California here we come! We left Brookings, Oregon and crossed over into California. Once we entered the state we had to stop at a California Agricultural Checkpoint. We expected this and had not stocked up on fruits and vegetables ahead of time. They only asked if we had citrus fruits or mangos, which we didn’t so they waved us on.
Our first stop was a six night stay in Eureka. We were last here in May, 2014. Eureka has a population of around 27,000. It has a rich history mainly based on the California Gold Rush in the mid to late 1800’s. As thousands of people poured into the area in search of gold, their need for housing and the numerous redwood forests in the area provided a prosperous economy for northern California. Lumber was manufactured and shipped from the region so the area became rich through lumber and shipping. Many people in Eureka became wealthy which can be seen in the many large Victorian style homes. As you may have guessed, Eureka received its name from the Greek word “Eureka” which means “I have found it” and was first used by the Greek mathematician Archimedes. The gold rushers would say “Eureka!” when they discovered gold and the name stuck for the town.
One day we decided to drive along the California area known as the Lost Coast. It was a bright sunny day when we left home. We stopped for lunch and by the time we reached the coast and stopped at Centerville Beach a short time later, this is what we found. Plagued by the sea mist yet again!
The Lost Coast was given this name because of depopulation in the 1930’s. Because of the steepness and geographical challenges of the coastal mountains, this stretch of the coastline was too costly for the state to build highways or county roads through the area. Therefore it is the most undeveloped and remote portion of the California coast. Just the kind of area we enjoy visiting! Without any major highways the small communities in this area are isolated from the rest of California.
In Eureka we were reminded once again how expensive food and fuel (thirty cents a gallon) is in California! Ouch! We still pay deposits on cans and bottles but it is only five cents compared to ten cents in Oregon. California has a plastic bag ban so we must remember to take our own bags in all the stores.
Next stop: Redcrest to see the redwoods