4.04.2012

California Weeks 11, 12 & 13: Farewell to the Golden State

As we’ve told you about our drive from Atlantic to Pacific and all of our experiences in California, I’m sure that you’ve been wondering where Bella and Fyodor have been and what they’ve been up to.  Being responsible cat parents, Bilbo and I decided that the drive out to California was just too much for the prince and princess of Bauerville to handle; but don’t worry because they are purr-fectly happy with their situation.  I assure you that they have had a wonderful time chillin’ and being spoiled at Grandma and Grandpa’s house.  After all, there are plenty of cozy chairs and a nice warm fire…

 

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and they can watch Grandpa play “Angry Birds.”

 

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That’s about as exciting as a cat’s life gets, so we’ll turn our focus back to the human Bauers and what we’ve been up to since you last heard from us.  It’s been a busy few weeks, what with the preparation for leaving Ferndale and planning the next leg of our journey; yet, we’ve still managed to slip in a little bit of fun!  It started with a movie break to see, what else, The Hunger Games.  Over the holidays, we had a little assembly line going for the book series:  Wolverine (Bilbo’s dad) would read one, pass it to me when he finished, and Bilbo would round us off.  We were reading machines and all have been looking forward to the movie for months—not as much as the Harry Potter movies, but we were still excited.  This being a pop culture event of monumental popularity, we really didn’t expect anything spectacular and were very delighted to be wrong.  This was one of the best movie adaptations we’ve seen in a while and I can’t wait for the next two! 

 

 IMG_0643 The Hunger Games

 

After the movie, we hit up the Loleta Bakery for lunch.  It was a tiny little cafe in tiny little Loleta, CA, where a whole lot of goodies are born every day!  Bilbo and I each had a pizzetta:  a miniature artisan roll topped with fresh, local cheeses and veggies.  They were amazing, and so were the hunk of carrot cake and loaf of honey wheat bread we took home for later!

 

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Next up, it was time to retry the road to Fern Canyon.  Lucky for us, the rain had slowed down for a few days and the road was passable!  We took the Fern Canyon Trail through a lush a mossy woodland until we came to an impasse.

 

 

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Because of the past few weeks’ precipitation overload, the path was blocked by a rushing stream; which, I’d bet is normally only a small trickle.  With the help of a big stick and some carefully placed logs, we made it across the stream and into Fern Canyon. 

 

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How did we know that we had made it?  Well, the big orange “Fern Canyon” sign in the middle of nowhere and the tell-tale wall of ferns were good clues.

 

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As we continued along the Fern Canyon Loop, signs of the recent downpours were everywhere—flooded fields and a muddy path, but no gray skies! 

 

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We thought we were going the right way…but where did this random meadow come from?  Has anyone seen a sign?  OH, there it is.  Pointing in the other direction.

 

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Do you remember the skunk cabbages we told you about back in Acadia?  Well, they grow on the West Coast, too…and are just as stinky.  They were everywhere in Fern Canyon. 

 

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Do you know what else is prevalent in Fern Canyon: Compsognathus, a genus of small, bipedal, carnivorous theropod dinosaurs.  Oh, wait.  That was just during the scene of Lost World: Jurassic Park that was filmed here.

 

 The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)

 

This is just supposition, but I think this is where the scene was filmed.  Doesn’t it look strikingly similar? 

 

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It’s a good thing we made it out alive!  There could have been compy’s hiding in the ferns for all we knew!

 

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The hike into Fern Canyon was beautiful enough, but the excitement of the day didn’t stop there.  On the hike out we walked along the coast, then drove through a herd of elk afterwards.  

 

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Bilbo and I thoroughly enjoyed our day at Golden Bluff/Fern Canyon State Park, but the wildlife was a little too intrusive for our liking.  Whatever you do, do not leave food in your car!

 

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Stealthily, our last week in Ferndale arrived!  With our post-Cali plans solidified, it was time for some hardcore packing and organizing.  Now to get all of this in the Honda.  Hmmm.

 

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What better way to wrap up our time in Ferndale than to tell you about the metamorphosis that has occurred.  Don’t worry, I’m not being philosophical.  I’m talking about the Bridge, a restaurant (I think) right at the end of the Fernbridge.  When we arrived it was a wooden front building, very average.  Then, one Sunday, we arrived back from a weekend trip to find it painted like the American Flag.  A few weeks later, they added to the patriotism with a large wooden eagle over the porch roof.  I don’t know if it’s my imagination, or possibly just the owners’ experiment to find the perfect position, but I could swear that the eagle’s direction changes sporadically. 

 

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I just couldn’t leave our cozy little Northern Pacific paradise without sharing a picture of the Bridge with you.  Like wise, we couldn’t go without seeing one more sunset at Ferndale’s beach. 

 

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The evening we drove out, there was a gathering of local teenagers (and chaperones) roasting marshmallows over a bonfire:  a sign that summer is only a few months away. 

 

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Our last three weeks in Ferndale have been extremely rainy.  So rainy, in fact, that highway exits between Ferndale and Eureka have been closed due to flooding and fields look more like ponds.  These fields on the way to the beach are usually filled with livestock but look at them now.  It’s not all bad news, though.  The area had previously been below seasonal quota for rain so they needed it to support their heavily agricultural economy.  Plus, having spent almost a month in the rain makes it a little easier for us to say “farewell” to Ferndale.  We have greatly enjoyed living here, but we’re ready for a warmer, drier climate. 

 

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So goodbye, California…

 

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Hawaii, here we come!

 

That’s right, folks!  We are getting ready to spend two fabulous weeks hiking, snorkeling, and living it up in Hawaii!  If that isn’t awesome enough for you, we’ll be flying straight from Hawaii to Alaska before heading back to Wild Wonderful West Virginia.  That means there is a lot of fun ahead of us, but not a lot of opportunities to blog.  So see you later!  We’ll catch you up in three weeks as we drive back the East Coast.  Until then, Happy Easter…and for my Kappa Phi sisters “Christ is Rizzen!” 

 

Praise be to God!  To hear what Easter means to the Ramblin’ Bauers, click here.

 

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1 Peter 1:3

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…”