And Then There Were Six!

Day 23: Eureka to Burlington Campground

Today's Distance: 50 miles

Total Distance: 1,053 miles

Woke up today feeling so much better.  My eye is still a bit irritated but I feel refreshed and ready to get back on track.  The weather was really good all day long so I'm sure I defined my weird tan lines even more.  Most of the ride today was spent on the 101. I had some alternate route options but I didn't mind the highway riding today.  I like being in the sun and I think 101 was probably my best bet to stay in it.  According to my guidebook, at about mile 20 I hit the official halfway point between Vancouver and the Mexican Border.  People in their cars must've been weirded out seeing me take a selfie with a mile-marker...if they only knew!

I stopped for lunch at Rio Dell and met a couple dudes from Switzerland and Portland hitchhiking their way to Ukiah for a 10-day meditation retreat. Very interesting guys that shared some good travel trips.  After lunch I exited the 101 and jumped on the Avenue of the Giants;  A narrow, winding road through the Humboldt Redwoods.  This was definitely the scenic portion of the day. The shade provided by the huge trees made it kind of chilly.  I passed a tree named "The Immortal Tree" because it's survived wind, fire, floods, and axes over the years.  After awhile I started passing more and more people on tour.  There were a couple of small towns with something like a population of 95, on the way to Burlington Campground.  The grocery store that I planned to stop at was closed for the season so it's looking like a Clif Bar and almonds for dinner!  At the campsite there ended up being 6 other bikers.  The most I've ever stayed with!  The Seattle girls and their friend Kirk, Stu from SF, and Joseph from the Czech Republic.  We all hung out and got to know each other while they made dinner. Now this is what I imagined the camping would be like on this trip (Except I'd actually have dinner tonight!)