Brookings into the Redwoods

I can say with a certain amount of certainty that today might have been the best day of motorcycling I've done to date.That's actually saying a lot.There were a few hiccups, like anything, but the positives more than outshone the negatives.I started out in Brookings sharing a hotel room with my brother. We got a reasonable early start to the day by grabbing a bite to eat at the Oceanside Diner. The food was good. But what was remarkable was the sheer quantity of Nascar objects on the wall. I forgot to take a picture of it though... figures.After breakfast we loaded up our respective rides and rode out.Pete and I started off together for the first few miles into California. He was now on a journey of photography, while I was on one of travel for the sake of traveling. After the first stop we bid our farewells and I rode on.An interesting thing was passing the gang on bikers on Harleys. We were on a four-lane chunk of 101 -- two lanes a side -- and I wanted to get by them. For some reason they seemed to not want to let me pass. Don't really know why. As I rode by the lead rider sped up.Well, I now know that my bike in 6th can out-drag a Harley. Or at least this gentleman's steed. I won't say how fast I went before I shook him. I didn't want to mix things up with them. I guess it must've been a bit unnerving to have a rider all kitted out with camping gear outrun you. ;-)The only real annoyance of the day was getting stuck behind a truck.This, in and of itself, isn't anything to write about.What was special about this truck was that something started leaking from this truck. It looked like it was something from its rear bumper, but I'm not really sure. I was almost able to get by on a passing lane before getting stuck, but noooo... The stuff that leaked was really strange. I thought it was water at first, but it was something else. It dried to a sticky grimy mess on my face shield. Grrr... Pulling over by a beach let a string of other slow vehicles overtake me as well.Thankfully not the gang.All this was in the persistent overcast and occasional mist.Then I got off 101.I got off the beaten path.I got way off.At Loleta the 101 and I parted ways. I took the 211 through Ferndale into Petrolia.The 211 is the most beautiful (if not perfectly maintained) road I've even ridden on. And I had it almost to myself.Every curve was a challenge. And beyond each curve was another breathtaking view. It could be a view of a valley. A view of the ocean. Dunes. Farms. Ranches. Switchbacks.Anything.Everything.And all of it stunning.And the cold ended too. On the 101 it was in the 60s. I saw the temperatures climb to the 90son the 211. It was nice to not be cold for the first time in the trip.The 211 climbs up and back down two different ridges between getting off the 101 and Humboldt Redwoods State Park.Which is where I'm staying tonight.And I got the last site.Sometimes things just work out. :-D