Petaluma to Eureka to Brookings

As I start this post, Jerry and I are enjoying a great cup of coffee while "thinking about" getting back on the road headed north.  Jerry's been roasting our coffee beans for the last two years.  We grind them fresh each morning.  He's still experimenting with different beans from various parts of the world.  He orders them green out of South Bend - 20 pounds at a time.  The roaster and beans are stored underneath.  If the weather is warm enough, he roasts outside.  If not, he roasts inside and the Whale smells like a coffee shop for days.  Not a bad deal.

We spent two days in Petaluma, a historic area with a quaint downtown.  One of the old banks has been converted to an heirloom seed store.  Our gardening activities are limited to seven pots, but we were fascinated with the size of the building and variety of seeds available.  All the seeds in this store are the original, unaltered by chemicals.  Like so many small towns on the coast, the buildings are old, architecture is unique and many have been repurposed as stores or restaurants.  As the new business continues, the history of the building becomes part of the aura.  We wandered for hours appreciating t
the architecture.

Both days we took Maci to one of the many dog parks in the area.  Since we continue to work on Maci coming when called, we always choose the fenced parks for safety.  This one was so huge, we couldn't see the fence.  So we had to confirm with a couple local pet owners that there really was a fence.  I shouldn't worry as we've learned Maci doesn't get too far from us before returning to make sure we're where we're supposed to be. Our next stop was in Eureka, CA.  As we make our way up the west coast, we are checking out the Elks lodges along the way.  We find the Elks to be economical and so friendly.  More times than not, there are hook-ups for water and electricity, but occasionally there will be full hook-up.  That was the case in Petaluma and Eureka.  So in between sight seeing, we did a few loads of laundry. We spent the first evening in Eureka checking out historic downtown and eating fish and chips at the Irish pub in that area.  Since our time was going to be limited in Eureka, we had to be selective about what we visited.  The Samoa peninsula won the toss.  So with Maci in the back seat, we drove to the peninsula and enjoyed a logger's lunch at the old Cook House.  For over 100 years the Cook House has been serving loggers and now tourists all-you-can-eat meals family style - only one entree on the menu.   This day, the going fare was fried chicken, corn, mashed potatoes and gravy, beans with salad, soup and cake for dessert.  This was not the most calorie conscious meal, but is was a logger's meal after all.

We drove out to the end of the peninsula and manuevered the Jeep on the beach.  With extremely soft sand, this was more like wallowing than driving.  I think I sense new tires and lower air pressure in the Jeep's future.  Once out there the view was incredible.  We turned Maci loose on the beach and watched as she once again showed us what pure joy looks like in a dog.  

Last night's stop was in Brookings, OR - a quick overnight at the Elks Lodge there.  We spent the evening checking out the docks before enjoying fish and chips and some of the best chowder we've had since Cedar Key, FL.  We got an early start this a.m. and hope to make it to Charleston, OR in hopes of finding Dungeness crabs.  We hear it's been a bad year for crab.  Hopefully, we'll get lucky.