Where does the time go? Seems like just yesterday I was writing my last blog, and all of a sudden it’s 4 days later. I guess that old saying; time flies when you’re having fun; is totally true. Last time I wrote I was getting ready to enter the Redwoods, and I’ve been lost in them ever since! I spent 3 days and 2 nights in the Jedidiah Smith Campground outside Crescent City California, right in the heart of Redwood Country. I took a drive on a single lane dirt road 7 miles through the Redwoods, stopping for multiple short hikes and some playtime with the dogs in a couple spots on the Smith River. The water in the Smith river had a blue hue to it but was so clear you could see clear to the bottom, even right in the middle. Unfortunately, most the longer hikes did not allow dogs and I couldn’t bring myself to ditch the dogs since hiking is one of their favorite activities. We did take a drive down an offshoot from the highway called Walker Road clear to the end, found a huge beautiful Redwood tree, parked and went for a quick hike down a dry creek bed. The dry bed eventually led out to a secluded area of the Smith River, where I joined the dogs for a refreshing, unplanned dip in my undies (no photographic evidence of said dip was captured). After the hike down the dry creek bed, we decided to capture the first video cover with the CajonAlone out in nature in front of the giant Redwood I’d parked in front of.
There are many challenges that come along with filming in the outdoors, like uneven ground, mosquitoes and of course random cars driving by in the middle of my song! I hope none of the cars driving by mistook me for Sasquatch playing Tom Petty, because I look the part right now, and we were in Bigfoot Country! I did 5 takes of Last Dance with Mary Jane and posted my favorite on YouTube (check it out at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5n2GhlJj4yI&lc=z23dwjmztxmevxj5504t1aokgynjnaul4lzmrx20bxkprk0h00410.
I have some real issues with being a perfectionist, so this method of giving myself a finite amount of takes, then FORCING myself to post one of the 5 options seems to be a fairly effective method of overcoming my OCD tendencies.
From Crescent City I continued South and passed through a quaint little riverside town called Klamath. I drove by a sign for an RV lot and River Jetboat trip but remained resolved to continue my trip further south. As I passed Klamath, I saw a turnout for a Coastal Highway Drive, and me being a sucker for the ocean, I decided to stop. Upon pulling off the highway, I saw many signs that said no trailers on the road, so I got out with the dogs and took some pictures at an old bridge that had been knocked out by a major flooding of the Klamath River that happened in 1964 and wiped out the entire town. As I was taking pictures and looking out over the water, I saw one of the jet boats come racing up the river with all the passengers waving and having a great time. Soooo, I backtracked to the Jet Boats, grabbed an RV spot and went for a ride! The Jet Boat was fast, agile and only needing 6 inches of water to operate. We did 360 degree spins on numerous occasions (not for a purpose, just cause it was fun) and got to see Golden Eagles, Bald Eagles, Osprey, Blue Heron, Sea Lions and even some Wild Cows. The guides were very knowledgeable about the entire area, history and the wildlife, and although it got a little cold, the Jet Boat yielded some amazing pictures and memories.
The nice elderly couple who ran the RV Park allowed us to check out whenever we wanted, so Friday morning, we backtracked to see the Trees of Mystery. Not quite as intriguing as it sounds, the Trees of Mystery is a little tourist trap right before Klamath. There’s a giant statue of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox, and Paul Bunyan spoke to the little kids and adults as they came up to the ticket window. This tourist trap was dog friendly and even offered a ride in a gondola to the top of a mountain to see the Redwoods from higher up. Mable was NOT a fan of the Gondola, so after enjoying the breathtaking views at the top, we took the mile hike down which was super steep and treacherous, but also very rewarding and beautiful.
After we made it down and packed up the trailer, we pulled in to Eureka and found a less than appealing RV spot, which showed as down by the water on Google Maps, but was also right under the highway bridge. I went and had a beer and some pizza at a highly rated local joint called Marcelli’s Pizzaria, which also served as brunch Saturday morning (the pizza, not the beer). I debated whether or not to keep exploring Eureka, because it touted some great hiking trails in the area but opted to tow over to San Francisco Saturday morning to play in front of some folks and accelerate my pace south. After stopping to check out the Golden Gate Bridge (an area I had not explored in my last visit to San Francisco), I tried 3 different RV parks with no availability, until we found one that had some spots down near Candlestick Park. It was more expensive than hotels in Boise and I heard multiple gun shots, but having struggled to find anything else we opted to stay the night.
Which leads us to this moment, as I write my blog, again, sans WiFi. Tomorrow morning I’m going to Fisherman’s Wharf to play some music in front of the tourists, then going to tow over to San Luis Obispo to play in front of tourists and bust out a video or two. This first bit of the trip has been super fun, but not as productive as I’d have liked as far as playing out in front of people. Tomorrow will be a great opportunity to get out in front of folks and see what they think and hopefully even sell a few units. Wednesday I’ll be headed down to Long Beach to see my dear friend Kindra, who I honestly can’t recall the last time I saw her, but we are estimating 10 years ago. She’s also been on some epic, international adventures, so I can’t wait to catch up and share notes.
Well, that’s it, yet another lengthy blog in the books. I’d promise to blog more often so they aren’t as long, but from my previous patterns I’ll skip the false promises, but still hope to get my blogs up in a more timely manner. Stay tuned for the next blog and lots more videos in front of beautiful places. Also, check out Mable’s first ever blog on the Dog Blog, which she’ll be dictating to me here shortly (she’s kind of shitty speller, so this will be more effective). Thanks as always for reading, and for your love and support. Peace!
Matt