Day 2 on Two Wheels
Florence, OR to Klamath, CA - 206 miles
I’ll have to take the Old Town Inn off my list of recommended motels. It was a restless night of sleep due to the lack of air conditioning and the morning shower was disappointing due to a crappy shower head. We passed on the donut and packaged pastry breakfast too. But, hey, we didn’t get murdered and Dusty was unmolested, so that counts for something.
Here is our routing for the day (Waypoints 9-13)
We noticed a lot of trailers loaded with ATVs and off-road side-by-side vehicles while riding around Florence. Hmmm, must be some recreational areas nearby. Sure enough, just south of Florence, we entered the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. The dunes were impressive, with the ones abutting the highway measuring about 30 feet high!
The highway plays peek-a-boo with the coast line for the first 100 miles of the ride. It wasn’t until Port Oxford that we got our first face-to-face introduction with the Pacific Ocean.
But the next 106 miles were pretty awesome.
Dusty wanted some selfies...
We stopped in Gold Beach for a fantastic lunch at the Barnacle Bistro. It is a very small venue, only 8-10 tables. We both chowed down on Fish and Chips. They used freshly caught local Oregon Rockfish (very flaky) that was lightly battered. It was accompanied by slaw and garlic french fries. Perfectly executed. Thank you, TripAdvisor!
Just south of Crescent City, we entered the Del Norte Coast Redwood State Park. The park is heavily forested with Douglas Fir and, wait for it....redwoods. But these aren’t the giant redwoods. We have to wait until tomorrow to see those.
No vacation is complete without stopping at a historic tourist trap, even if is to only use the restroom. The Trees of Mystery was ours. It’s kind of hard to miss...the 70-foot tall Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox, Babe, have been luring unsuspecting tourists since the late 1940’s.
Our landing spot for the evening was the Redwood Hotel and Casino in Klamath, CA, a Holiday Inn Express property. Klamath is a very tiny town and home to the Yurok Tribe. When I booked it, I didn’t realize a casino was attached...or at least that is the story I’m sticking to. Liz gave me a kitchen pass to enter said casino, but I was a little disappointed to see that it was a slots-only venue. Homey don’t do slots. Dinner at the Abalone Bar and Grill was outstanding, topped with a Bloody Mary that was one of the best that has ever passed through my lips. It’s a very nice property that made Dusty feel very welcomed too.
Tomorrow is the Avenue of the Giants and a secluded hotel on the beach.
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