Moochdocking with a cloud of doom

We had a few scheduled stops once we got into California; friends and family that are not seen as often as one might like. The first was an overnight moochdock in the driveway of Kerri’s Aunt Claudia, barely a half mile off our route. Claudia came to our rescue with another 120v outlet as our battery had not recovered enough power to rely on it yet. The three of us caught up, enjoyed a meal out, and returned to the house to soon call it a night. We still had a long day of driving the following day to get to our next scheduled stop; one of Kerri’s friends in San Rafael, CA.

Not far down the highway, we would be passing the Avenue of the Giants which runs right beside our route. Although the scenery while driving down highway 101 is pretty nice, the Avenue of the Giants pushes it over the top. Kerri and I both though this was part of the Redwoods National Park, but we were wrong. It is well outside the park boundaries, but very National-Park-like. The 15 mile long road slithers through some densely packed redwoods – straight out of fantasy-fiction. We, of course, spotted a nice dirt road off the ‘avenue’ and followed it a short distance for a leg-stretch break before getting back on the road.

Things would start to get gloomy after that, and I’m not just talking about the weather. By the time we were within a few miles of our next destination I knew we would be going no further. My luck with Big Blue’s record of no major breakdown since I’ve owned him (nearly 10 years) was coming to an end. He was giving me all the signs of a lengthy stay in San Rafael. He went into the shop the next morning after our visit, and another overnight moochdock, with friends.