Sausalito and San Francisco with family and boating friends

September 19th - 28th

Wow did we really get lucky! Last minute I sent an email to Williwaw, the boat name of a cruising family of old friends, that we hadn't seen or talked to in years! Keith, Terrie, Jason and Jessie, insisted we come to stay with them "on the dock of the bay" in Sausalito a city right outside of San Francisco where also, our niece Frances Lesher lives along with Henry her husband to be.

Keith and Terrie own a house boat which simulates the days when they were once cruisers combined with a life they once lived on land in Santa Cruz. Now they have the best of both worlds wrapped up into one world on their newly renovated house boat. Terrie and Keith still have their motor yacht, Williwaw, which is where we stayed at night time for a little over a week which is located at the marina about a "city block" down on the water. Awesome memories of our past boating life aboard Duchesse as we took their dinghy each night back to Williwaw.

Keith and Terrie's house boat in Sausalito, CA the back view from the dinghy.

Keith and Terries house boat front view

The "Williwaw" family, Terrie, Jessie, Jason and Keith

The "Duchesse" family

The famous house boat that looks like an owl and note the fog on the mountain. Check out this Sausalito house boat tour 2009 you tube clip for a little history and peak of some of the famous funky structures.

Just a neighbor's house boat that really still looks like a boat.

Sea lions just hanging out as we take the dinghy from the house boat to the boat Williwaw

San Francisco at Pier 39 where the sea lions took over!

Here's Dick, the friendly begging seagull, who hangs out on Terrie and Keith's deck daily.

Shopping in San Francisco

Randall and Keith cooking

Girls out shopping at the local arts and craft show in Sausalito

Teenagers just "hanging out"

Frances and Henry

Randi and Frances

Frances and Henry

Randi and Frances on the house boat deck

Me shopping for a hat...?

The house boats in Sausalito are where some famous artists, song writers, painters, and authors have created their famous pieces! Songs you know like "sitting on the dock of the bay...." by Otis Redding and other artists' music like Fleetwood Mac, The Doors, Jackson Brown, The Grateful Dead and other famous people and groups have created here. Shell Silverstein author of children's poems and books lived on a house boat down this dock.

Simply put, an artists haven. Beauty surrounds your senses!

Avenue of the Giants!

The day before our arrival to the Avenue of the Giants we stayed at a "campsite" in Patrick’s Point State Park in California on Agate Beach . Recommended by some bikers Randall briefly met at a look out point along highway 101, we were curious about this campsite poised on a cliff overlooking the beach. Completely under estimating our arrival time, we showed up at dusk with no sites left to camp. Looked great if you had a reservation! Traveling around searching as the sun set, we ended up in a day use area beyond the regular camp sites. It was remote with sounds of the ocean below. The car head lights illuminated the site as we all scurried collecting wood, blowing up my air mattress with the exhaust from the motorbike, setting up tents etc. Not the evening we had intended, but exhausted and hungry, it all worked out just fine. The next day we were up at the crack of dawn heading to see the GIANTS, the Red Woods, along the Avenue of the Giants.

Here's some of what you see on the Avenue of the Giants....

Here's the immortal tree.

Can you imagine the sound of this tree when it fell over?

Seems like such a tiny little road in a great big forest!

After entering the Avenue of the Giants, I knew there was no way I was rushing onward. Randall who seemed to be on a mission of making progress by getting further down the coast, had to be stopped! I fell in love with the mystical magic of the red woods. It was like a Walt Disney dream. We were these tiny itsy bitsy people in the forest of a giants habitat.

As we drove through we stumbled upon the Burlington Campground in Humboldt State Park California which is along the Avenue of the Giants. Somehow I finally managed to talk everyone into camping here in daylight and enjoying the views.

This little old stump was next to our picnic table.

Our campsite for the night

Randall and Austin drove out of the state park to gather wood. You're not to gather in the parks which need the fallen pieces for the ecosystem. The forest ranger who had to charge 8 dollars for a small bundle didn't think he would find much? Wrong! In fact he found plenty and went back for a second load to be sure we had enough for the evening!

Route 101, the Oregon Coastal Highway

Almost the entire coast of Oregon is lined with highway 101 offering breathtaking views of the ocean and sea life. My pictures hardly do justice to what we saw.

A family of Sea Lions on the rocks basking in the sun also seem to be mourning the death of a sibling we saw floating out to sea with their cries.

From the Hoh Rainforest to Ashley Inn in Lincoln Oregon is where we paused for the evening. I took a long rest in the hot tub along with Austin while Randall and Randi enjoyed some TV in the room. I highly recommend this hotel to anyone passing through the area. Privately owned it has an economical price tag with lots of extras!

Hoh Rain Forest

Upon our arrival at the Hoh Rain Forest with the two vehicles and our one National Park Pass, the Forest Ranger let both vehicles in at no extra cost charging only the additional fee's for camping which was so kind and understanding! He experienced the same thing with his own family entering another national park with multiple vehicles. Only, he wasn't as lucky.

The Hoh Rain Forest has several camping areas to pick from. Our kind forest ranger offered his recommendations on the best sites!

What I call a "discombobulated organized mess" as we take out the essentials for camping for just one night!

This is the cleanest most manicured camp site I have ever seen. The wild ferns were numerous along the paths and camp sites making it look cultivated.

Austin down by the water chilling his San Peligrino before dinner time.

Randall and Austin collected fire wood before dusk.

Well we planned on the remaining buffalo steaks for dinner but needed a flipping utensil. Randall just loves a creative inventive type of project. So, with one of his empty beer cans, he made this.

The sounds of the Hoh River which passed right by our tent, made for a tranquilizing evening. The next morning we were up at dawn packing it all up again hoping to get out before the possible rain. Randi and I did. However, the guys got soaked on the motorbike as we left the rain forest.