Day 25: Best Day (Eureka KOA to Burlington Campgrounds)

22 Jul Day 25: Best Day (Eureka KOA to Burlington Campgrounds)

Carson Mansion in Eureka

The goal for today was to be on the Avenue of the Giants before sunset to give us extra time to explore for a bit. What we got for the day was the best riding day so far. We passed great little towns, ate really good food, was given great terrain, and the majority of the way was a good tailwind into Humboldt Redwoods State Park.

Eureka! We Found Food

We all woke up close to 6:45 to pack up and get out of camp by 7:30 to ride into Eureka for a much deserved Dennys breakfast. We toured around town to see some Victorian inspired houses, like the Carson Mansion, which was an incredible sight to see. We followed the 101 highway out of town until it became a high-speed freeway. Luckily, the ACA maps had us exit out to some really quiet roads that took us past the College of the Redwoods. Several dairy farms were on our route, so we got to see (and smell) many different kinds of cows.

2 Lanes of Joy

The 2 lane roads took us up and down through small towns, like Loleta and Ferndale. It felt like our bikes were time machines that took us a few decades back when times were simpler. Ferndale still had their old style downtown strip, complete with a saloon to quench your alcoholic thirst. We glanced at the direction down the road where the Lost Coast route began, didn’t bat an eye, and made our left turn on Ocean Avenue towards the Avenue of the Giants.

Ocean Avenue continued on through 13 miles of dairy farms on 2 lane roads. Towards the end, we were slowly pedaling up some steep ascents and really fun steep descents in which Sang Hyun clocked us at about 40 mph in a very short distance. We finally made it to the small town of Del Rio and Scotia. At Scotia, we stopped for lunch at a grocery / deli store called Hoby’s Market. We restocked on 2 nights worth of food for the ride into the Avenue of the Giants as this would be the last stop to do this before heading into camp.  There were no other nearby grocery options on the way, but there was a meet up of antique cars at the Scotia Inn. Old Fords and Buicks were on display with their spoke wheels and restored body.

Mission Accomplished

Portlan in a redwood tree

We got back on the 101 freeway and pretty much coasted into the Avenue of Giants within 6 miles. Entering the Avenue of the Giants was simply amazing. We were instantly shaded by the massive trees of the forest as we felt the temperature of the day rise. For the most part, the Avenue of the Giants was flat with some minor ascent and descent, but after about 15 or so more miles, we made it to the Burlington campgrounds.  It was 1 mile after the town of Weott, right next to the main visitor’s center.

Hanging out at the Eel River

We had enough time to even wander into the river for a quick 30 minute dip. The water was warm from the sun earlier in the day, so it was a real treat to waddle through it and end our day. We had a very late and satisfying dinner before turning in for the night. Tomorrow is our day-off and we’re going to spend it on doing absolutely nothing and enjoying our environment.