May 30, day 27 Samuel P. Taylor State Park to San Francisco

May 30, day 27 Samuel P. Taylor State Park to San Francisco

Starting odo 7375

I am only a little late breaking camp and we start out in search of
breakfast.  Only a couple of miles from the park is a nice store that
serves breakfast,and we sit down, eat, recharge devices and check
email since there is wifi there.

After a very leisurely breakfast, we leave and continue on, thru a
series of bike lanes and routes and paths.  It is a bit slow since we
are tired and I tend to go slow when looking for turns and etc.

We pass several bike shops and go into a few.  I am looking for new
tights (never take bib tights on a tour!), and Shyam needs another
pair of bike shorts, having somehow lost a pair, although I secretly
suspect they are just lurking somewhere in his huge panniers!

We pass a brewpub so we stop and we have appetizers and I have a beer.
 This brewpub has a lot of bicycles parked outside it, and there are
lots of cyclists in full gear eating there.  It is the first
restaurant I've seen where cycling clothing fits right in!

We continue, and pass yet more bike shops, and more, and more.  Marin
seems to have a very high density of bike shops!

Eventually, after several more stops, we find ourselves climbing up a
deserted road, deserted because it is only for pedestrians and
bicyclists, that leads up to the Golden Gate bridge.  We ride across
on the west pedestrian path, which is only for bikes, but not without
taking the requisite touristy photos!

Having decided to try a hostel, we spend a bit of time trying to find
it, and then checkin.  The hostel is in an old army barracks at Ft.
Mason, right on the water.  Its kind of like living in a commune, only
less privacy, but they have a room to store the bikes in, and a locker
under the bunk beds to store our panniers in. The room we stay in is
holding about 9 guys.  There is quite a spectrum of ages for the
people here. There are  some kids (I saw a sign welcoming a girl
scout troop) and there are young and old people here. You get a chit
for continental breakfast, and a men's bathroom across the hall, wifi,
tv room, and a large kitchen in the basement if you want to cook your
own food, and a small restaurant.  All for only $30/night.  I'm not
sure if this is a good deal or not.  The nearby motels are about
$100/night, and split in half that's $50/night.  In any case its a new
experience for me!

May 29, day 26 Bodega Bay to Samuel P Taylor State Park

May 29, day 26 Bodega Bay to Samuel P Taylor State Park

Starting odo 7318

We actually leave the park pretty early, but then go by this coffee
shop and stay there for about an hour, eating and using the internet.

Finally, we start out towards Valley Ford, and a few miles after, we
miss our turn, and end up in Petaluma. To get back on the route  we
take a  small road, which happens to involve some climbing.  Ugh, it
gets steep, and I try to maintain a good speed, but its pretty hard.
I am really putting out some effort, which is probably a mistake, I'll
only know how much of one in the next few days.

After the hill, there is a very fast downhill, and I rush up to the
Rouge et Noir cheese factory, where I stop and buy a Marin Blue triple
creme.

A little further on, there is a large lake, and the road is flat for a
while, yet it looks as if we are going downhill, and the wind is
blowing very hard making progress slow, and demoralizing.  Luckily
that part doesn't last very long, and we reach the turnoff for the
park.  Shyam wants to buy some stuff at a grocery, but it looks like
there is nothing between us and the park. In the other direction,
however, lies a little city called Olema, only two miles away. We
decide to take the side trip to Olema, but its straight up for the
first half, and straight down for the other half.  We are not keen on
the extra climbing, and the wind is against us, but we arrive there
and there is nothing but a snooty restaurant, with appetizers in the
$10-$15 range, and a private campground that charges $44/night for
tent camping!  So we head back to the park deciding that we'll just
eat our snacks for dinner.  I'm not too hungry having eaten a half
rack of pork ribs in Petaluma for lunch.

When we get to Samuel P. Taylor State Park, we find the hiker/biker
area is very full.  Many cyclists have ridden up from the city which
is relatively close to stay for the weekend.  We sort of find a couple
of places that might work, but Shyam hears that there is overflow
camping in the picnic area, so we go off to find it.  In the process
we get separated, and since it is dark, I just go back to the
hiker/biker area to camp in a little not-flat spot next to a redwood
tree.  After I set up I decide to walk around and eat my snacks and
see if I can find Shyam.  The park host putts by in one of those golf
cart type things, then turns around and asks me if I've lost my
friend!  Yep, so I hop in and we scan the picnic area, which is
completely dark, but happen to find Shyam in a nice flat space.  We
decide to leave at 9am the next morning.

May 28, day 25 Salt Point State Park to Bodega Dunes Beach

May 28, day 25 Salt Point State Park to Bodega Dunes Beach

Starting odo 7280

I get up, pack quickly and ride the 3 miles to stillwater cove county
park, where they have showers. Riding in, I see a sign that showers
are for campers only, but I continue on.

The showers are 1.50 for 5 minutes, so I shove them in and start. I am
just starting to wet the towel when it stops. After pulling on my
shorts and tights I go outside to finish dressing.

A little girl and her mom are there using the sink. Immediately she
says: "mommy, that man is NAKED!".

We laugh, Shyam is there waiting for me. I put on my testosterone gel
and wait for it to dry, and then I continue dressing.

As I dress, Shyam tells me the campground host came over and said that
I wasn't supposed to use the shower if I wasn't a camper, but she
didn't care. She said the ranger might care...

Sometimes, I think our society makes it as hard as possible for
homeless people to keep themselves clean - if you ain't got the money,
you don't deserve a shower!  Or, even if you do have the money.

As we leave, some people come out to talk to us.  They are very
interested and excited about what we are doing. One of the women comes
over with a plate of doughnut holes and puff pastry with cheese, and
offers it to us. Another tells us about some hostels farther south
that we might be able to use.  We talk for a while, and finally leave
to enthusiastic well wishes.

This is a general pattern for most interactions where people are
asking us questions, the most usual being:

Where are you headed?
Me: San Diego, Shyam, I tell them, is headed for Antarctica, which is
not true, but he would like to get to Tierra del Fuego, which is
pretty close!

Where did you come from? Vancouver, to simplify things, although I
started at the Canadian border in Blaine, WA.

How far do you go every day?
This depends greatly upon conditions, headwinds, how pretty it is, and
how many picture I stop to take, so its usually 40-68 miles.

I think that for a lot of people, we personify some element of their
own dreams of travel, or unstructured life, or adventure.  Many say
things like: "oh, I could never do that!", "I wish I had the time...",
"I'd be tired just going around the block".  Sometimes they are pretty
wistful when they say these things.

We get back on the road. After we finally get to Jenner, we eat
breakfast, and afterwards it starts to rain lightly. We ride in this
rain all the way to Bodega Bay, where we stop to eat at the restaurant
next to the surf shop.  As we try to park our bikes next to the
entrance, a woman comes out and tells us not to do that, as people
with their baby strollers (in the rain) will not have room to come in.
 As she tells us this, a few customers come out through the door and
walk to their cars.  We try to find some other sheltered place to park
the bikes, and when we do Shyam expreses some resentment towards the
woman. He says that she was abrasive in the way she told us to move
the bikes.  I agree, and I think her message is clear, they would
rather that we not eat there.  So we go across the street and eat some
fish and chips.

I am unsure about what to do. There is a campground nearby, but we
will have done only about 20 miles.  On the other hand, there is a
long stretch before another campground, and motels will likely be full
since it is Memorial day weekend.   I want to go on, but it's a
stretch, perhaps 35 miles, and traffic is heavier, and it's  raining.

Essentially, what happens is that we spend so much time eating the
fish and chips, that there is no time to ride further that day, even
if we wanted to. We attempt to find a motel that is reasonable (for
this day, defined as <125).  There are expensive ones, about $170, and
nothing else.

Luckily, it has stopped raining and its even clearing up with a little
sunshine, although I'm sure this is only a trick. We pedal back to the
Bodega Dunes Park, about a mile back down the road.  It is at this
moment, during the ride back to the park, that I think is the most
dangerous moment to date.  As we are going up the last hill to the
park, the sun is shining in our eyes, right down the road.  The danger
is that drivers coming up the hill will not see us as they will be
blinded by the sun.  Nobody comes, and the road veers away from the
direct sun.

After setting up camp, we ride back to town to do laundry and eat
dinner.  When we return to the camp, it is almost fully dark.  I go
down to the showers (there are three individual rooms) and select the
best looking one.  After getting ready, I put my first quarter in, it
comes right back  out.  In again, out again. This shower is broken!
Putting my clothes back on, to go to the dirtiest and wettest shower,
and get ready, then I see a quarter is stuck in the machine.  I give
up, and put my clothes back on again.  I am not willing to test the
third and last shower, it just seems too much to undress and get
ready, just to find it broken too, and if I just try putting quarters
in it, I will loose them due to the time it takes to undress, get soap
out, etc.  I am not happy about the state of California's parks.  On
the other hand, they are going to close the parks in a few weeks due
to budget problems anyway!

The next morning, I decide to go back and test the third and last
shower.  When I get there, someone is using it, so I wait.  When he
gets out, I ask how many quarters he needed to use.  He  says, none!
It just works if you turn it on!  There is another guy waiting with
me, and we both laugh, and he goes to try the shower with the stuck
quarter - and it works!

May 27, day 24 Van Damme Beach State Park to Salt Point State Park

May 27, day 24 Van Damme Beach State Park to Salt Point State Park

Starting odo 7212

I get up pretty early, having had a moderately poor night.  I ended up
staying awake from about 1:30 to 3:00, perhaps with short periods of
sleep.

We break camp and head over to the nearest store which also has a
grill in it, and order breakfast, which turns out to be pretty good.

Leaving, we work down the coast.  And it is work, as there are
consistent hills that are sufficient to put us into our lowest gears.
Luckily, we have a little tailwind that is helping us.  Still,
progress seems slow.

The  bike is working well with the new freewheel, although the
specific gears are a little different than the old ones.

The towns that we are passing through are generally small, perhaps in
the range of 200-400 people.  Sometimes this means stores and useful
things, other times there are just houses.

We are trying to pick a place for lunch, and Manchester seems good,
although there is only a combination grocery/hardware store.

After eating there, we find that the next town looks much nicer.

Around this time I start looking for a laundromat since I have no more
clean clothes.  Anchor Bay has one, and I run a load of clothes while
sipping a beer.

We again set out, a little worried that we will not be able to reach
the day's goal, Salt Point State Park.  The next stretch of road turns
out to have more moderate hills as the route crosses into Sonoma
county, and will the tailwind we make good time, arriving at the park
a little before dusk.  The problem for me is that the park does not
have showers!  Somehow we have overlooked this!  If we could go on to
the county park, there are showers but its dark and not advisable to
ride on state highway 1.  The road is much busier today because its
the start of Memorial Day weekend.  Luckily, most of the traffic is
coming from the south,

After eating a turkey, blue cheese, cranberry and onion sandwich I
return to the tent.  The  sandwich, btw, turns out to be vey tasty!

May 26, day 23 Fort Bragg to Van Damme Beach State Park

May 26, day 23 Fort Bragg to Van Damme Beach State Park

Starting odo 7195

We get up, eat the continental breakfast, pack up then go to the bike
shop to replace my freewheel. They are located in a kind of upscale
old wooden building that has been made into a mall.

I get a new freewheel, chain and freewheel remover, plus labor because
I let them do the work. We will see how it all works out.

We eat Lunch at eggheads restaurant, but we get breakfast!

The plan for the day is basically to make it a rest day, so for the
next few hours we putz around the town, looking at shops, doing stuff
at the post office, shopping in the hardware store.  Shyam gets some
pepper spray as he seems to attract dogs pretty well.

Fort Bragg turns out to be an interesting town, and we finally leave
at about 5 o'clock.

We ride the 11 miles to Mendocino and look around.  The coastline is
very beautiful, and the little town is interesting looking.  We
finally eat at an ice cream/pizza parlor.  At about 8:15 we leave for
the nearby Van Damme Beach State Park and get there at twilight, set
up camp, and retire to our tents.

May 25, day 22 Standish-Hickey Rec Area to Fort Bragg

May 25, day 22 Standish-Hickey Rec Area to Fort Bragg.

Starting odo 7144

Early in the morning it starts - the patter of rain on my tent.  I am
glad I covered the panniers just in case! Usually, there is some rain
in the morning, but it typically stops by the time I want to get up.
This time it keeps up, with some pauses until around 8 it pauses and I
get up.

Shyam suggests we go to the peg house to get breakfast.  It is a short
walk away.  It rains off and on while we are there as we walk around
the store looking at the items stuffed in every nook and cranny.

I am amazed that I am still finding stuff in the store that I didn't
see in the hour or so I spent in it yesterday. The Lady running the
register says she has been working there for 7 years, and she still
doesn't know all the stuff that's in the store.

We walk back to the camp, and shortly after we get back the sun peeks
out between the clouds.  Its not raining at the moment. We decide to
break camp and make a run for it.

Quickly packing up our wet tents, we notice that the tent bottoms are
not really all that waterproof, as they are wet now, causing the
underside of our sleeping pads to get wet.  It hasn't really been a
pouring rain by any means, so I wonder how it would be if it was!
Maybe the bottom of my tent is worn enough to compromise the
waterproofing.

Today's ride will start out with a climb to 2500 feet, then a descent
and another climb of about 800 feet, or so it seems from the maps.

As we start, the roads are wet and there is some sprinkling, but this
pretty  much stops, although the roads remain wet. It rains on us a
few times throughout the day, so I end up wearing the shoe covers and
waterproof pants and jacket much of the day.  Sometimes I think the
weather changes just to make us take off stuff, then put it back on.

The first climb is not too bad, we go about 4.5-5 mph for about 4
miles, then we go down, and its cold... and we keep going down.
Finally, the next climb starts, and this one is the one that actually
starts to hurt us!

Eventually, we are back on the coast, and the ocean is doing its
typical, beautiful thing.  We head down the coast towards fort bragg.
After only a few miles, I try to shift into second gear, and the chain
slips, like it does when I'm between gears, so I try to get it onto
one or the other cogs, but its still slipping, and it starts slipping
even worse!  Looking down, I see the second gear is just *gone*!  The
cog is simply not there anymore!  I stop and look at it more closely,
and it really, really isn't there! Backtracking for about 30 yards, I
find half of the cog laying on the road.  I take a picture. Never in
all my experience have I seen a cog break in two and fall off a
freewheel, cassette or anything!

I am at once deeply amazed, and very angry at the freewheel.  Its like
a lifetime's worth of bad luck with equipment has been applied to this
one object.

Looking on the adventure cycling map, I see that fort bragg has a bike
shop, so I pull out the phone to try to call them.  The phone has
turned off, the battery is empty.

After another 4-5 miles we get to Westport, pop 238, and there is a
store there.  I plug in the charger, and we order some sandwiches for
a late lunch.  Calling the bike shop, they actually have a freewheel
that is pretty much the same set of ratios as my current one, but I
cannot get there before they close for the day.

We talk a bit to the shopkeeper.  She has had a number of careers.
Motorcycle enduro racing, boat captain, and now shopkeeper.  Her back
was injured and she could not work the boat anymore. She says that
nearly everybody in the area has a 215 exemption.  What this means is
that they can use marijuana for medical purposes.  She says it works
great for her back condition. I quiz her a little about the various
sorts of medical conditions that would allow the 215 classification,
and it seems that nearly anything might be sufficient.

My bike now becomes a three speed as it is very difficult to shift
into the third lowest cog, and I wasn't able to shift into the lowest
cog.  This means that I have to stand up on a lot of the hills into Ft
Bragg.

Arriving, I get a motel room, we clean up and go into town for a beer
sampler at North Coast Brewing, after that, we try to find someplace
to eat, but all the restaurants are closed, except Denny's.

May 24, day 21 Dean Creek Campground to Standish Hickey Recreation Area

May 24, day 21 Dean Creek Campground to Standish Hickey Recreation Area

Starting odo 7116

Dean Creek is right outside of Redway, which is where I had the
foldable keyboard shipped, so we get up in the morning and try to head
out to the Redway Post Office.

 I say try, because I thoughtlessly did not get enough quarters to
finish my laundry the night before, so when the office opens at 9 I
get quarters and start my stuff drying. Getting to Redway I pick up my
package and get the keyboard... We are however, more interested in
breakfast, so we find out that the best place to get it is in the next
town, Garberville.

On the way, I think I see a sign about cannabis.  I turn around, and I
find a sign which says 707, Cannabis university.  A sign nearby
advertises hydroponics, so I infer that its education on how to grow
cannabis hydroponically.

While waiting for breakfast I pull out the keyboard.  its quite
compact, and the folding mechanism is pretty cool.  Popping two AAA
batteries in, I try to get it to pair with my ipod touch.  I'm not
having any luck until I *accidentally* read the rest of the
instructions and notice that in order to type numbers, you have to
hold down a function key.  Then it pairs quickly1  The keyboard types
pretty nicely, in fact, I like it better than the keyboard on my imac
at home1  it can, however, rock to one side or the other because it
sits on a small platform. If I type lightly, there is no problem. It
also works quite well when it sits on my lap inside the tent at night.

We are taking an easy day today, still recovering from riding with Liz
and Ben.

As we work our way farther along the route, we are still going through
areas with redwoods in them. The route mostly follows 101, but
branches off on parallel roads with very little traffic.  We go
through Benbow without really knowing it1  As we move along, we are
looking for some stores to buy stuff, but there isn't much, except for
a couple of stores around a tourist place. Across the street from the
gas station we stopped at was the one log house, and lots of redwood
souvenirs.  We don't go in.

Nearing our final destination for the day, the Standish-Hickey State
Recreation area, I am noticing a number of small motels that have been
converted into apartments, and others that are just closed up.  It
strikes me that the area has seen better times.  Then I think - the
whole country has seen better times.  The reality  is that things
peaked in about 1968-1972. That was the last point when we were pretty
much self-sufficient as a country.

As we near the park, there is a small stand of buildings on the left.
Most are closed, but one called "The Peg House" is open.  We go in and
the place is packed with an eclectic selection of items.  We get some
food, and stand around looking at things in the store.  The next
morning we go back for breakfast, and we are still seeing stuff that
we didn't see the first time!  The house, BTW, is made from hand hewn
timbers with pegged joints, and was built in the early 50's.

May 23, day 20 Rio Dell to Redway

May 23, day 20 Rio Dell to Redway

Starting odo 7067

We take an easy day due to my knee and also  Shyam's knees feeling a bit off.

Right off the bat, we forget to return the key to the motel, and only
remember it when we are about 2.5 miles away.  I ride back to the
motel while Shyam waits on the side of the road.  The ride back is not
hard, but I also don't try to press it.  I am still worried about the
knee.

About 5 miles down the road, we turn off on the Avenue of the Giants.
This is a road that more or less parallels 101 but goes thru the
Humbolt Redwoods State Park where many of the old growth redwoods have
been preserved.

All progress halts as we take pictures and slowly ride down the nearly
empty road looking at the trees. Some of these trees are taller than
the tallest hills in Austin, and they also started growing around
2,000 years ago!  Its just not possible to comprehend the age of these
trees.  Some of the trees are hollow, due to fire at some point in
their lives.  If the outer part of the tree is not greatly harmed,
they continue growing.  It gives me a special feeling to be standing
inside something that has been alive for so long.

We stop in Myers Flat hoping for lunch, but there is only a small
store open, the restaurants have all closed down. Later we find out
that the vineyard that is offering tastings also had food, but this
was only advertised on the main road, so we didn't see that!  We're
hungry by now, so we get onto 101 to try and make better progress to
the next town, only to discover the next two towns are not on 101!  So
we try to get back by taking the next exit, but the road doesn't cross
over to highway 254.  As we are looking at our maps, a lady drives up
and asks us if we are lost.  We explain our desire to get to highway
254 and she tells us to take the Miranda exit, and also that there are
restaurants in both Miranda and Phillipsville we can eat at.  Problem
solved, and in relatively short time we are eating at a mexican
restaurant in Phillipsville.

We move on to arrive at the Dean Creek Resort. Its an adequate   but
not fully kept up RV park which charges about $28 per night even
including the Senior discount.   We have stopped here in order to hit
Redway the next morning and pick up a bluetooth keyboard I have
ordered.

I spend the evening and morning uploading photos to the blog via the
slow network at the motel using Shyam's netbook

May 21, day 18 Patricks point to Arcata

May 21, day 18 Patricks point to Arcata

Starting odo 6990

Today is the end of the world we have been told - at 6pm!

It starts out innocently enough...  We get going with the promise of
breakfast just as soon as we get to something.  This turns out to be
in Trinidad, "The Eatery". I have eggs and ham, but the ham turns out
to be a huge 3/4" thick slice that I cannot finish and that sits in my
stomach like a rock for a few hours.

We move on to Arcata at a leisurely pace because we are tired and also
my left knee is aching a bit.

Arcata turns out to be a university town, and it's very nice there. We
stop at a bike shop to try to get Shyam's light working again, and a
block down there is a supermarket that is very much like whole foods,
and across the street is a nice laundromat that has wifi!

Shyam goes to the hardware store for some parts, and I go across the
street to do wash. As I get there, I see two familiar bikes, Ben and
Liz are there! We are really happy to see each other, and I get a big
hug from Liz!

After laundry is done we decide to camp at the KOA between Arcata and
Eureka, splitting the cost which turns out to be $6 per person.

As we are standing around at the KOA, we are wondering what the
industry or economic base is for Arcata. Ben says that it's marijuana!
He was talking to a police officer earlier who said that their hands
were tied when it came to MJ. People might be growing in their homes,
etc. but they could always produce a 512 (not sure about the #)
document for it.
The officer said he wouldn't live there, so he commuted from 20 miles
away. Our observation was that everybody we met there was happy.  Ben
says that Arcada was so notorious for MJ that he knew of a guy who
hitchhiked from NY to live there.

Other people had told us that the lost coast region was a big MJ
cultivation area, and not safe to go into during the harvest season.

In the evening, I get to use the hot tub, which I am usually too late
to do! There is an advantage to camping early!

I ponder icing my knee, but I would have to buy a whole bag of ice at
the KOA store.

May 20, day 17 Crescent City to Patricks Point

May 20, day 17 Crescent City to Patricks Point

Starting odo 6932

Up at 7:30 I check my email on the motel's iffy network. I can only
get it to work about half the time and even then it's baulkey.

From his tweet, Shyam may be in crescent city too!  I think I'll do
some markings with the chalk today. He gets off earlier than me so he
may already be gone.

A little later I get a phone call from Shyam - he is staying in am
ameracias best value inn! So after a while I get ready and wait on the
road and we meet up and start out.

Not too much farther along the road begins a serious climb. It's
supposed to be about 800 feet but it's pretty unrelenting. We are
climbing up into a redwood forest, so we stop for a picture next to a
"big" tree. Then we descend to a Klamath  we have been waiting for to
have breakfast, except its about 1:30 by now and they don't have
breakfast after 11. Shyam is disappointed, but they agree to do
breakfast for him.

As we eat another couple come in, it is Ben and Liz! They get
breakfast too, plus a little extra for Ben. It appears that any
leftover food will be taken care if by Ben!

After lunch, we all continue on. There is a bit more climbing - then
we start what seems like a 10 mile descent. It's steep at first, then
a bit more tame, but the big deal is that we are descending through a
redwood forest!  Ben is coasting along shouting "big trees!", which
ecoes in the valley space. It is a time of manic delight and beauty!

We stop several times to take pictures, once where the sign says "big
tree ->"!  A bit later we stop by a burned hollow tree. I wonder, can
I get a picture of my bike inside the tree?  You bet! In fact we get
all  four bikes in, and ourselves!

The four of us continue on to Orick, where we think we'll camp for the
night. Ben and Liz do the free camping thing, so they want to stay
behind the convenience store. I go check out the RV park down the
road. The park looks so run down I don't even want to go into the
office to check on details. Meanwhile, Shyam is told by a park ranger
who stops at the store that Orick is not a good place to stay. Shyam
and I decide to continue on about 7 miles to a private campground that
the ranger recommended. Ben and Liz also decide to camp a bit farther
down the road at what looks to be a scenic stop. they are dedicated to
camping for free, and are not much interested in showers!

When we get to the private campground the fee is $15, and I checkout
the restrooms and showers. It is not bad, but not really good. Of
course I didn't know what the California parks were like either.   We
decide to continue on about 7 more miles to the California Patricks
Point state park. The hiker biker fee is $5, plus I need .75 for the
coin shower.  After seeing the restrooms, I decide the private place
was superior. Soap and towels in the bathroom vs. None in the park,
and the shower was better. I would describe the state park as a very
well made Spartan facility - kind of like those stainless steel
toilets that are very durable, but do not have toilet seats. The
restrooms are unisex, and divided into 3 separate rooms. However, I
suppose since this is not the busy season, only one room is available
for use. The same was true of the showers. The shower is a nice tiled,
unheated room. Since the tiles are cold, all surfaces are a little wet
due to condensation. The hot water did kick in, and I had a nice
shower for .75 cents.

The state park does have nice steel boxes for food storage, and that
is a good thing. I tried leaving one of my odorproof bags out with
some nut crunch in it, but the crows pecked through it. I suspect they
are not relying on smell alone! Nothing attacked the butter cookies I
forgot about and left in my panniers!