back to San Francisco. We had seen quite a few Redwood trees up close, but we thought that we should walk through a Redwood forest. We stopped for a late lunch in a small town, called Orick. There is no way – really – for me to know what constitutes an authentic small town californian experience. But from the small amount that I know, I would think that the cafe where we had lunch is. As we arrived, there was a country and western band warming up. The band turned out to be good. The cafe was relatively full, with what seemed to be local people. Everyone seemed to know everyone else, and there was banter, between the waitress and the patrons and also between diferent patrons.
Furthermore the lady who brought us our food in the diner worked for the national park during the summer months. So we got expert advice on where to go. To a European, Redwoood trees seem enormous. Although we probably walked passed throusands of them, I just couldn't get over the size. By the end of our walk, the sun was hanging low in the sky and it was time to point the motor car south.
Quite a bit of the next day was spent in the car. But we often stopped off. For the final drive into San Francisco we took the coast road. We stopped, again in Medocino. Go there. It's great. A small town along a pretty bit of coastline.
Our day finished with a drive over the Golden Gate bridge and into San Francisco. Morag wanted to take a trip up the twin peaks to see the view, which we did. She was so right to suggest this. A fantastic view over the bay area at night.
I have a friend from Ohio. His pseudonym is Hawthorn Poorhouse. Although he wasn't with us in person, I'm going to quote him nonetheless: "Good times".
By around lunchtime, we were feeling hungry and we decided to get a bite to eat. We went to this small but very inviting diner/restaurant in FB. The place was very friendly, there was a painted 'yellow brick road' which I followed out to use the restrooms before the food arrived.
Maybe I am too self obsessed. But here´s an anecdote. The proprietor had heard me use the word "Blimey" on my way out there, so she came over and used that as a conversation starter. It's always nice to be addressed personally by the staff in an establishment, and this lady was very friendly. I ordered my usual favourite Californian food – Eggs Benedict. I think it was the best that I had sampled so far.
Once again, it was a lovely day as we drove up the coast road. At this point the road winds around a lot and also it drops up and down as it follows the cliffs and the coastline. We had planned to stay the night in Eureka. Eureka didn't, upon first sight, seem to be a great place. As you drive in from the South on the main road it seems to be just generic suburbia. Almost like it could be anywhere (Reading in the UK, the outskirts of Edinburgh my home town;even perhaps Slough.). But as you get to the town centre heading north, your curiosity is rewarded if you take a left turn and head a few blocks to the old town.
I'm no expert but the Eureka old town seemed to sport Dutch architecture. Pretty painted buildings, and lots of small antique shops and second hand book stores. We went into some of the second hand stores and one of them was – I think – the largest second hand bookshop that I have ever been in. Furthermore, it was mostly naturally lit (by daylight) and it had an upper tier. It was a very pleasant building to be in. More like a traditional library somehow than a second hand bookshop.
The variety of books was also impressive. A few steps down to the river, and you're rewarded with good views of a Marina on the other side of the river. The old town of Eureka is quite pretty, well worth a look if you're passing by.
We decided to pop out for a drink that evening. We decided that it would be good to go back to the nice 'Irish' pub where we had food. Strangely, the place had closed although it was only about ten o'clock in the evening when we got there. After that we decided to go somewhere else, but after a reasonably thorough (although definitely not exhaustive) search, and asking a couple of locals, it did seem that the bar that we went to was the only place that was open in the town.
It seemed strange to me that a place that is of such a reasonable size would only have one bar open on a weekday evening. Maybe it's because I'm British, where many small villages have several pubs. We ordered a drink and Morag beat me at pool.
Well time was pressing on, and the hire car had to be taken back to San Francisco. We had seen quite a few Redwood trees up close, but we thought that we should walk through a Redwood forest. We stopped for a late lunch in a small town, called Orick. There is no way – really – for me to know what constitutes an authentic small town californian experience. But from the small amount that I know, I would think that the cafe where we had lunch is. As we arrived, there was a country and western band warming up. The band turned out to be good. The cafe was relatively full, with what seemed to be local people. Everyone seemed to know everyone else, and there was banter, between the waitress and the patrons and also between diferent patrons.
Furthermore the lady who brought us our food in the diner worked for the national park during the summer months. So we got expert advice on where to go. To a European, Redwoood trees seem enormous. Although we probably walked passed throusands of them, I just couldn't get over the size. By the end of our walk, the sun was hanging low in the sky and it was time to point the motor car south.
Quite a bit of the next day was spent in the car. But we often stopped off. For the final drive into San Francisco we took the coast road. We stopped, again in Medocino. Go there. It's great. A small town along a pretty bit of coastline.
Our day finished with a drive over the Golden Gate bridge and into San Francisco. Morag wanted to take a trip up the twin peaks to see the view, which we did. She was so right to suggest this. A fantastic view over the bay area at night.
I have a friend from Ohio. His pseudonym is Hawthorn Poorhouse. Although he wasn't with us in person, I'm going to quote him nonetheless: "Good times".
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