30 June 2024: TimB's visit and north of San Francisco

 

 

Tim flew into SF from Portugal via Boston on Monday morning and did the easy uber to the San Francisco RV park.  At about noon we headed north across the Golden Gate bridge - unfortunately it was so foggy, we could not even see the top of the bridge towers - a great true-to-form welcome for the visitor.  From there it was a short ride to Bodega Bay State RV park.  A really beautiful bay with the RV park on a spit in the bay.  Also Tim's introduction to dry-camping as there were no hook-ups.  Had an unspectacular early dinner of fish taco's at a local restaurant and a nice walk on the beach to the break water.

Bodega Bay harbor entrance

Cannot be a bad posting - Bodega Bay Coast guard

Guy was building 'sand castles' to keep busy

Interesting facts - the San Andreas fault runs straight through Bodega Bay and we were on the seaside of the fault

Large amount of anemones on the breakwater rocks

Stunning colors - the anemones were this blue-green. The color is due to algae that live in them and provide them with sugar and energy

Next morning we packed up and headed to Gualala.  The ride was about as hairy as the one Gene and I did south of Big Sur. Twisty turny road about 1000ft above the ocean with some major road repairs where most of the road had fallen into the sea.  At one place we had to wait about 30minutes before we were let through on a single lane part of the road. Got to Gualala and it was spectacular.  The campsite was on the Gualala river between the redwoods - just magnificent trees.

Campsite between the trees

Photographer on the Gualala river

Next door neighbors - fleeing the heat from the Valley

Our cycle was not that far up the river as it was all 'private' land that belonged to a lumber corporation

Tim on Gene's bicycle - without any rear brakes

Crazy fact - back in the early days Russians came down here for some reason.  It must have been hellish difficult to get back up the coast to Alaska (remember it belonged to Russia in the beginning)

Gualala river mouth

Tim contemplating

When it got dark, it got DARK

Breakfast fire with coffee

Barbie following nicely

Then back to Bodega Bay for 2 nights in a 'real' RV park. We decided it was probably better if Tim drove Barbie back behind the RV.  It would just make it easier on the nerves all round.  Spectacular ride once again, but this time on the edge side of the road - and with no barriers mistakes were not an option.

Bodega Bay headland walk.  On the other side of the harbor entrance is the state park we stayed in the first night Tim was here

Had to get the Portuguese angle...

Jet lag getting to Tim

Some of the places Tim went to gave me vertigo

I think Tim was starting to like Barbie

Whole group of trees with mobiles attached which made the best music in the wind

Tim photo - a falcon at sundown calling to her chicks

Dropped Tim off in Santa Rosa from where he would take a bus back to San Francisco airport for his flight home on Saturday night.... only to find out after 20 minutes on the bus that his flight was actually leaving from Sacramento airport.  Long story short - he made his flight in time, but had to uber a few extra miles.

I headed up to the 101 highway and made my way to the Russian River Thousand Trails RV park where I was going to stay for at least a week.

Russian River RV park