Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog ~ West Coast RV Adventure 2023 ~ Day 18

Oh. My. Goodness! Have you ever been serenaded all night long by frogs? It was heavenly! They just sang all night long and lulled us to sleep. Every time I woke up, they were singing and I fell back to sleep so easily. So we all woke up in a good mood. Mom and Dad took real showers today and that made them even happier.  

Then we drove into Trinidad because Dad wanted a “real breakfast.” Their “Pacific Coasting” book suggested a café. When they got there, Dad said it was under new management. A cute young couple bought it and were working hard to make it successful. Mom and Dad both really enjoyed their breakfasts. I just got my bowl of vitamin enhanced dog food. They got me and we walked to the end of the street that overlooks the bay and harbor at Trinidad. Wow! Was it beautiful!!  This just seems like a great little town that would be fun to come back and further explore all the sights and smells sometime.   

 

We drove on up to Big Lagoon Beach. It was a long, deep, big pebbly beach that was kinda hard to walk on with my little short legs. With every step, my paws sunk into the pebbles. Dad took pity on my and carried me. It was really fun watching these two crazy guys out in the water on big boards. Dad said they are surfers trying to ride the waves. Well, let me tell you, that water is cold…I felt it. The wind has to make it even colder. And the waves are huge as the pound the beach. Those guys are nuts! 

 

Then we continued to drive north. Every once in a while a river would wind down from the hills or mountains to meet the ocean. Sometimes they were pretty; sometimes not so much. I was so tired from that long walk on the beach that I took a nap. The Redwood National Forest was our next stop. Yay! We got to see more of those really regal, tall trees! We stopped at Lady Bird Johnson Grove and walked a 1.5 mile trail through a preserved redwood grove. There were so many trees in various stages of life. Some were really old and tall. Some had fallen down and had other things growing out of them. Others were young and just beginning to reach for the sky. Some had hollow bases that were so big we all could have had a picnic inside them. I really liked exploring those! Part way through we saw a sign that may have meant “no dogs,” but we decided it meant “no dogs off leash.” Besides, I was really well behaved, and everyone thought I was so cute. We got the cursory, “we have a dachshund at home. Aren’t they the best?” I’m telling ya, there really isn’t a need for any other kind of dogs, is there?

 

Driving out of this area was so pretty with the sun shining down through the trees. It was really special. 

Our next stop was Klamath Overlook. It’s where the Smith River meets the Pacific Ocean. Dad was concerned we couldn’t make it to the top, but we did. And boy was it amazing!  Really windy but wow, we could see forever!! 

Next we tried to go to Stout Grove. It’s where the Ewoks live from Return of the Jedi. Unfortunately, the road was SO skinny. We saw some little cars coming back out, and Dad asked if we’d make it in the LHOW. They said, probably not. So we cut our losses and did a five point turn to get out before we got stuck. Boy, would that have made Dad mad!!! 

On the way in and out of there, we went along the Smith River. The cute couple that owned the restaurant where Mom and Dad had breakfast told them to go there. He said the Smith River is one of the cleanest rivers in the United States. It sure was pretty. 

Something I haven’t told you about yet is all the road construction delays we’ve hit. They started in Nevada just before we entered Death Valley. We hit them almost every day through California too. Since Highway 1 is mostly a two lane road, when they do road work, one lane shuts down. So each side has to take turns driving in the one lane. It’s getting to be a bit of joke to see where it’s going to hit. Sometimes a traffic light controls the traffic flow. Other times it’s a guy with a sign. Mom says she’d really hate that boring job! But when it happens, sometimes I get to help Dad drive.

 

Mom and Dad decided to move our campsite north a bit for tonight, and it ended up being a good decision. We crossed into Oregon (there wasn’t even a welcome sign…really??) and camped in Brookings, Oregon. Mom’s Auntie Dadie used to live in Brookings, so she and her sister made several trips here to visit her. Our campsite was right above the beach that she and her sister used to walk on and looked directly out to the Ocean. Can you believe it? Mom was laughing because she said her younger self NEVER would have thought that her 61 year old self would be thrilled to be in a RV camping there! We got settled, and Mom and Dad took their happy juice and popcorn down to the beach with their chairs. Whenever Dad dropped a piece of popcorn, the wind would blow it and I’d chase it down. If I missed it, the seagulls would get it. The beach was different because there was a lot of driftwood on it. 

This campsite was another great spot. There weren’t any frogs signing to us, but we could hear the waves crashing against the shore even with the windows closed!! Mom loves that! 

 

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