Day 12

There were no showers Salt creek campground so only had cold sponge bath last night. Didn't have a sponge so used a sock from yesterday. We really need to do laundry. We used up the salami and cheese for dinner last night so we had bread, onion and kippered herring for breakfast. Herring is definitely superior to sardines.Yesterday we set record low day for expenses - $26. We planned to have 2nd breakfast 5 miles down the road, but when we reached the beautiful restaurant overlooking the ocean they weren't going to be open for another 25 minutes so we decided to ride the 10 miles to Jenner. Of course it was mostly uphill. It was a very low tide and the roadsides were completely full of parked cars of abalone divers just returning from diving during the low tide. Abalone can only be harvested by free diving so it takes a low tide to reach them. So here we are on a long uphill grade, no shoulder, rarely a guard rail and a steep 200 - 300 foot drop to the ocean and packs of abalone divers rushing home. The only thing to do was to search for a wide spot on the shoulder, pull over and wait for the pack to pass. They collected into large packs because of road construction stop lights. We finally arrive in Jenner and there's only a coffeeshop. So second breakfast was clam chowder and a bagel.

From there the ride to Sebastopol was up the Russian river along a quiet mostly gentle grade. Along one steep section a vulture gave me a good looking over. I really need to do laundry soon.

We'll be guests of Hugh's cousin Mark and family for the next 3 nights.

12/44/11.3/966