Passing through more farmland on the way out of Ferndale, we took the lovely Avenue of the Giants to Miranda.

Anne went with Ruth down the street this morning to pick up breakfast. They came back from the Ferndale Pie Company with doughnuts, breakfast burritos, plus sandwiches for lunch. It made for a more satisfying morning meal than we’ve gotten for a while.

We rolled out through downtown, past the cemetery, and to the farms to the southeast of Ferndale. The fog was a presence, but not enough to disrupt visibility. Before long we were in the hills, starting with a steep surprise.

We fully warmed up on the three pack of climbs before cutting through Rio Dell and Scotia as the sun started to come out. The road out of Scotia took us along a sawmill with acres and acres of processed lumber ready to be shipped off, and stacks of logs waiting for their turn. It’s kind of heartbreaking to think of all the forest and trees being fed to the machine, but wood is such a vital product, and it has to come from somewhere.

We got onto 101 for a five mile stretch. Ruth pointed excitedly at the rumble strip – she likes the bouncing it brings- but we stayed well in the shoulder.

Then it was time for the real highlight of the day, the Avenue of the Giants. This road, the old 101 alignment, but now a scenic bypass, runs straight through the redwoods. It’s two lanes, no shoulders, and at times even thinner when the trees are close enough. It’s mostly dark, unlike 101, because the road isn’t wide enough to give the sun much of an opening.

The ride was really nice. There were a few small climbs, just enough to be interesting without much pain. Traffic was relatively light today, but I could imagine it being less fun once summer travel really gets going.

We picnicked in a turnout and stopped to check out the Eternal Tree House in Redcrest. Anne has been excited about the drive through trees, so we had to stop at the one in Myers Flat. I shoved our entry fee in the box, rode in, and was glad I wasn’t trying to fit a car through there.

Today’s route largely followed along Eel River. Periodically there were high water marks from past floods. Most seemed to be about 15 feet above the road surface. I’m happy to report that we didn’t need to swim to safety today.

Our stop for the night is in Miranda. It has an old west feel. Many of the shops have false fronts.

Tomorrow is Max’s birthday, and also the halfway point of the trip. We’re going to try to find something special for him. Anne reports that when she asked him what he wanted, he said bike ride. He’ll definitely get that.