Apr. 11
Had an interesting experience last night. We drove north to a town called Ukiah which had a Wal-Mart, pulling in at about 7:30 at night. In the lot, there were signs saying “No Overnight Parking.” After inquiring inside, we were told that there was a town ordinance that prohibited it. Stopped at a gas station pondering our next move (probably look for a motel, since it was too late to want to drive on any further) I was approached by a man who asked about our RV, saying that he and his wife were thinking of buying one. As the conversation developed, he revealed that they were living in their car, and had been for some months! They told us of a church nearby that allows overnight parking in their lot. We went there, and found it to be quiet and safe. The other couple eventually showed up there later, and the two of us were the only ones in the lot. They were gone in the morning by the time we woke up. It got pretty cold overnight, in the forties, and you have to wonder how they keep warm, or sleep comfortably, as it is a sedan, not even a station wagon. They also had a large cat cage in the back seat (containing their cat) which would prevent the passenger side seat from reclining all the way. They told us they had been doing this since December (!), staying in motels once a week to shower. It sure makes me count my blessings, especially when I have to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. We gave them a little help, but if you think of it, say a prayer for Ron and Brigitte in Ukiah. They need more than a little.

Apr.12
Yesterday, we spent the day in Mendicino. We drove on Route 1 to get there, and part of it is right on the edge of the Pacific, which I was seeing for the first time ever. Part of the route took us through a redwood forest with winding roads and an overhanging canopy that let in so little light that it felt like we were in a rain forest. Lorraine says Mendicino has changed a lot since she last saw it. It is kind of a Woodstock by the sea. Unfortunately the weather was windy and cool, so we didn’t want to be outside as much as we would have wanted to if it were sunny.
When it started to get late, we headed for a state campground that provided a safe place to park, but little else for $33. California campgrounds are considerably more expensive than those in any other state we have experienced so far. In Arizona they averaged about $25, and in New Mexico, about $15. (Now you know why I like New Mexico so much.) The one last night not only did not have electricity, but there was no dumpsite. And the showers, which have always been included in the price of admission, were coin operated! All that, and no ranger on duty at all. It was late when we pulled in, and you self-pay at a kiosk. But I would have expected the ranger to be there in the morning. Maybe they just come by once a week to collect the fees. Wish I’d known that before I paid!