Posted by Karen on 30-May-2010
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Day 2 of the 42nd Kinetic Grand Championship starts off with the water launching at the Eureka Public Marina. The spots for getting a good view of the water entries are much more limited than the other launching spot, but apparently, they tide direction dictates where there enter at, so we make do. From what I could see, all the sculptures entered the water without any difficulty, however Classical Nudes got stuck in the seaweed and one of their priests was brave enough to jump into the harbor to help the mechanic untangle them. And as they paddled on their way, we all shouted “For the Glory” as good spectators are required to shout.
Posted by Karen on 29-May-2010
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Not so bright and early, I make my way to Arcata Plaza at 10am and find a spot on the sidewalk to watch the beginning of the 42nd Kinetic Grand Championship. I snag a spot near the grandstand so I’m able to watch the brake check tests where each racer must be able to stop in a reasonable amount of time and each racer must be able to get out of their sculpture quickly, in case they sink during the water portion. After the safety checks, the teams and pit crews perform pageantry for the judges. They must sing an original song, dance, or do something else clever, in addition to giving the judges exceptional bribes, which are expected and demanded by the judges if they aren’t offered freely! When all are done, the noon whistle blows and signals the start of the race. The racers make 3 laps around the plaza and then head out of town towards the Manila sand dunes and Deadman’s Drop, before making their way over to Eureka Square for the end of day 1. I followed the race last year over the sand dunes, so I decided instead to do a little exploring while the racers struggled over the dunes. I check out Woodley Island and am able to get a closer view of the Fisherman’s statue that I’ve seen from across the bay. I also check out the Samoa Dunes Recreation Area, which a lot of folks with quad runners are really enjoying. I make my way back to Eureka Square to watch the racers cross the Day 1 finish line. Most made it in the allotted time, but Classical Nudes had a mishap and were late, so in good kinetic fashion, they all got down on their knees and begged the Goddess Jenn-O for an exception and were granted one. As the sun sets, we call an end to day 1.
Posted by Karen on 28-May-2010
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I arrived in Eureka last night and settled in at the Redwood Acres Fairground for the long weekend. Today I headed north towards Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park and along the way I stopped in McKinleyville for a geocache at the World’s Largest Totem Pole and boy is it tall! Just before the park I spotted a herd of Roosevelt Elk resting in a field and I’m glad I stopped to view them because they certainly weren’t at the designated viewing area on Davison Road in the park (maybe they didn’t get the memo about where to be, hmm). Davison Road took me to Gold Bluff’s Beach and finally to Fern Canyon. Fern Canyon is where parts of Jurassic Park 2, The Lost World were filmed and yes, it does all look very pre-historic. Fern Canyon is just that, a tall narrow canyon will lots of ferns growing up the canyon walls. At this time of year, the creek flowing through the canyon is still flowing pretty good and after about 5 minutes I gave up any notion of being able to dodge the water and resigned my self to just having wet feet, but it’s worth it. At the trail head, I met another solo hiker with a camera named Christina and so we headed off together to walk the canyon. The canyon is only about 1/3 of a mile long, but it’s a very cool walk. At the end of the canyon, I looped around to another (dry) trail and made my way back to the SUV. At the parking lot, there were a couple of Roosevelt Elk grazing and you realize that they really are big animals when you’re semi-close to them. On the way back to the trailer, I stopped and enjoyed a bit of the sunset in Trinidad at the memorial lighthouse.
Posted by Karen on 06-Mar-2010
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Lori and I headed to the coast for the maiden voyage of my new-to-me Aliner trailer. We camped at Half Moon Bay State Beach, which is camping right next to the ocean. Setting up the trailer was a breeze, even in the ocean breeze. After relaxing a bit, we headed north a few miles to enjoy sunset at the Point Montara Light Station, which was established in 1900. Back at camp, we just hung out and enjoyed a lovely spring weather evening and sounds of the ocean next to us. After breaking down the trailer Sunday morning, we did some tidepooling at the James Fitzgerald Marine Reserve in Moss Beach. Tidepooling is fun because you’ll never know what the ocean will reveal trapped in the rocks during low tide; I found one large starfish, several anemones, and pretty rocks. We enjoyed fresh fish and chips over at Princeton Seafood Company on Pillar Point Harbor and then we headed home feeling rested and refreshed.
