Mike, Dee, Zachery, Jo

  

I lied, Mike.  I thought I had posted this already but it was just waiting in the wings. 

So here is my next stop on the road to the eclipse, visiting nephew Mike, his wife Dee and son Zach.

They were in San Jose when I arrived, living across the street from this lovely green oasis.  I parked here for two days and Daisy was thrilled to have all this grass to romp around in.

They were also in the throes of packing to move to Oregon so I am not so sure they were as thrilled to see me drive up.  But they played the excellent hosts that they are and fixed me an outstanding crab boil dinner to rival any I've had in New Orleans.

The Three Bears.

The last morning Chef Mike fixed a great outdoor breakfast and we made plans to meet again at their new home in Gold Hill, Oregon.

The next stop was to pick up my sister Jo, in Redding, Ca.

Jo, would be spending a few weeks traveling with me.  If you know sisters at all you know this time together in such close quarters might prove to be a challenge.

Each day we had to make the table and booth into a bed for Jo.   Daisy tested it to make sure it was comfortable enough.

To Daisy, making the bed was a game ...

and Jo was her newest chew toy.  

Also she would clean Jo's ears out of love.  Jo really appreciated the service. 

The heat in Redding (115 degrees) drove us quickly to the coast where sweaters during the day and blankets at night were required.

First stop--Eureka! (I love the name of this town--you almost can't say it without an exclamation point.)

World's Largest Totem Pole

Height -- 160 feet

Weight of Pole (not base)--57,000 Lbs.

Wood--Redwood

Age--500 years old

The Pole was carved from one tree

 (And it sits, smack dab, in the middle of a very small, ordinary strip shopping center. Eureka!)

We spent the first night on the coast in the parking lot of Cher-Ae-Heights Casino.  The casino allowed free parking for the night, had a breathtaking view of the ocean, and a really great restaurant that overlooked it all.

I love the view when there is a hint of fog and the horizon  disappears into the distance.

I always think of pirate ships slowly moving in out of the fog.....

....to pillage and plunder.  

I wonder how Eureka got its name.