The picture of me is at Patrick's Point State Park. It reminded me alot of Pacific Grove. Naoto and I hiked along the perimeter of the little peninsula. We saw a bunch of views like this one, as well as some cool trees. It is pretty easy to be blase about beautiful scenery on a trip like this. I mean you've seen one big tree, you've seen 'em all, right? You've seen one rocky beach, you've seen it all, right?

Sometimes I find myself enjoying the scenery more, somehow, after I come back home and have to step over stinky homeless people in downtown San Francisco. Then I am grateful that I have all those beach memories.

Trinidad is where we stopped for lunch. It is the cute, coastal sea town that Mendocino wishes it was. Nothing pretentious, not too touristy, just fishermen and cute, victorian houses. I had a crab/shrimp omelette that was out of this world.

Then we took a short hike and found this view. It was too perfect.

Finally, we reached Eureka. Here are two of the Victorians that make it famous. Naoto and I tasted some beer, drove over to Samoa, and marveled at the Inn where we stayed.

Eureka is definietly worth a trip. It is vaguely Dickensonian, but is populated by really hippie-looking youngsters who probably all voted for Nader in the last election. There's a college nearby that has alot of forestry majors.

The next morning we had to head back home. This last leg of the trip was through the "Avenue of the Giants." This is a "scenic alternative" to highway 101. The seqouyahs are right at the edge of the road as you drive.

Beautiful, mystical, primeval, pure. Even the trees that had fallen could take your breath away. This was the place that I saw when I read "The Hobbit." I just didn't know it really existed in California.