Ukiah or bust… or maybe busted?

Day 16

August 25th 2008

Garberville, CA to Laytonville, CA

48.9 miles

After the revelation that my credit/debit card was missing. I chose to change my route a little bit and make a beeline for Ukiah, CA where my sister lives. I figured it would be a good spot to hold up and work out some of the details for the rest of the trip. So of course I slept in a little at the hotel and got rolling around 11am. I knew it would be a long ride to Ukiah, but my sister said she would be willing to pick me up sometime today if I didn’t feel like biking anymore.

Even though the extra sleep was nice, It turned out to be a hot day today. Its about time I suppose, but that meant I missed out on cooler temperatures early in the morning.  And since I would be biking 101 exclusively today, there wasn’t much chance for shade from a coast redwood. In fact in this part of Cali, 101 is freeway like for the most part.  I’ve never known a highway with such a dual personality.  I went from 101 the scenic byway, to 101 the busy freeway in less than a mile.

101, the scenic byway

101, the busy freeway

101, in transition

On the plus side, the freeway sections usually had a wider shoulder.  And I usually made better time on the freeway sections.  Although I wasn’t planning too many photo ops today, I made two stops to appease the tourists among you.  First was the ‘One Log House’, a house built out of one fallen coat redwood.

One Log House

The second stop was a specific request from my Dad.  He kept telling me that if I saw a Drive-Thru Tree, I should snap some photos.  I think I passed two fo these already but my guidebook suggested the best one was at Leggett, CA.  I figured for dear old Dad, it would be worth the three dollar entrance fee.  I must admit it was kind of cool.

Drive-Thru, I mean ride-thru tree

After Leggett, I pedaled on until I reached Laytonville, CA.  By then it was very hot and frankly, I was tired of riding.  I gave my sister a call and she said she could be there in about an hour.  It sounded good to me, so I killed time at Laytonville’s one and only, “The Chief” Diner and Laundromat.  I figured it could be one of those hidden gems like Mike’s in Eureka turned out to be.  Despite the unusual combo of drive in and laundromat,  this place served one of the best tasting burgers I have ever had.  Specifically I’m talking about the meat.  I don’t think I’ve ever had a better tasting grilled burger in my life.  It was tender and juicy and with the slightest hint of grill taste.  It was awesome.   One of the reasons had to be the fresh daily ground beef.  The second clearly was the cook.  She couldn’t have been more than 16 but she knows how to grill a burger.  I got a chance to talk to the manager/owner and he confirmed that she was the best cook he had.  I will definitely return to this place, just as you all should when you are in the area.  If there was a way to get the garlic fries from Mike’s and the burger from The Chief I would be in heaven.

After my delicious meal, my sister arrived and we loaded all my stuff in to the back of her car.  I plan to spend the next few days visiting with sis, and in general, taking a vacation from my vacation.

Maury