September 19, 2009 – Trinidad, CA

Geri and Don have stopped here in Trinidad on previous trips; every time, they have said that they need to spend some time here and get to see more of the area, because Trinidad has such a beautiful setting atop a cliff above the sea on a tiny bay. Well, this morning we set off to see Trinidad. We got an early start (for this crowd), and headed north to Patricks Point State Park. When we got to the Ranger’s kiosk at the entrance, Don told the lady that we were interested in going to Agate Beach. She wanted to know if we understood that the beach required going down (and back up) a couple hundred feet of stairs; nooo, we didn’t know that. She recommended that we head a little further north to Big Lagoon, where the beach was more accessible. We agreed. Just a few minutes later, we pulled into a parking spot just a couple of hundred yards from the beach, with no stairs. We walked out toward the surf, and I impetuously ran toward the water. Maybe something in my genes told me I should. I ran toward the surf as the surf was surging toward me, and I was suddenly knee deep in some really fast moving water that almost knocked me off my feet! Whoa! I acquired instant respect for this situation, and stayed clear of the surf during the remainder of our beach sojourn. We looked around the beach, and saw that there were quite a few people there roaming around, while looking down at the beach, which consisted of small pebbles. We talked to a couple who had two dogs with them, and found that they were looking for agates! Apparently, there are as many agates here as on Agate Beach! One of their dogs was a black Lab who was a really great digger. He dug up a rock the size of a big hamburger, and brought it over to his folks as a present. They weren’t all that interested, so he took it back down the beach and buried it. Their other dog was a Goldie, a female who had contracted cancer, requiring that her left foreleg be removed. She still got around pretty good, and was a very happy girl who showed great love for her humans. I liked her immediately. We walked around some more, looking at the pebbles in the beach, but not finding any agates. We met another Goldie, named Murdock, who was also very likeable; his mom had some really good treats, which she was willing to share with me.

Since Geri and Don weren’t finding any agates, and I wasn’t interested in playing in the deadly surf, we got back in the truck and headed for downtown Trinidad. Turns out, the only thing they had on their minds at that time was food! We parked at a restaurant, and they went in to gobble clam chowder and blackberry cobbler. I had gotten my lunch at the beach, so I didn’t feel too bad. When they finished their lunch, we drove down to the pier, where the fishing boats come in, and took a little walk around. The seagulls had absolutely no fear of me, so I didn’t bother with chasing them. We drove back up to town, and visited the memorial to Trinidadians who had been lost at sea over the years; it’s quite nice, and in a spectacular setting.

After making a purchase of some smoked salmon at a local shop, Don took us on a drive south of town, on a road that was really trying to fall off the cliff into the sea, but was under constant repair in many places to shore it up. Geri and I were glad that we weren’t in the motorhome. When we completed that tour, we realized that we had experienced everything that Trinidad had to offer! We went back to the rig to figure out what we were going to do tomorrow. Geri found this exhausting, and took a nap. Don kept researching, but ultimately came to the conclusion that the only decent RV Park further down the road, but still in the redwoods, was the Benbow RV Park, where we stayed last year as we went up the coast. So much for looking for new experiences. Geri made the reservations when she finished her nap. Tomorrow we’re off for Garberville. See ya!