We slept in this morning and left without breakfast, driving to the town of Arcata in California. Here we had a fabulous Italian lunch at Mazzotti’s on the Plaza which won the reader’s choice award in 2014 for best Italian restaurant on the north coast. We think that they deserved it. After lunch we did a bit of shopping at Caravan of Dreams and several other stores.

Next up was Redwood park and the Avenue of the Giants. Here the road is lined with century old redwood trees that tower above you in this old growth forest. We did a short hike through the forest and to a nearby river.

We’ve now left Hwy 101 for Hwy 1 which runs along the coast and we will be following this highway for the remainder of our trip to San Francisco.

Tonight we are staying at a small campground behind a grocery store just across from the Ricochet Ranch where we hope to go for a ride with Shirley’s friend tomorrow.