Arcata

Ok, so yesterday was just so exciting I forgot to mention a few things.  While driving along the PCH, not only did I get to see amazing seaside cliff views, but I also drove through some really interesting agricultural territory.  I saw where Fresh Express grows their lettuce and where Dole grows their vegetables.  I saw tons of laborers working in the fields.  It's really interesting to see such things in person.  I also figured out why happy cows come from California; they live at the beach!!!  Who knew that cows lived at the ocean?!?  Along the gorgeous coastline were small patches of fields right up against the water with cows.  It was super cute.

I spent this morning checking out more of San Francisco.  I took the cable car (don't make the mistake of calling it a trolley car like I did or else you'll get in trouble) down to Fisherman's Warf.  I knew that I only had a limited amount of time to sightsee before I had to check out of the hotel and get back on the road, so I had to pass up a proper sit-down breakfast.  I know, I know, it's very uncharacteristic of me to sacrifice a good meal, but don't worry I stopped at Boudin Bakery (est. 1849) for a little cappuccino and croissant.

Since it was early in the morning on a Saturday, a lot of things were still closed and quiet, but that actually made it really pleasant to walk around without all the crowds.  I saw Ghirardelli Square, Alcatraz, the Piers, and an enormous farmer's market along the waterfront.  I could've spent all day just walking around the market, it was so amazing!  But, I had a lot of ground to cover and not a lot of time.  Remember yesterday when I said San Francisco was a great city for walking around, well... I take that back.  No, not really, but I desperately needed a topo map of the city.  Those hills are killer.  I feel like I did as much elevation gain today walking around the city as I did summiting Mt. Hollywood.  Maybe that makes up a little for all the eating I’ve been doing.

Aside from hills I really did have a wonderful time wandering around the city; Nob Hill, the Financial District, Union Square, Downtown, Russian Hill, and Chinatown (the biggest one I've ever seen in any city).  Of course I had to go to the silly squiggle street and I walked all the way up that hill too.  It was a whirlwind of a morning and there was so much more I wanted to see.  I will definitely have to plan a return trip, but I had to hit the road to get to the next stop.

When leaving the city I got to drive over the Golden Gate bridge.  Luckily, I didn't see any jumpers even though it is the most popular place in the world to commit suicide.  After leaving the city I entered wine country.  Even though the harvest season is over, you could see vines and wineries on either side of the highway for miles and miles.  Everyone had their tasting rooms open, but I figured stopping off for a drink along the drive probably wasn't prudent.

As I went further north, I started heading into the redwood forests.  I am going through the official Redwood National Park tomorrow, but I guess today was a preview.  Upon entering a forested area you feel like you've driven onto another planet.  Immediately the air gets cooler and feels slightly damp, everything smells deliciously earthy, the sun disappears, and all around you are the soaring redwoods!  On the tiny winding mountain road, the forest encloses you so much it sort of feels like you're being hugged by the trees.  It really made me want to be some sort of woodland fairy or gnome so that I could stay there forever.

My stop tonight in Humboldt County (the heartland of high-grade marijuana farming in California) was more out of convenience than out of interest, but now I'm considering staying.  Oh, hippies, how do I love thee?  Let me count the ways.... No, I'm not high, not unless they slipped something in my food, which wouldn't surprise me.  Tonight I think I had my favorite dinner of the entire trip!  3 Foods Cafe was outstanding and a 'must go' for any one stopping through Arcata, CA.

It just had charm oozing out of every pore.  Their menu was a cute little booklet full of pictures, inspirational quotes and messages alongside the food.  Instead of serving bread while you're waiting for food, they give you a little bowl of Goldfish crackers.  All of the items have cutesy names, so I had: a goat walks into a bar (caramelized dates with chevre cheese) and harold and kumar (two grass-fed beef sliders with pockets of grilled onions and blue cheese served with garlic aoli and organic greens).  I was so stuffed after dinner, but I couldn't resist the temptation of dessert so I got Mr. poppins' delight (kahlua mint cheesecakes with a chocolate cookie crust) to go and I will be enjoying that shortly.  The best part?  I got an appetizer, entree, two microbrew beers, and dessert all for less than $30!  Can you believe it?  Oh yeah, and on the bill where it lists the servers name it said Zookeeper 2.  Hehehe.

Okay, enough writing, time for cheesecake.