Yesterday we had decided we would ride the motorcycle again on Monday but when we got up this morning we felt that we had recovered enough to go out on it today. We had already decided that “one” day we would go for a drive or ride to Eureka on the coast and today that “one” day came and we were ridin’ it!. We left here at 11:00 AM and rode west on Highway 299, the same scenic road we were on for awhile yesterday; the difference being that this time we stayed on it all the way to the west coast. 299 winds through Shasta Trinity National Forest and when the sign warns you of switchbacks, the letter “S” looks like the letter “I” in comparison. It winds through the Coast Mountains along the banks of the beautiful Trinity River for miles and we were treated to some beautiful scenery.

When we left Redding, the temperature was 29C (84.2F) and we were wearing shorts and T-shirts. Even at the higher elevations most of our ride was well above 27C but once we were within 20 miles of the coast, the temperature started to drop dramatically. We stopped to add clothing, (not a moment too soon) and made our way to Highway 101 where we were greeted by a hazy and chilly 15C (59F). After we stopped for a late lunch in Eureka, we drove about 25 miles south on 101and between the haze, the cold and the lack of opportunity, I took no pictures. Then we headed back to Redding, this time via Highway 36 another small, twisting, winding road that took us through the Grizzly Creek Redwood State Park. By then, I would have been happier to see bright sunshine rather than the shade of these giants and I only managed to get one picture of them.

Today we put 560 km. (348 miles) on the motorcycle and again our bodies are reminding us that we are no longer “spring chickens”. It was a long day but a beautiful one and once we got out of the forest of giants, more inland and closer to Redding, we enjoyed much warmer temperatures again. I’ll tell you one thing though, with the crazy roads we have been on the last couple of days, there is no longer a need for rollercoasters!