Roadtrip

We’ve been all over Northern California in the past couple of weeks. It started with a road trip in a rented RV that we figured would allow us to celebrate my 40th birthday while social distancing. Some dodgy plumbing and electrical equipment ensured that things didn’t run according to plan, but we had fun nonetheless.

Our first stop was South Lake Tahoe. We hoped to find black bears, but the salmon that ran in Taylor Creek in October hadn’t arrived yet, and the place was distinctly bear-free. We did see plenty of chipmunks, though. From there, we headed to Redwood National Park in Humboldt County. The wildlife there was surprisingly diverse. In Trinidad, we saw harbor seals, banana slugs, and a pair of bald eagles perched high above the road. The highlight for me, though, was a lone Roosevelt Elk. I couldn’t tell much difference from the Tule elk in Point Reyes, but I enjoyed learning about a different variety.

The following week, we headed down the coast to Monterey Bay. We were there to see whales, written about in another post, but the sea lions, sea otters, and pelicans were entertaining too. We’re lucky to live in a state with such diverse wildlife.