Although most of the snow had melted by the time we went to sleep we woke up to fresh layer of crisp snow this morning. The horses again striding through it and greeting us with their curiosity. Fortunately the road has already been cleared and no ice has formed so after breakfast we head out followed by the Van Fleets. We follow them down on the 299 West back towards the coast. As we drive up and down mountains the surroundings change with it from snow covered trees to green rain forests. We overlook deep valleys where bright blue rivers of melted snow find their way down. We reach the end of the 299 and continue on our beloved 101 south towards the town of Eureka. Eureka has a population of 29.600 and after the past days in Burnt Ranch with it’s wide scattered 385 inhabitants Eureka feels like Metropolis for us.
We park the cars and since it had been about a two hour drive it’s time for lunch. Cyn and Bob take us out to a lovely bar dinner at the harbour where we celebrate live with oysters. We had been looking forward to them since Olympia and couldn’t have been more pleased.
After a short walk through the rainy old part of Eureka we drive to the tip of Somoa for a look at the ocean before we say our goodbyes. It’s has been a wonderful experience to visit Cyn and Bob and even though we were basically strangers when we drove up to their house they have given us an unforgettable time and we separate as family.
As we go our separate ways we take up Cyn her advice and drive to a organic supermarket where Marlies falls in love with almost all products and with a fine selection of them we restock or camper. Just outside of Eureka we find a KOA (Kampgrounds of America) campsite, we get a lot furthest from the highway and hook up for a lazy afternoon listening to the rain falling on our motorhome.
We complete the day with a beers, snacks and some planning for the following days.