Road Trip: Eugene to the Redwoods

  Date       Stop   Odometer    Location                                        Time

6/14/2013	0	208891	Eugene, OR	9:00 AM
6/14/2013	1	209036	Drain, OR	9:36 AM
6/14/2013	2	209130	Bullards Beach State Park, OR	1:34 PM
6/14/2013	3	209160	Port Orford, OR	2:25 PM
6/14/2013	4	209253	Florence Keller C.P., CA	5:30 PM

From Cory's travel journal (revised)

6/14/13

On our way to Redwood today. Our hosts made us a great breakfast while we packed the car.  We got on the road about 9AM.  We had a map snafu when I misread the road names on our way out of town.  We first got on the wrong road, then were on the correct road going the wrong way.  We ended up (finally) on I-5 on our way South.  The only change this made to our route was that we would meet the 101 (Pacific Coast Highway) in Reedsport instead of Florence, no big.  We stopped for coffee in Drain, OR on our way over to the coast.

1:34PM- Just leaving Bullards Beach SP in Oregon near Bandon.  We had a great lunch that we purchased at Safeway in Reedsport, 50% off day-old sandwiches!  We ate on a windswept Pacific beach behind a pile of driftwood that made for an ad hoc windbreak.  After eating, we walked to the COLD surf and got our feet we (and numb.)  

We continued to the historic lighthouse on the park lands.  It was open to visitors.  We walked the steps to the lighthouse top and got the interpretive tour from a nice local park volunteer.  We walked around the tide pools on the rocks, took some pictures, and got back on the road.

8:15PM- Back at the campsite at Florence Keller County Park in CA.  We arrived at the Redwood info station and found out a few important things.  One was that most of the campsites and the State and National Park were taken.  The ones remaining cost $35!  We chose the local county park.  $15 a night, baby!  We're still in a redwood grove.  These trees aren't QUITE as large because this forest is a little younger than the big boys.  

On our way out of town, we wanted a drink so we stopped at BK and waited in the LONGEST drive-thru line in California History...or maybe we were just tired.  Once we were set up at the campsite we took a scenic drive through some old growth Redwoods at the Jedediah Smith State Park.  We were on a gravel road through the park called Howland Hill Road.  We took a bunch of photos of the huge trees and some banana slugs (awesome!)  Now we are back at the campsite after our scenic drive and a nice short stroll on an easy trail.  Tomorrow we head South!

More photos below.