There is a point on the California coast where Highway 101 diverges from the ocean for a ways and moves inland. However there is a small road that goes to the coast and runs right up it. Why would we want to miss part of the coast? We asked the same guy at the Redwoods visitor’s center who recommended the Albee Creek Campground if he thought that taking the road to the coast was worth it. He said it could go either way but he definitely didn’t recommend it for RVs. Well, we have nothing else going on so why not try it? It was…interesting. The road itself is small and extremely twisty as it winds its was around the mountains. There are also a disproportionate amount of logging trucks, probably serving the few small towns on the other side. We were warned that there are a lot of drug problems out that way and lots of people turn up missing, so don’t trespass. So make sure your vehicle is full of fuel and you have food before trying this route. I didn’t see any place that I would have stopped if I absolutely didn’t have to. “Shady” doesn’t quite cover it. We drove for at least a full hour where the air reeked of marijuana. Apparently it’s their harvest season. I have no idea how that works, but apparently there’s a plantation out there! 😮 So strange. It took way longer than I thought it would to actually make it to the ocean and I was feeling pretty carsick due to the incessant switchbacks in the road and being tossed from side to side in the truck nonstop. The water itself was scenic, but overall I wouldn’t come this way again.
After a brief respite of flat driving along the water, the road climbed back up into the mountains again. Finally we made it back to Highway 101 and civilization, as it were. I completely forget where we stopped to take a break, but there was a marina that we obviously had to go explore because I married a Naval Architect and that’s just what happens, because BOATS!
At this point we had a major decision to make. The weather on the coast was going to start getting a little more rainy and cold, meaning activities wouldn’t be quite as fun and camping would be not fun at all. We could also cut our losses and head inland to the desert and continue chasing better weather. Tough call.