When Things Don't Go According To Plan

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The True American Spirit Shines

Leaving San Francisco I had a plan... lunch in Santa Rosa with Dave and Merry Jo before heading back to the coast and continuing up Highway 1. "Fail to plan and you plan to fail"... that's what they always say. What they don't tell you is that sometimes plans fail just to show you who's boss.

An invite to lunch with fellow travellers can never be refused... especially when it's from such well travelled people as Dave and Merry Jo. With a time limit due to Dave having to get back to work, we managed to squeeze in many a tale of our past, present and future travels in a beautiful environment filled with amazing food. I left with a further passion to see and experience the world as well as meet as many more fellow travellers as possible, and I'm looking forward to hearing all about Ireland in the coming weeks.

Back on the road and out to the coast, the scenery once again hits the senses like a sledgehammer. Rugged cliffs with the highway weaving around bluffs, climbing and falling over the headlands, not a trace of civilization in sight... not even any mobile coverage. In the end, this is what did me in.

In my own little horror movie, while climbing along a deserted ridge, my "trusty and reliable" transportation decided it was the perfect time to give up on me... downshifting for no reason and then just revving with no movement. Great... transmission!!

What situations like this teach you is that you can never underestimate the generosity of strangers. While stuck on the side of a cliff, no ability to call for help, with the sun going down and the rain approaching, my luck finally changed. Nancy, heading home for the day, pulled over to see if I was OK. With better coverage than me, she spent the next 30 minutes trying to find a tow service that wasn't based over 100 miles away... without much success unfortunately.

Like a saviour (I swear there might have even been a golden beam of sunlight), a tow ruck rolled around the corner and pulled over. On the way to another job that wasn't a rush, he organised with his company to take me first. It's at this point that the true American spirit became prevalent... Nancy pulled out her AAA Plus card and put the tow on it so that it didn't cost me. Never have I met a more helpful and genuine pair and I will remember them always.

With a tow into Gualala, a town with a garage, hotel, an excuse for a grocery store, along with a small collection of houses, I left the car outside the mechanic for the morning and started sorting out options. The morning conversation with mechanic confirmed my thoughts... transmission... and confirmed my fears... it was going to cost more than the car to fix as well as taking up to 2 weeks to fix. Easy decision in the end... sell the car to the garage as scrap and organise to get to Ukiah to get a rental.

I've always said that when travelling, you have a choice... You can either let the little things get to you and ruin your whole holiday... or you can roll with it and keep going. The rental car was my version of rolling with it.

Picking up my "new" wheels, I was back on track and back to the coast to complete the Californian portion of the drive. Up through Fort Bragg and heading into Redwood country, it was easy to forget the little things when there are 300ft tall trees that are over 2000 years old surrounding you.

Avenue of Giants, through Humboldt Redwoods State Park, is one of those surreal roads that will permanently be etched into my memory. It reminds me of Caves Road in Yallingup as it winds through the Karri forest... but immeasurably longer, older, more enormous and encompassing. It becomes a sensory overload, with every corner revealing another vista... crowded glades, flowing rivers, all shaded by the canopy of these majestic giants far above. This road is truly one of the great drives of America if not the world.

Just before leaving California, you are treated to one last look at the tallest trees on Earth and then before you know it, you've crossed the border into Oregon.

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Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

Kind and friendly Americans
Most Americans are like the ones you met and not like the ones you read about in the news. So sorry the car gave out on you. It was wonderful meeting you. Hope the rest of your trip is smooth sailing. Those redwoods are very special.

[RENanDREW]

from little things...
How lovely was Nancy?? So glad you sorted your car issue so efficiently!

[Dancing Dave]

AAA Plus
Sounds like you scored a more reliable set of wheels. Also sounds as if you scored a fortuitous place to break down as it turned out. Wouldn't have happened if you hadn't spend the time with Dave & Merry Jo. Always pays to have an up side.