Scouting Paradise

 I left Olympia and drove down through Washington on Interstate 5, deciding to do most of my sightseeing in Oregon. After Portland, I went over to the coast at Newport, then headed down the 101 to Sunset Bay State Park, near Coos Bay, where I had managed to reserve a campsite for one night. Everything was flooring me with how beautiful it was, and it all was new, as I had never been through this area before. 

 The campsite at Sunset Bay was very nice- the whole park was crawling with peopleand had that overpopulated State Park feel, but I wasn't in a bad mood with it all. I was too blissed out by how amazing everything was. 

 Family-friendly option at this park: yurts. I bet that would be fun, although it seems a little weird. 

 The beach reminded me of other more northern beaches I had been to years before, in Massachusetts and Maine. Pine forests, salt air, rocks, dramatic views. It was perfectly cool and bright, and my soul found another phase of lightening up and feeling free. I regretted only having one night, but of course resolved that I would go back someday with a better plan and more time. 

 I had no goal for the next day at all, and no sense of how long it would take to get anywhere. I visited a few other areas of the state park before leaving. 

 I decided to head down the coast highway into California, and maybe get to near Arcata and then head inland. I had the vague idea also of going all the way down to San Francisco, but decided again that I wasn't in the mood for big urban. 

 A lot of the California coast reminded me of Baja California. I hadn't been thinking botanically at all, and was surprised when I started seeing Sequoioideae, that is, redwoods. I was such a noob up this way that I didn't even really know anything. 

 A cool looking Sedum on the coastal rocks. 

 I felt like camping and being away from humanity, so I turned inland at Fortuna, CA. I headed for the Shasa Trinity National Forest around Mad River, looking for a free area to camp in. 

 I eventually did find a totally isolated spot that I had to myself for the evening and all night. Quiet, empty, perfect. 

 When I'm in wetter woods, I'm often fascinated by lichen, moss, and deadwood. A sign of my usual travels through the desert I guess. 

 Although I was farther east than the main distribution for redwoods, there were some young ones in this area. 

 This sign made me think of my sentimentality. I wish it were that easy. However, I still felt pretty footloose and not burdened by too much longing, grief or missing. I felt fairly whole unto myself and like it was perfectly okay to just be alone. 

 This silly citronella candle, supposedly scented like smores, really just smelled awful. But lo and behold, it did help keep the bugs away. I had run out of my thermonuclear 100% DEET spray in Glacier and was relying on Deep Woods Off, which works for like ten minutes. 15% DEET? In the Pacific Northwest? AYFKMR? 

It was a perfect night for camping. Cool but not cold, no wind. Nothing but the sound of a nearby creek and owls.