And just like that, the Big Storm hit, and the entire town of McKinleyville, California is dark!
As nearly everyone in the country knows, there are big storms wreaking havoc all over.
And although we are out of harm’s way when it comes to snow and ice, the 60 to 80 mph winds hitting the California coast today caused a lot of power outages.
As we were driving back to our McKinleyville campsite in the early evening, we were treated to quite the light show.
And unfortunately, it was the town’s transformers blowing up! It was a bit surreal to see the sky fill with flashes, and the town go dark.
As we made our way back in complete blackness to our campsite, we were quite happy to see the camper completely in tact and out of harms way. And thankfully, with full power thanks to the solar batteries!
What a crazy ending to a day that was actually nothing short of sensational.
Eureka and Septentrio Cellars Winery
It all started off with a trip to the quirky coastal town of Eureka.
The city is brimming with everything from huge artistic murals to a massive collection of Victorian style homes. And we took time to take in as many as we could.
Including its biggest and most famous Victorian structure, the Carson Mansion (pictured at the top of the article). Constructed in 1884, the Queen Anne Victorian has been completely restored, and now operates as a private club.
Before heading home to the light show, we decided to stop in the town of Arcata and take in a beautiful little winery named Septentrio.
Septentrio Winery
We are after all in California, and getting closer and closer to Napa Valley!
There are a lot of talented winemakers on the west coast. And they make a lot of great wine.
But beyond the great wine making and vino at Septentrio, it is the passion and friendliness of the owners and staff that take it over the top.
They were simply a pleasure to talk with, and even invited us to share in their Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday as well. Unfortunately, we will already be down the coast a few hours near Fort Bragg, but what an incredibly sweet gesture!
We say it often, but there are amazing people all over this country! Happy Traveling – Jim and Mary.
- Day 79 of 365
- States : 11 / 50
- National Parks / Monuments : 11
- Stayed In : McKinleyville, California
- Miles Driven : 41.7
- Total Trip Miles To Date : 8204.3
- Total Gallons Used : 609.15
- Biking Miles : 0.0
- Biking Miles To Date : 142.5
- Hiking Miles : 2.7
- Hiking Miles To Date : 178.7
About Our Living Simple Tour
On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States
You can follow along by signing up for our twice weekly email updates at the bottom of the page. You can also follow us on Facebook : Live Simple Tour Facebook and Instagram : Live Simple Now Instagram Page.
If you like wine visit Klinkerbrick Winery in Lodi California. Lodi is the heart of Zinfindel country. Steve Felten is the owner and makes EXCELLENT wines….you will not be disappointed.