Out of Scotland, Slowly

 

Since the beginning of the pandemic I, who live to travel, have taken a grand total of two trips that kept me on the road overnight, one with my wife to our favorite nearby playground, in Mendocino, for three days back in April when it seemed that the Coronavirus was on the wane, and most recently a four day trip up to California’s Lost Coast, a trip that I did with my friend Danny Aarons, with whom I am also engaged in a major pen venture. (More on that another time soon.)

 

Apart from getting away, the trip had several goals, to explore roads that Danny, an avid motorcyclist, had long wanted to run, to get out and about on the many hiking trails in the region, and for me to take some pictures. We succeeded on all counts.

 

The trip, conceived by me and planned by Danny, took us along backroads from Berkeley to Boonville to Mendocino on the first day. 

 

From there we went north up Highway 1 and US 101 to the Avenue of the Redwoods to Martolle Road through the heart of the remote Lost Coast to the delightful town of “Victorian” Ferndale.

Much of the day was driving but we got some dramatic sunset shots along the coast

 On the third day we headed north and east toward Arcata to Weitchpec and to the Salmon River through the Trinity Alps. This leg of the trip was the most dramatic and scenic and part of the drama was added by the fact that some off-route ramblings and spirited driving got us to our overnight destination Lewiston late in the evening with only fumes in the gas tank.

 

Part of our route ran along the Snake River alongside the lands of the Hoopa people who made clear their response to land allotments in Northern California in addition to artistic rendering which called out a rather vicious response.

 

Our final day took us from Lewiston to Red Bluff along some rugged, occasionally unpaved, roads skirting the east side of the Mendocino National Forest, through ranchlands, to home. It also took us through some of the areas which had burned this past summer, providing some dramatic, if heartbreaking photos.

 

 

Overall it was a great trip. Although food was not much of a focus, we had a few fine meals. The coupe performed admirably. It was the first time Danny had gotten to drive it and he professed himself impressed with the power and the brakes, if not the steering which he found overly boosted off dead center. It was also the first, but hopefully not the last time, that he and I will venture out in search of roads to explore and trails to explore.