After saying goodbye to my overlanding friends, I began to explore the western coast of northern California. A brief stop in Trinidad, CA which is one of the smallest incorporated cities with an amazing coastline. After a hike around the coast, I continued north to find a scenic camp spot for the night…which was not difficult to find along Highway 101. Continuing north the next day I made my way to Umpqua Lighthouse State Park in Oregon. The state park has a fantastic campground and my camping neighbor turned out to be a retired Oregon Fire Department Chaplin. We spent the evening sharing stories around the campfire. Northbound again along Highway 101 and I came upon the Tillamook Creamery where a line was forming outside for the 10am opening…so I parked and got in line. Took the self-guided tour, got a grilled cheese with bacon & avocado, then a scoop of ice cream…because #IceCreamBreakfast is real. After some more amazing sights along the coast, I made my way into Portland, OR for church. I sampled some Moroccan food and was quite disappointed in the condition of the city…major homeless problem, generally a dirty and disheveled environment. I was happy to move on to the mountains where I saw Mt. Hood, Mt. Saint Helen’s (last eruption in 1980) and Mt. Rainier over the next few days. Packwood, WA was a fun stop along the way where I was greeted by Carl. I’m headed toward Seattle before turning east for the return trip home…until next week, I’m nomad bound.
