Day 2: Santa Cruz to Humbolt County State Park

On the road again! Matthew and I both awoke at 4:30am in Santa Cruz and decided to hit the road! Such a peaceful time to drive while everyone else is sleeping wedecide to drive up the Half Moon Bay and run the dogs on the beach. We found an amazing state beach off Hwy 1 called Pomponio State Beach. It was so early there wasn't a person or a foot print within miles, so quiet and beautiful and warm! The weather was amazing, as the fog hovered out over the horizon it kept a warm climate for the beach. The beach of course was a no dog beach, but we our dogs were in hog heaven, and very respectful! As we kept driving up the coast we stopped at a little local breakfast joint in Little Princton Harbor, I ate the best Crab Benedict with homemade cheese sauce ever!!! Matthew and the dogs were stoked on there breakie too:) We decided to keep on driving up the one untill around Mill Valley than we hopped on the 101 to avoid the narrow twists and turns of the 1. We headed up to Healdsberg to try out the canoe! Healdsberg is an amazing quaint little town with cute little shops and boutiques and the Russian river runs right through it! We decided to find a spot we could slip in, as to not have to pay to use a free river, and hiked our canoe into the warm, easy flowing river. The dogs loved it, we all swam and Matthew caught a big mouth bass! It was a well spent afternoon, and after loading up on groceries we hopped on the road again and kept heading North. Thankfully this drive was cool and the 101 (Redwood Hwy) is tree lined as thick as the eye could see! Beautiful scenery as well as a constant pine aroma, made the long haul up and down difficult grades to Humbolt a pleasent one. But we decided to cut it short just before Eureka to chill in the redwoods and camp next to the Eel river untill morning! Another amazing leg, untill the drive into Oregon tomorrow!