May 12, 2013. I stayed 2 days and 3 nights in Fort Bragg, trying to catch up with laundry, letter and card writing, blogging, reading emails, and some bank business. I stayed busy the entire time but really did eat too much. Bleah. It is good to be back on the road again. I need to burn some calories over the next several days to work off what I did to my belly in Fort Bragg!! So, it is back to fruit and trail mix. My tummy will be much happier. I do have a small packaged salad I brought from Fort Bragg. It is keeping cool under some trees here at the campground.
Today is Mother's Day and the park here at Caspar Westport Campground is hosting the annual Duckie Race. They have a little creek that runs to the ocean and they "race" little rubber duckies, which bob and float down the waterway. There is a lot of people here, but they will clear out by about 3:30 pm.
Yesterday, I walked to the Starbucks in Fort Bragg, MacBook in hand to write the blogs from the last two weeks or so. Before I got started, though, I sat across from 5 young people, all in their early 20’s, who were traveling to Seattle via feet, bus, car, etc. They had huge packs and bags and had started from different cities but met each other on the road and decided to travel together. One couple was from Chicago; one young man was from Lubbock, Texas! Lubbock is a 3 hour drive from where I live and, in New Mexico terms, this is right next door. I’m not sure where the other couple hearkened from. (I hear my dad, Jack Kearney, scolding me for ending a sentence with a preposition...). Anyway, what a cool band of youngsters. They camp in the woods or parks or wherever they can find. They try to use buses and hitchhiking, when they can. Otherwise they walk. Usually they find a ride, though. Sometimes they stay in an area for a few weeks waiting for a ride or to collect money to catch a bus. They were open to conversation and this is good, because this is an incentive for virtual strangers to help them out with a few bucks to assist them in their travels. Their confidence has increased since they started as they realize there are a lot of wonderful people out there. We discussed mindful living, getting rid of excess stuff, learning how to live with few resources, and love of travel. The lady from Chicago had been a criminal psychology student. She used her skills to listen and observe and sometimes quietly advised the group. Her boyfriend was the talker--kind of like the leader in some ways. He made friends quickly and put people at ease. The Lubbock gent was open and friendly as well. The other lady piped in from time to time to share a story or two. Her man (?) was very private and read a book while the rest of the band chatted. They were an interesting group. They have met many people on the road and most of them did not want to go back to a settled life. The criminal psych student could picture some settling down with an open job with plenty of time to travel.
I wonder what they will all do when they reach Seattle.
This morning I left Fort Bragg about 9:30 and cycled to Westport. There is a campground here that used to be a KOA until about a week ago. It is now under new ownership. They do have a hike/bike reduced camping fee--$20. This appears to be the going rate for private campgrounds for cyclists and backpackers. State campgrounds charge $5-10 for the same type of customers. All of them charge $30-50 for RVs and tent campers with vehicles. The little store here was pretty empty and its few items were overpriced. They will be stocked in about a week from now. There is no clubhouse for me to visit, in order to plug in this MacBook, but there is an electrical outlet in the bathroom. But I doubt I will use it. It is a pretty campground and the spaces are roomy. I have a huge spot all to myself. The nearby beach is small and enclosed on north and south ends with cliffs. So it is fairly private. I imagine it is hopping in the summer. They are already booked up for Memorial Day weekend with a 3 page long waiting list. It is misty and cool here.
The camp hosts are new here and have a fascinating story. The lady host is 40 and always wanted to do a transcountry cycling trip. Her husband was reluctant to let her go and then he was diagnosed with Parkinsons. She really wanted to go then, before he got sick. Instead, he had a brain surgery to reduce the Parkinsons symptoms. When he was in recovery, he woke up, looked at her and said, “OK, We’re going!”. She hadn’t expected him to want to cycle as well, so this was a wonderful blessing and surprise.
They had some friends drive a SAG vehicle/RV (backup safety and gear vehicle), while they flew to Seattle. They met up with the RV drivers and the two of them cycled from Seattle to Florida, where they lived. They got caught in a hurricane at one point, sustaining damage to the RV that was their followup. They were stuck in this area for a few weeks but completed their trip without further misshap. They so loved this area that, 2 weeks after they arrived home, they moved out here in the RV to work as the camp hosts for this park. After I paid for my space, she told me to wait and she ran out to her RV and returned with about a dozen carbo-drink mixes. She said they “saved [her] life” on the cycling trip. You mix them with water for an energy boost.
Tomorrow I cycle uphill for about 2000 ft to get to Leggett. I think I will need those drinks then!!
When I was setting up the tent this afternoon, I backed out after tossing one of my packs into the corner to stabilize the tent. My foot got caught and I went flying backward, landing on my butt and back. It’s been a bit sore since then but all my parts are working, so I may have a dull bruise to remind me to slow down when I’m setting up camp. Usually I move slowly and methodically when I’m pitching the tent because I’m usually tired. But today was a short ride and, after 2 days of virtual body rest, I have some energy to burn. It is now almost 5 pm. I think I will take another walk, do my calisthenics, and maybe read a book on my cellphone, if I can get it recharged. That salad will be calling too, after I finish the exercises.
Gotta get psyched up for tomorrow. Actually, I think I will be ready!
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