November 15, 2017

We left at 9:30 am for what was supposed to be a 2.5 hour drive.  hahaha.  One hour in (and many miles from our destination) Joe stopped at the top of a bluff to make a tuna sandwich.  Pretty handy to walk back to your trailer, roll out the slide out and have brunch.  This was our view as we ate.  Insert hippie 70’s music now.

Brunch along Highway 1 in Ca.

Brunch along Hwy 1

We quickly were spanked by the chosen path.  We will pay dearly and happily so once we survive it.

This moment, shown below, was tough and full of wonder.  We had been traveling 25-35 mph for hours along a beautiful but narrow road.  There is very little room for error and a drop of hundreds of feet awaiting a mistake.  As we made this turn we saw what lay a head.  Look closely, I took this picture at the peak of the turn, so close to the edge that the road doesn’t show.  We had just climbed a long way, encountering spilled bird seed (nope, don’t know why there was a TON of birdseed on the road) which made the already wet road even slipperier.  Our wheels were losing traction the whole way up as our truck struggled to pull the camper up.  All sphincters were tight for miles!

As we finally hit the apex, I sighed and then we went around this turn.Holy shit on a cracker??  Really???  Can we actually do this??  My hubs was quiet and basically my hero.  Nothing to be done but continue on as my eyes filled with tears.  Incredible beauty all around and yet this road had little room for miscalculation.  If only we were on the motorcycle and not hauling the camper.  He proceeded to engage the engine and trailer brakes (thus saving the truck brakes) yet AGAIN down the 7-8% grade down around MULTIPLE hair pin turns and along our path.  By this point we have realized that there are only a few roads for us to turn left (which we need to do to get to our next destination) that an RV can navigate.  We passed Hwy 128 long ago not realizing we should have taken it.

Our first attempt to follow GPS landed us on a road that had a sign AFTER you had already turned warning RV’s not continue down it.  Turning around with a 31 foot house trailer is a HUGE ordeal and impossible on a narrow two lane.  As I panicked in the passenger seat, Joe found a small drive to back in and turn around.  I could’ve covered him in kisses had he not been wound so tight he might burst.  Go JOE!!!

We continued down the coast, alternately enjoying the views and fearing the curve a head.  My role, as navigator, required a consult with our Road Atlas–throwback to the 80’s.  I found a road, Hwy. 116, which was red (not gray like the last road) and seemed promising.  The question was…do we risk taking it or do we go the whole way down Hwy. 1?  I can’t speak for Joe but my anxiety was THROUGH THE ROOF.

We finally hit Jenner, Ca. where we found a gas station big enough for an RV, thank you for all good things!!! We hit the intersection of 116 and agreed we just couldn’t take another hour hugging cliffs.  We gambled and won!  We hit the Sonoma Valley long after and passed many vineyards.  Guys….we are so fortunate.  We coped with some anxiety and were able to experience vistas most will never see.  The risk of imminent death only added to it (once survived)–lol.

This was a long day.  Joe wanted to get close to Oakland so we could scope parking and such at the game we will attend in less than two weeks.  The first RV Park we tried was full but number 2 had an opening.  We rolled in at 3:30 pm very tired but thankful and set up as the rain settled in.  I only cried a little as they told us their wifi will be down a few days as they upgrade.  We paid for a week cause we are too tired to care.  I will use my Hot spot to work the next two days.

GoogleMaps says we are 16 miles and 58 minutes from Oakland.  Gotta love city traffic.  They say there is a ferry within a 15 minute walk that will take us over to San Francisco Pier 1.  More to come but for now we will hunker down for the biggest rain storm since March according to the local news.  Yay rainy season.