Familiar Territory

  Today we drove 240 miles to one of our very favorite west coast spots, Garberville. I'm so thankful we had the day off to make this jump. 
  Our trek into the Golden State began in late April when we landed smack in the middle of downtown Needles.  This town has a very, 'was probably popular in the fifties and sixties but is now trying to make a resurgence' feel to it. The warm days and chilly nights are thanks to the Mojave Desert,  but the western banks of the Colorado River lends a much welcomed change o' scenery. Its funny name comes from a group of pointed rocks on the Arizona side of the river.  Needles can also brag a mention by Three Dog Night in their, Never Been To Spain tune.  It is one of those towns that has been on the Culpepper route for years, and marks a significant point in our tour...California, we have arrived! 
  Seemingly endless miles of Joshua tree-lined windy roads lead us to the likes of the little vacay hub, Lake Isabella; super historic (and kinda sci-fi like) and super out-of-way Trona, and a much needed four-day-stand in Buck Owens' own Bakersfield. Bako and G-ville are on everyone's 'towns we can't wait for' list. After weeks of battling dirt lots and high winds in west Texas, ole New Meh-hee-ko and Arizona, one must experience the West Coast tour first hand to truly appreciate getting to California.  
  Now that we have all landed safely here in Humbolt County, we can sleep in the next couple mornings and sip our coffee slowly and not from a travel mug.  We are nestled just outside of town along highway 101 in the Redwoods. 
 G-ville's main drag boasts a few cozy cafes, an inviting ice cream/espresso shop, a couple motels, some fancy-schmancy clothes & souvenir shops and an ultra hip toy store with retro toys. Its residents are welcoming; many take their dogs along their treks to town and more than a few sport dreadlocks.  And one thing is for sure...G-ville folks love the circus. CM has been appearing in Garberville long before my 2001 tour when my only job was announcing the show.  Back in the day when Barbara & Connie were CM stars, you could count on more than one grower of some sort of plant to meandor around the elephant department in hopes of scoring some super sonic pachyderm fertilizer. (They like to grow stuff here in these parts...ain't no secret... ;) )
 I never tire of the redwoods' beauty. My kids and I have made more than a few memories here and we have plenty of pictures to prove it! The windy narrow roads (complete with an ample supply of turn-outs to allow folks like myslef to let the occassional impatient driver go 'round)  just a few miles outside of town are lined thick with redwoods so tall you can't see the tops of the trees. We are very familiar with the trinket shops and tourist traps, and yet each visit we make our way to the grandfather tree, the giant redwood log house, confusion hill and the house that defies gravity, to mention just a few places of interest. After all these years, we have yet to encounter bigfoot, as some have claimed to around these parts...but that won't stop us from doing our own kind of exploring, which will likely include trying to stand upright in the crooked house, signing the guest registry at the log house again and I may even find a redwoood or bigfoot themed addition for my 2015 fridge magnet collection.