Western USA 2003
Crater Lake, Oregon to Redwood City, California
Because the cooler had broke I had to go into Medford to find a Wallmart to get a new Coleman cooler. Medford is one of only a handful of towns in Oregon big enough for a Wallmart. Along the way I stopped at the Medford Public Library and checked email for the first time, and went to a self-service car wash and dropped close to $5 in quarters cleaning off the desert dust. Even then didn't get it all. Also stopped at Oil Can Henry's at Grants Pass for a oil change, it was the best oil change I ever had. Stayed in the truck while the guys checked off points from above and below, they loved hearing about my adventures and didn't find any desert creatures under the truck. Ate lunch ate a nice restaurant at Grants Pass in the historic area. Grants Pass, in 1865 was selected to honor General Ulysses S. Grant's success at Vicksburg.
Continued south across the mountains into California into Redwoods National Park. It was sad to see the decay there is obviously little funding for the park everything is falling apart and little to see, most of the park is off-limits to visitors and there seemed to be a bunker mentality with the locals as if outsiders were dangerous. Took a walk through one old grove Jedediah Smith Redwoods which is really a State Park.
--Paul. Yes, really that big. Made out of a single Tree.
Could not find any back roads to camp on at all. Very much wanted to sleep outdoors under the redwoods but by 8pm was resigned to staying in an "AAA Approved" place called Trees Motel next to the Trees of Mystery tourist spot. First actual shower in close to 10 days otherwise an uneventful evening. Had breakfast the next morning at the Forest Café where plastic fish hanging from the ceiling is exotic.
--Motel Trees, AAA Approved.