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Point Reyes: Many people we’ve spoken to along the way raved about the scenery of Northern California and the Oregon coast, so needless to say we were very excited and eager to get going. We said our good byes to Simon and Colette in San Francisco and snaked our way north next to the coast along highway --. Point Reyes is a windswept peninsula jutting out into the sea and also our first stop along the way. The southern tip of the peninsula has some amazing views: rugged coastline with sheer cliffs dropping into the sea, pounded by crashing waves, a long sandy beach stretching out as far as the eye could see and the haunting siren coming from the lighthouse further down the hill. Also noisy (and smelly) were the many sea lion colonies speckling the beaches far below. Our detour via Point Reyes was definitely worth the visit and would be a good spot to do whale watching in season. 
Sonoma: While touring through Central America we learnt about a website called Couch Surfing. We decided to give it a go especially as accommodation is so expensive in Sonoma. First we had to set up an online profile and then throw the bait out to see if we could hook a big one. We quickly had a nibble and soon we shared a house with a very interesting/eccentric family along with their pets: two dogs, one cat and two horses. Sonoma is the less snobbish alternative to the hyped-up Napa Valley and it still retains a small town charm. We hired two bicycles for the day and set off wine tasting, taking in 4 wineries in total. We couldn’t have asked for a better day as the sun shone and there was a crisp breeze blowing making it a perfect day for cycling. 
There are few things nicer than spending a day wine tasting while cycling and having a picnic of cheeses, bread and pickles. None of the wineries really blew us away although the Gewurtstrumeiner and the Muscato (Ravens Wood) were really good and worth a purchase. After completing our wine tour we ended up in Sonoma town centre and were ready for some more free sampling in the forms of cheese, chocolate and fudge. All the free goodies were great and we went back “home” feeling slightly drunk and very sweet from our last tastings. The next morning we said our good byes and headed north along the Highway 101 to Ukiah to meet up with an old friend. 
Ukiah: Back in the summer of 2006 I met a guy named Matt on my flight back from Alaska. He was hunting for bears while I did a two week kayaking trip in the wilderness fishing, crabbing and catching prawns. At the time I had one of the biggest hangovers of my life due to drinking with the locals at Ryan’s Bar in Ketchikan as they kept buying me shots of Jagermeister. Matt was sitting next to me and we shared stories about our adventures and inevitably a friendship was formed. I found him to be a very warm and down to earth person and we clicked straight away. I remembered his invitation to come and say hello if ever in the USA so I contacted him via Facebook. Soon I stood facing his door, slightly nervous and not sure what to expect after so many years. There was nothing to worry about though as Matt and his wife Laure are some of the warmest and most welcoming people I’ve ever met in my life - they made us feel right at home.
They prepared a room for us which I dubbed “The Bunker” as Matt had enough ammo and heavy artillery in there to stage his own personal war. I was like a little boy in a sweet shop looking at all the ammo and books. On our first night they took us to an all-you-can- eat Indian Casino Restaurant. We were amazed that for $16 we could eat as much Dungeness Crab as we wanted and as well as other seafood dishes like fresh grilled salmon, prawns and shrimps. As if that wasn’t enough, they also served normal food like stews, roasts, salads, veggies and much more. That was all followed by desserts like chocolate covered strawberries and a sugarless cheesecake which was to die for - I felt like a stuffed sausage by the end of the night! What made our night even better was that they gave us $10 free gambling money which, although it didn’t last that long, made for a good night out. 
The next day was Matt’s dad’s 80th birthday party and he was determined to give his old man a memorable party. He invited around 200 people to the party and organized to have a wild boar roasted Fijian style: placed in the ground on hot rocks and covered in banana leaves, sacks and earth. The Kiwi’s make the same sort of thing and call it a Hangi and as I’d never had it before, I was excited to give it a go! Together with the pig they also placed a turkey, carp, corned beef with spinach and a type of native potato on top. 
As the cooks had too much work to do preparing the pig they only had it in the ground for 2.5 hours which was not really long enough. Even so most of the meat was cooked and tasted really good. For entertainment Matt organized for 3 different bands to play with my favorite being the Railroad Boys. They were an energetic duo and played Hillbilly music with a guitar, various flutes, a didgeridoo and a harmonica. The old boy sported a handlebar moustache with cowboy boots, hat and jeans. As there was so much food on offer everyone ate their own bodyweights while sitting outside in the sun sipping drinks – good times! The party started fairly early, around 12:00 which meant that we still had the evening free. Matt and Laura took us to the Speedway to see the races which woke us up from our food slumber. I couldn’t believe it when they told us that some of the kids racing were as young as 8 and aptly called “The Mighty Midgets”. The big boys also raced that night and drove souped up V8s – their roars were almost as load as that of the crowd! By the end of the show our adrenaline was pumping as a few spectacular crashes happened right in front of us amidst sparks and flying parts – brilliant! 
The next day Matt took us shooting on his dad’s ranch stopping en-route at the Anderson Brewing Company for some beer tasting. I was hoping to get either a wild turkey or pig although they cleverly had no intention of getting struck by a spray of propelled lead and stayed hidden. As they didn’t come out to play we took the opportunity to blow up anything that even faintly resembled a metal can or plastic bottle. We were armed to the teeth with a pump action shotgun, 22.250, 270 and two .38 revolvers and enough ammo to stage a small war! There was not much left of the bottles or cans in the end especially as Matt and I shot two revolvers at the same time, as seen on TV the night before. On our way back a few mountain quail made the mistake of running out in front of us. I greeted them with a shotgun and they didn’t feel particularly well after getting hit by a spray of pellets. It is not every day that I get 3 quail with one shot and as I shot another earlier we were looking forward to a nice quail BBQ for dinner. Incidentally that same day Osama Bin Laden was killed by US fire so it seems like it was a good day’s shooting all round!
After our explosive visit to the ranch it was time for a more placid drive along the coast. We drove past the picturesque town of Mendocino where we took a few pictures and from there we headed onwards to have clam chowder in the harbor of Port Orford. Our time with Matt and Laura came to an end way too quickly and it was sad saying good bye to them after all the fun we’d had. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the friendliness of the people we’ve come across on our travels, especially in America. In general, people can either make or break a trip although for us they’ve definitely made it. 
Confusion Hill: We never planned to stop at Confusion Hill but as we got confused with directions to the drive-through Tree we ended up visiting the place. They have an interesting display of various curiosities including a leaning house and water that seems to run upwards. There was also a viewing platform where another person would look either shorter or taller depending on which side of the hill they’re standing. All were illusions of course but even so we were still baffled at times and could only say “huh?” while scratching our heads – very interesting.
Chandelier Drive-through Tree: Take two. On our second attempt we finally reached our original intended stop which is an absurdly big tree - so big in fact that we could actually drive our Jeep Grand Cherokee straight through it! We didn’t dub the jeep “The Tank” for nothing as it is a fairly large vehicle but even so it was able to fit through the gap in the tree. I could only laugh at the absurdity of it all, snapping away on my camera while Gillian sat wide eyed and a bottom going like a rabbit’s nose steering the Jeep through a 315 tall and 21ft diameter tree – brilliant! 
Humboldt Redwoods State Park: The Redwood trees require a very specific climate to grow, therefore they are only found in Northern California. They are some of the largest trees in the world and no words or pictures can truly do justice to them. We felt very small as we drove through the “Avenue of the Giants” and stopped off for a few mini hikes along the way. Some of the trees were as tall as 379ft with diameters of up to 20ft!
Many fell down due to old age or strong winds with roots sticking out like an angry octopus’ tentacles, while others had holes in their bases big enough for a few people to stand upright in! There was even a tree in Founders Grove called Corkscrew Tree for obvious reasons which was worth a visit. We couldn’t help but take many pictures but then again who wouldn’t? One thing we came to learn while driving through the tall forests was that redwood trees and satellite radio simply just don’t go together.
Samoa Cookhouse: To finish a good day of tree hugging and spotting we ironically went for dinner at the last remaining loggers cookhouse still in existence. They had on display memorabilia and photos from an era of hard work and logging. In a way it was sad seeing all the felled trees displayed in the photos which were hundreds, if not thousands, of years old. The food however was good and very generous as it was made for “hungry loggers” - we waddled away like ducks feeling so stuffed after eating the 3 courses of soup and bread, chicken with rice and potatoes and chocolate cake! 
Clam Beach: From the Samoa Cookhouse we drove further north where we found a campsite on the beach just south of Trinidad. As we’d already had dinner there was no need for cooking which gave us time for a few pints at the local pub to warm us up as it was fairly cold on the beach. We’ve met a fair few people along the way especially in pubs when we started chatting to the locals. That night was nothing new as pretty soon a decorator sitting next to us bought me a beer. I could see that he was in a mood for consuming copious amounts of alcohol so we had to sneak away to our campsite in the end. Travelling is all about meeting new people and making new friends. It is also a very good way of getting tips of what to do along the way. 
Trinidad: We made our way further north along Highway 101 through more redwood trees and reached the ocean and finally the radio started working again. Trinidad is a cozy little fishing village with nice views over a bay when standing next to its iconic lighthouse. Large rocks and boulders occupy one beach while the other in contrast was completely sandy making for potentially good photography opportunities. It would have been a great place to overnight although we decided to push on further north. All along our drive we saw many bears and beavers in all shapes and sizes, although none of them alive. Luckily they weren't road kill but rather carved ones made from mostly Western Red Cedar trees with a chainsaw. Many of the chainsaw carvers are very talented and produce cute animals (and humans) in all shapes and sizes. Gillian couldn't help herself and bought a small black bear which she had to send back home by mail due to too much baggage – an exercise which proved very expensive after customs got hold of it…
We did however see many live animals including elk, deer and various birds like the Stellar Jay with its funky blue Mohican hairdo, which perched itself on our car mirror while eyeing up our sandwiches. Our next stop was at a place dubbed “a shameless tourist trap” by the Lonely Planet. I can see why people stop there though as it has a massive statue of Paul Bunyan and his equally big blue ox and it offers a ride up the mountain in a gondola over the tree canopy. I took a picture of Gillian standing on Paul Bunyan’s foot and I could hardly see her on the photo! We politely declined their overpriced tickets for the gondola ride and chose instead to prepare our lunch of tuna/mayo pasta on their camping tables. From there we drove to Gold Beach where we set up camp for the night in a wooded campsite next to a small stream.
Gold Beach: Even though we cooked with camping gear, dinner that night was great. Out came the abalone and mountain quail I shot at Matt’s place and out came the mallet (borrowed from our landlady) for tenderizing the abalone. Gillian has never tasted abalone before so I put a lot of effort in to slicing it thinly and tenderizing it properly. I then dipped the abalone in flour, egg and breadcrumbs and fried it in hot oil. The quail went on the BBQ and I have to say that we both felt very decadent while sitting there in a campsite eating melt-in-the-mouth abalone, sautéed potatoes, garlic courgettes and BBQ’d mountain quail while sipping cheap box wine out of equally cheap camping cups! Our posh bubble was shattered though the next morning when we discovered that our promised hot showers were in fact icy cold. The cold water invoked a colorful vocabulary from me not suitable for my blog especially since it was pre-coffee - not a good way to start the day. 
Gold beach is a nice village known for salmon fishing and Jerry’s Rogue River jet boating. As we didn’t have enough time I left the salmon in peace although we did book a trip on Jerry’s boat. The trip up the Rogue River is a total of 108 miles travelling through white water and canyons. With 3 Chevy’s in the back, the jet boat was loaded with a lot of energetic horses pushing from behind! During our trip we never had a dull moment as either we were doing 360s on the water or zipping along missing boulders by what felt like millimeters! It was a brilliant day as both the sun and wildlife came out to play and we were very fortunate to see sea lions, harbor seals, eagles, ospreys, a river otter, a mama deer with her 2 fawns and a mama bear with her 2 cubs grazing close to us. 
In total we saw 4 bears that day which was very fortunate according to our guide as usually they only see maybe one every 3rd day! On the way back we stopped for a hot buffet lunch prepared by a lodge next to the river. All in all we had a very memorable and adrenaline filled which I can highly recommend it to anyone visiting Gold Beach. From Gold beach we drove onwards to find our intended campsite closed for the season. We found a private RV campsite that had Wi-Fi and more importantly, hot showers – a necessity after our cold showers that morning. We struck gold with our spot as it was only 5m from the beach with a thick layer of shrub protecting us from the wind. It was yet again very cold as we prepared the last of the abalone which we had with flavored rice for dinner. That night we fell asleep to the sound of crashing waves coming from the ocean while I dreamt of clam digging and crabbing to come in the morrow…
Coos Bay: The next morning we were up early and drove to Coos Bay where I bought a shellfish license and hired a spade for digging. We were in luck as the tide was out, the riverbed exposed and there were a few locals already clamming. Needless to say, they were thoroughly interviewed and very soon I was digging like a dog, all covered in black mud with my arms deep in the holes and carefully easing them out. The ones I dug were called Empire or Horse-neck clams and looked very weird with long retracting necks. As they were filled with sand we had to keep them in a bucket of water so they could expel it all avoiding a potentially teeth grinding dinner. Next up was crabbing in the harbor where we set crab traps which weren’t as successful. The ones we had were the small types with loops for catching their feet. Fortunately another couple crabbing next to us lend us their spare trap (big ring with net) and fairly soon we were pulling up to 8 crabs in one go. However, we had to let most go as either the male crabs were too small or they were females which we couldn’t keep. It was good fun though trying to catch them especially the feeling of anticipation every time we pulled up the net. 
From Coos Bay the 2 of us, 12 clams in a bucket and two crabs drove onwards where we found a campsite in a wooded area at the Joaquin Miller State Park. By that time the clams were all swaying their fully extended necks in the water which earned them the title of “our pets”. As they still had sand in them we drove to Florence for our clam chowder at the much raved about Mo’s. The chowders came with freshly baked bread and real butter – nice! As it was cold outside and they had free Wi-Fi, I voted Gillian as designated driver while I sampled a few more of their local ales. Back in camp we were lying in our tent reading our books when we heard something trying to get into the clam bucket. Whatever it was that tried to capture our fond pets, quickly scrabbled away as I unzipped the tent. As it was dark I didn't spot the lone clam lying a few meters away from the bucket where the raccoon left it as it ran away. I was very surprised when I found it still alive in the morning! Back in the bucket it went for a family reunion and time for us to have breakfast, a shower and travel onwards. 
By that morning we had funnily enough became quite fond of our pets especially after they survived a very traumatic raccoon experience. I must be getting soft in my older age as I didn’t have it in my heart to kill them for dinner. Instead, I found another muddy river where I dug holes, only that time carefully putting them back. It was an emotionally strenuous task and I was sad to say good bye to my pets although I’m sure they were equally sad, or maybe I’m just talking nonsense as usual… Our next stop was at “the most photographed lighthouse in the USA”. Annoyingly many of the parking spots were metered so we had to pay $5 for our quick detour. We found many more similar meters while travelling through America (and even Canada). From there we drove up to a viewpoint for a quick hike and a lunch of peanut butter and jam sandwiches before driving to Garibaldi. 
Garibaldi: Camping was ruled out as it was raining hard and the wind was blowing strongly by the time we reached the town. Even so I was determined to try and catch a few crabs since we’d bought our own crab ring and had lots of bait to use. I tried my luck for about an hour standing there shivering in the rain and wind and only manage to pull up 2 undersized crabs - needless to say I was not a happy camper. Apparently as it had rained so much there was a lot of fresh water draining into the sea from the rivers decreasing the salinity of the bay, which had caused the crabs to move deeper into the ocean – no wonder I wasn't getting any. I returned to our motel empty handed, an unsuccessful hunter-gatherer on that occasion. Fortunately, when we checked into our hotel that afternoon, we were given a voucher for a free clam chowder at a local restaurant. As we weren’t able to have crab that evening, the pub restaurant was our best bet. I opted for the ribs while Gillian went for a pulled pork sandwich – both meals were very tasty. It was accompanied by a few beers of course which helped to warm us up. We sneaked out though after they set up the stage for karaoke and eyed us up as potential singers.
Tillamook: Tillamook is a bad place to be if you’re on a diet as they produce some of the best cheese and ice creams in America! We stopped in at the Tillamook Creamery which is a massive factory where we could indulge in some samples. As we made our way along the self guided tour we were able to see how they make the cheese as well as their production line where workers were packing and sorting the cheese. Also on show were many posters showing the history and operation of the factory which was very interesting. Next up we were able to sample their cheese and spotlight stealing ice creams. Due to the high fat content (32%), their ice creams tasted really good and came with funky names like Udderly Peanutbutterly, Grandma’s Cake Batter and Mountain Huckleberry. There were around 38 various flavors to choose from and we managed to sample around 30 after annoying the waiters with requests (the tips did help however). 
We left the Tillamook Creamery pretty stuffed, with a block of sharp cheddar for later. From there we made our way to the Blue Heron which is a French cheese company to get eat even more. They had a massive array of goods varying from cheese, chutneys, sauces, marinades, dips, wine, jams and lots more. None of the wines blew us away although their smoked brie and especially blue cheese salad dressing were to die for. We bought both, together with a French stick and were looking forward to a dinner of salad doused in blue cheese dressing. What we didn’t look forward to was ending our trip along the sea. The Oregon Coast was beautiful and I was sad to leave it behind, especially as we didn’t have enough time to really explore it all. I guess there will always be another time…America Part 4 to follow…
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