Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire...

Jo and I are "home" at the Park Motel in Florence, OR. The owners have a son that lives in Pembroke, MA. For motels, this is pretty snazzy. We have adjoining bedrooms with a microwave, fridge, and bathroom. The walls are knotted pine with scenic pictures on the walls, as well as "The Footprints of God". We also have the heat cranked to 70. I looked on the calendar. It's still July, even in Oregon.

Honestly, Jo and I had had our fill of Northern California. We both loved the Redwoods. They're massive and quite frankly, the pics don't do them justice. On our way to Oregon today, we visited Lady Bird Johnson's Redwood Grove. In addition, we checked out Trinidad and Crescent Beaches again. Both are stunning with their rocky cliffs and crashing waves.

But the town of Arcata, CA got to be a bit depressing. A person can only handle so much chill, cloud cover, and pot smoke. Incidentally here's a typical conversation: "Oh, look Jo...a glassblowing store." As we walk by, "Tara, apparently glassblowing is another name for pot-pipe store." We then went to an "Italian" restaurant. There's a reason why Italian is in quotes. But, we both really liked the Aracata Hotel. I felt like I was staying at the same hotel that was featured in 3:10 to Yuma. Lots of red carpeting and copper bathroom fixtures. Comfy beds, too! Regardless of the strange and dark experiences in Arcata, Jo and I realized it's just part of our journey and makes a good story and an interesting memory.

Oregon has a different vibe: positive and lively. Tomorrow we head north to see the aquarium, seals, and cheese in Tilamook. We're also researching possible campsites.

Here are a few more pics from Northern California.