Day 1 2.19
The alarm went off at 2:30am & I was out the door by 3am. My flight would take me to Denver with a four hour layover then directly into Arcata. It’s great to be flying right into their small town & not have to make the 5 hour drive from San Francisco. My flight was my birthday gift from the boys & Danny & I was so excited to be heading out to spend time with Luke & Pete…I haven’t seen them since June. One of Luke’s best friends, Steve, who lives in Colorado met me at the Denver airport…he was also flying out to see the boys! It was Steve’s 40th birthday & he was ready to party with good friends & be in a warmer climate. We’re both soooo over winter in our states.
Our little jet that took us right into Arcata.
When Pete got off work, we all met at Dead Reckoning…one of my favorite taprooms in Arcata. Sadly, my fave bartender is no long there; he was super nice & knows everything about their beer. None of the new guys seem very friendly, but they still have a great selection of beer. They also have a new bottle room next door Pete had been telling me about. So, Pete & I took a tour through a lot of good beer. But the thing the boys like best about the place besides the beer, is that they have pinball! The two are always competitive & do love playing games…no matter what it is! And, I’m so happy to watch them together!
When Luke first moved to Arcata to go to college, two of his friends from Kansas came out to visit….then promptly moved there! Evan has opened a very successful high end restaurant called the Humboldt Bay Bistro. Luke spent many hours helping Evan to get the place up & running. It’s Luke & Pete’s favorite place to eat. Steve is also good friends with Evan & it was such a treat to hang out with the gang, eating great food & drinking fantastic wine. Evan joined us for the whole meal & that was super fun! I ate Steelhead for the first time…it was wonderful!
The Birthday Boy!
Day 2 2.20
Luke took me on a hike I love to College Cove. It’s a quiet little beach & we had a great walk around looking at all the ocean stuff…it’s all fascinating!
Love these views & beaches where the ocean is wild. It’s not a place to sun or lounge in your swim suit for the day. It’s raw & beautiful & speaks to my heart. What a special place!
So happy to see this guy!
I found a swing along the trail…spectacular!
Dinner was to-go from the Kebab Cafe & we all sat around afterwards just visiting…super great!
Blue dog…Luke’s baby thats about 15 or 16 years old; he’s an old man now, not hearing or getting around as he used to. But I so love this pup!
Day 3 2.21
Before Leia left for work, she made us all a super yummy breakfast!
Pete & Leia both had to work today, so Luke drove me, Matt & Steve up to Redwood State Park. I love to spend time in the Redwoods & I couldn’t wait to get there! There’s elk along the drive…always so cool to see!
We took a couple of hikes through these magnificent trees. I will always be amazed & in awe of these natural wonders!
There is so much to look at in the forest…everything seems to be alive & growing; even those things that look dead, you can find life there. My search for the Banana Slug was elusive…but looking closely what was on the sides of the trail & the forest floor was a treat. Love this place!
We all met for dinner at Humboldt Pie & Cider…all of us love to eat here! Lots of yummy Empanadas, pot pies, really good desert pies & about 20 different kinds of Cider.
We taste tested some bottles of beer I’d bought…they didn’t like my #1 stout. No problem, I just finished off the bottle myself.
By evening, Pete, Leia & I were super tired….until someone mentioned a local (& friends of theirs) Beatles Tribute playing at the Casino just down the street. The minute we walked in & heard the music, I was revived! It was fun listening to a band where I knew all the music! A couple of Pete’s co-workers showed up & I got to meet them. And, Luke showed me how the famous (in Luke & Pete’s world) Space Invaders Machine works. A couple of Lukes friends were there too & also got to say hi to Pete’s good friend Will. Both boys have worked at Blue Lake Casino before so they have a long history with this local place.
Day 4 2.22
This morning we were all headed separate ways…Pete to play pickle ball in Eureka, Luke to watch an early morning KU basketball game at the Casino & me off to meet some local Sister’s on the Fly.
One of the reasons I wanted to join this huge group of camping women, is to hopefully meet some new friends as I travel. SOTF is a lot about vintage campers, fly fishing, camping in campgrounds & events I can’t afford. And, those events need to be booked far into the future. None of that is me. But, we all have travel in common & I love to meet women who have the same passion. So, I’d put a call out on the SOTF Facebook page if anyone local wanted to meet up. And, happily, Eunice & Ann said yes! We met in Old Town Eureka & a cute little coffee shop. Ann’s daughter, Hannah also joined us. We chatted about travel for 2 hours. I was really glad I got to know these women & hope our paths cross again in the future!
We all ended up getting back to the house about the same time, & Luke cooked us a good breakfast. Leia had to work so the guys & I hiked the Trinidad Head…always a hike filled with this Northern California beauty!
The three amigos…always enjoying life to the max!
Happy Happy Mom!
After our hike, we went to a new taproom called Bigfoot. They have a lot of beers on tap but it was also cool that Pete’s company worked on this project. We ordered a pizza & enjoyed our beers & conversation.
Back at the house, we spent the evening playing Telestrations—a drawing game. I love watching Luke cracking up laughing & learned that Leia is great at drawing!