these next few entries will be very sparse.. if i told you everything that went on.. well.. hmm.. this is a family show and all..


@ @ @


[secret wish]

hmm.. nothing really.. i've got it all right now. well.. maybe a change of clothes..


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[thought for the day]

i've seen more trees today than i've seen the past 25 years.


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[grump for the day]

not a grump really.. but it cracks me up how people will pay anything for the most ridiculous things.. like.... driving through a hole burned in the trunk of a 315ft redwood.

(and i produly admit i'm one of these commercial whores!!!)


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[days til SF]

this certain thread is redundant now.. isn't it?


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[definiton of the day]

the 'burn a hole in a tree and charge people to drive through it' bandwagon: yes, you too can have your very own tourist trap and have people pay you for such things as the 'chimney tree'.. or the 'mystery of the trees'.. or the 'log house' (a house made out of 1 log!!)... proof that people are as dumb as they really look... including me!

[monitor buddy]
hmm.. well i suppose my monitor buddy is m. granted the monitor i'm refering to is the gps monitor. a great gadget. it really hates mountains.. and hanging upside down from the sun visor..

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[la musica]

it's a collection of dave matthews.. pearl jam.. and fun lovin' criminals..

good driving music..

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{yesterday} next} {back}




get in the car and drive..
tuesday sept 01, 98


we get in the car.. it's another gorgeous day... oh.. and i finally found a very comfortable sleeping position that both my back and neck agreed on.. and i slept slept slept....

the mean streak has packed up.. my headache is gone.. i am happy once again.. (and there was much rejoicing...)


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so we get in the car.. after a long process of waking up, showering.. and really resisting the temptation to stay in bed and well.. sleep.. (in between maxing out the sex card..)

back in the car.. we drive north.. actually.. the day before we had bought this great book that was a tourists wet dream.. there were maps of california.. and then detailed areas for the 'touristy' cities.. in the back they had a collection driving tours.. one included the north coast and redwoods... we looked through it.. and decided to go see the redwoods..


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we drove for hours.. went through the wine company.. gawked at one vineyard in particular.. in the town of gallo.. it went on for miles.. being the goofs that we are, we were certain it was the ernest and gallo.. it might not be.. but eh well.. we ended up being victims of one radio station... one radio station.. and of course it had to be a country station... froggy 91.4 fm. ick. ick. ick. ick. ick. thank goodness we had cd's with us... else this lady would have gone postal and done some major damage..


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one suggestion.. if you are ever in willits, ca.. go to the perko's restaurant right off of 101. try the mendocino.. it is absolutely delicious.. grilled chicken.. avocado.. alfalfa sprouts and honey mustard.. mmmm.. yummy yummy yummy!!! each part of the sandwhich enhanced the flavour of another.. the avocado was perfect.. ripe.. a rich, buttery flavour.. the sprouts gave it an interesting texture.. (and i really don't care for sprouts.. but i ate these..) perhaps the only drawback was the small amount of mustard i was given.. but it was good in a way.. since i would have drowned the poor sandwhich to oblivion.. and for you school house rock kids... don't drown your food..' (remember that one?)

the raspberry tea was wonderful.. very tasty and my thirst was quenched immediately.. the place itself was wonderfully tacky... very clean.. and the staff was very friendly.. understandable.. since we were the only ones in there.. i think we arrived during the dead, pre-dinner rush.. damn good food. worth the drive.. try this place if you're ever in the area.. really.. you should.


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we rolled to the car.. and drove on..

we now come to the.. 'Chandelier Drive Thru Tree'.

yes.. you read correctly. this was a very trying time for m and i. he was introduced to the commercial whore that lurks in my personality. i grew up in florida.. shrine of the commercial rodent god.. mickey-ra.

home of alligator farms.. homes of the future.. glass bottom boats.. and a land where animated ducks, rodents and other creatures roam free...

yup... i love this cheesy tourist shit.. and.. naturally.. m can't stand it.. i think i wrote about something simmilar last time i went to sf... the fisherman's warf bit.. etc.. well.. i really wanted to see this tree.. i'd heard so much about these wonders when growing up.. this was my chance.. and dammit, i wasn't going to be deprived of this.. so we paid $3.. drove down a very bumpy mud road.. and came to this huge.. gigantic.. tree. oh.. and did i mention it had a huge.. gigantic.. hole at the bottom of the trunk? it was a living garage.. i laughed my ass off.. we had just spent $3 for this.. m was gritting his teeth.. but he couldnt' help but laugh.. we took pictures of the tree.. we took pictures of a huge huge monstrous log that was the remains of an even bigger redwood.. (there was a 6'2 fellow standing in it when we approached.. if that gives you an idea of the size of this log..) so we took pictures of this huge log.. and m took pictures of me.. (why.. i don't know.. he likes to do things like that) then.. for more torture.. i dragged him into the gift shop... (well.. what did you really think these people came to see? a tree with a hole in it? of course not!! they came for the merchandise!!!!


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crazy.. i'm telling you. save the redwoods!! buy all these products that are made from the same trees we cut down to clear out this land to build this gift shop with!!! yeah!!!


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it got worse.. i was really testing the breaking point with m.. well.. not really.. but, oh! was he complaining! we doubled over with laughter on the way out.. we passed a 'carvings for christ' stand.. huge carvings.. maybe 5-6' tall made out of redwood.. mmhmm.. if the man wanted trees to look like that... heh.. eh well.


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we ended up driving down the 'avenue of giants'.. (ok.. i whined until m relented.. awful.. i am.. i know.) there, we discovered the chimney tree. this was really cool. it was a tree with a door at the base.. you walk down stairs to the door.. walk inside the tree.. and it's completely hollow inside for about 6'.. maybe a little higher.. then it closes up and the top of the tree grows from there.. there was a guestbook for people to sign.. we read some of the entries.. lots of people from overseas.. germany.. italy.. france.. all come to see the grand chimney tree.. nah...

i think we drove for at least 10 hours before we stopped in crescent city.. looking at the map.. we were in the very uppermost nw county.. all i can say is that there are a hell of a lot of trees along the way.. after awhile, it looked the same.. curvy roads.. up a mountain.. curvy roads.. down a mountain.. small town.. lumber company.. another mountain.. etc etc.. well.. it looked like that at night.. however.. we did hit the coast a good part of the way up.. after we entered humboldt county.. we rounded a turn.. and the sky opened up.. the moon was shimmering in the sky and the lady pacific was stretched out along a cliff.. her waves dripping over rocks.. the air dropped 10 degrees in a second and the smell was pure heaven... sweet.. salty.. m stopped the car and we got out to enjoy the incredible view.. mother pacific spoke.. and she cried beautiful tears of love and welcome.. the wind blew over us.. sea spray tickling our faces.. the moon wore her shawl of mist.. gently casting her glow over the ocean.. i nestled into m's arms and took a long, deep breath.. hoping i could hold that feeling.. the beauty.. the smells.. within my being.. magic.. that's what it was.. pure.. magic..

it was.. it really was..


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crescent city. crescent city had a wonderful assortment of hotels.. and gas stations. both were ideal.. since we were in need of both.. the later desperately.. we found what we wanted.. fed the car.. and found a room..

the best western in crescent city. wonderful beds. really.. i've slept in a lot of hotel beds.. and this was the best one.. quite sturdy.. very comfortable.. sleep... sleep....

we drifted off.. the smell of the ocean in our hair.. falling into a sweet sleep.. floating on the soft lullaby from the ocean...


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bye for now. 2:13am pst/ september 01, 98