Cities We Go Through On The Way

I chose to begin mesuring in San Francisco because there are multiple ways to get here. And we all know where it is, what is there, and how to get there. On the way out of the city, consider stopping for a moment at the Golden Gate Vista Point. They have rest rooms there.
Santa Rosa is the largest city between here and the Oregon border.  It is a couple hours from home and a good time to get out and stretch our legs.  The Charles Schultz Museum is located here.
Cloverdale had a drive-in restaurant at which we used to stop for ice cream (chocolate dipped) and a burger on hot days. It has been many years since I've visited there and the drive-in was old and rather shoddy then. US-101 now bypasses Cloverdale so I don't know if the drive-in still exists.
Ukiah is about half the size of Eureka and just under halfway there from San Jose.  From here, US-101 begins to get much more interesting.  Ukiah is a convenient place to gas up if on the motorcycle and has the usual gammot of fast food joints.
Willits is a small town that marks the eastern end of the Skunk Train, the other end being Fort Brag on the coast about 35 miles away. There was once a recreational development called Brooktrails just northwest of town. Dena and I received a home site there from her father along with the payments there on.
Laytonville marks the southern end of the windy part of US-101. Laytonville hosts something called Earthdance Northern California each year.
When we reach Leggett, we begin to get into the really serious twisties.  They are working on a bipass.  Although faster and more convenient, it will be sad when this part of the highway begins to be mundane. Leggett is home of the Chandelier Drive-Through Tree.  Soon after Legget is the tourist trap Confusion Hill, fun to see.
Piercy is a tiny town but it marks the northern end of the twistiest sections of the road.  After Piercy, be on the watch for Richardson Grove. It'll be about 10 miles north.
Garberville marks the start of the serious redwoods.  About 4 miles north marks the begining of the Avenue of the Giants.
Myers Flat is on the Avenue of the Giants. We used to visit here on summer afternoons. This is the home of the Shrine Drive Thru Tree.  Look for exit 656. This is a good place to turn onto Avenue of the Giants if you have not yet done so. Just north of Myers Flat is Williams Grove on the left side of the highway.
Weott is also on the Avenue of the Giants. We had friends who would vacation here over the summer. There are a large number of camping and picnicing parks around here.  See map
Scotia is still largely a lumber company owned town.  As we ride past, the saw mill and lumber yard will be a couple miles long.  Just the other side of the Eel river is the town of Rio Dell. Ruth's Notes -- Remember how there were company logging towns, similar to the coal miners, well one of these 2 towns were built for the married loggers and their families, the other town was built for the women who "serviced" the unmarried loggers.  There was no bridge in those days, but the men would row across in a small boat for an evening's entertainment. When we were teenagers, a lady named Pearl Gloat contacted my father because he was president of the congregation.  Pearl wanted to get back in touch with her Jewish roots.  Once a month, when a Rabbi came to Eureka, my Mother would send either Myron or I to go and pick Pearl up on Friday after school, bring her back to our house.  She would have dinner with us, go to services and then spend the night and we would drive her back. Your uncle and I never minded this chore because we loved to drive and we really enjoyed her company. Pearl got off a train in the mid twenties, stopped on the "servicing" side of town and decided this was the place for her and she had been there ever since.
Fortuna is when you know you are finally getting close.  This small town had the high school whose football team often pummeled the Eureka High Loggers.  The highway passes by Fortuna. Ask me some time about Fortuna, Rio Dell and the flat tire.
We may not actually go through Ferndale. It is about a 10 mile side trip through some of the richest dairy farming area in the world. What makes it so rich?  The river floods all the fields about every 5-10 years. Ferndale itself is home to an artist community and fabulous Victorian homes. At the begining of the last centery, the dairy farm owners worked on the farms but lived in the town and each tried to out do the others in building their house. Each year, Ferndale has America's Tallest Living Christmas Tree.
Eureka, we have arrived at last.  Enjoy.

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