Getting up before dawn I left home in Orange County to head for my first nights stay in Eureka, CA. 682 miles and 11 driving hours from home. It was going to be a long day that took me up Interstate 5 to Interstate 580 through the east San Francisco Bay Area, up to Richmond and across the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge to link to Highway 101. This bridge is the northernmost east-west crossing of the bay. Opened in 1956 the tolls are only collected heading west.

Interstate 5 through the Central Valley of CA

RIchmond-San Rafeal Bridge

RIchmond-San Rafeal Bridge

RIchmond-San Rafeal Bridge

Connecting to Highway 101 I continue up this iconic road through the California Redwoods and my destination for the day Eureka, CA and a cozy room for the night.

Highway 101

I used Air BnB to locate this very comfy, quiet room with a separate entry and bath in a residential neighborhood in the south east of the city. Colorful Corner was all that it was advertised and the host Patricia was a marvelous person to meet. We talk via email before my arrival, she gave me suggestions for places to have dinner and to visit on my way north the next day. Along the way Patricia texted me that she might not be home when I arrived and gave me the access code to the room, Although when I did arrive, after 12 ½ hours of travel time, she was home and we had a delightful talk as I dropped my things in the room and headed out to dinner.

B&B

B&B

B&B

B&B

B&B

B&B

A port city on Humboldt Bay in Northern California, Eureka’s Old Town district and throughout the city features beautiful Victorian homes in all states of repair. The bay was overlooked by early European Explorers and not settled until 1849 when it was discovered by an overland expedition. The second largest bay in California was the jumping off point and base for the early gold miners of Northern California who did not want to take the long overland trip from Sacramento. Eureka got its name from the eager gold miners of the day, its Greek meaning “I have found it” is also the state motto of California. Timber, shipping, fishing, boating and a strong commercial district has shaped the largest coastal city between San Francisco, CA and Portland OR throughout it’s history and to this day.

The cool Mediterranean climate has an average high August temperature of 64.3 °F (17.9 °C) and an average December temperature of 47.8 °F (8.8 °C) With an average of 40.3 inches (1,024 millimeters) of rain per year falling on an average 119 days during the year. The city might also be covered in a blanket of fog for most of the year.

Climbing into bed, exhausted, I appreciated the warm, comfortable, quiet room and slept like a baby until the next morning.