Day 84 / Dzien 84.

We had a perfect weather and three hours of sunlight left to explore the Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, a part of a large protected area along the California coast established to preserve the magnificent trees.
We selected a recommended by a park volunteer 7.5 mile loop of trails, a bit much for the time we had. We decided that if the night caught us in that old forest, it would make the experience even better. And so we went, equipped with snacks and flashlights, just in case. We enjoyed it. The trees were amazing. Sooo big. Many of them had enough space in their cracked trunk bases to shelter two people comfortably. We had to walk fast and not take breaks. Light wasn't good for picture taking anyways. We made it back just as it was getting dark.

Mielismy idealna pogode i trzy godziny dziennego swiatla zeby zobaczyc Park Stanowy Prairie Creek Redwoods, czesc rozleglego rezerwatu wzdluz kalifornijskiego wybrzeza, zalozonego aby chronic te wspaniale drzewa.
Wybralismy polecana przez parkowego wolontariusza 12-kilometrowa petle szlakow - sporo, biorac pod uwage czas jakim dysponowalismy. Zdecydowalismy, ze jesli zastanie nas w tym starym lesie noc, to bedziemy wiec o tyle wieksza przygode. Wyruszylismy wiec, zaopatrzeni na wszelki wypadek w prowiant i latarki. Podobalo nam sie. Drzewa byly niesamowite. Taaakie wielkie. Wiele z nich mialo wystarczajaco duzo miejsca w popekanych podstawach aby udzielic wygodnego schronienia dwom osobom. Musielismy isc szybko i nie robic przerw. Swiatlo i tak nie bylo dobre na robienie zdjec. Wyszlismy z lasu kiedy juz sie sciemnialo.

Day 83 / Dzien 83.

Tonight Memphis college basketball team was playing an important game. So we knew for certain what we were doing at 7. But with the rain pouring, we didn't have much to do before that. Instead of watching the game in the bar and running up a big tab, we got a room in a hotel and threw our own party with beer and tacos. Despite all of our support (I even wore my Memphis t-shirt), they lost.

Dzisiaj wieczorem uniwersytecka druzyna koszykowki z Memphis grala wazny mecz. Wiec wiedzielismy z gory co bedziemy robic o 7. Ale lal deszcz, wiec nie mielismy czym sie zajac przed meczem. Zamiast ogladac w barze i nabijac rachunek, wynajelismy pokoj w hotelu i zrobilismy prywatna impreze z piwem i tacos. Pomimo calego naszego wsparcia (ubralam nawet koszulke z Memphis), przegrali.

A chart I made for our quest of finding the best hotel deal in Cresent City. It tells you: 1. how much time we had to kill, 2. what kind of bore I am.
Tabela, ktora zrobilam zeby ulatwic nasze polowanie na najlepsza hotelowa oferte w Cresent City. Jasno z niej wynika, ze 1. mielismy za duzo wolnego czasu, 2. jestem wielka nudziara.

Day 82 / Dzien 82.

Last night it was so windy that we moved the van away from the edge from the cliff. But I still kept waking up, worried that we were being blown off. The roaring of the wind was very loud and the van kept shaking and creaking. With a circulating beam of light from a nearby lighthouse cutting through otherwise pitch-black night, it was pretty dramatic.
In the morning it was blowing just as hard. A large stone we brought back from the beach and left on the ground next to the van, was shaking and looked like it was about to take off. Gravel was hitting our windows. It was time to evacuate.

Noc byla tak wietrzna, ze przesunelismy van z dala od brzegu przepasci. Ale i tak budzil mnie strach, ze nas w nia zwieje. Huk wiatru byl bardzo glosny, van trzasl sie i skrzypial. Krazacy snop swiatla z pobliskiej latarni morskiej przecinajacy poza nim zupelnie ciemna noc mial dramatyczny efekt.
Rano wialo rownie mocno. Spory kamien, ktory przynieslismy z plazy i zostawilismy na ziemi obok samochodu, trzasl sie i wydawalo sie, ze zaraz wystartuje. Zwir bil po oknach. Nadszedl czas na ewakuacje.

In terms of accessibility and being visitor-friendly, the southern Oregon easily beats the northern part of the state. There is no fee at recreation sites and state parks. Right before the border we even encountered a rest area! But enough with Oregon already. We're in California now!

Pod wzgledem dostepnosci i nie utrudniania odwiedzajacym zycia, poludniowy Oregon bije na glowe polnocna czesc stanu. Za wstep na tereny rekreacyjne i do parkow stanowych nie trzeba placic. Zaraz przed granica znalezlismy nawet przydrozne miejsce wypoczynku! Ale wystarczy juz o Oregonie. Teraz jestesmy w Kaliforni!

Lee's getting blown away. Pardon picture quality - it's taken through glass and our windows were being assaulted by sand, dirt, and gravel all night. Not that usually they're much cleaner.

Lee odlatuje. Wybaczcie jakosc zdjecia - zrobione jest przez szybe a nasze okna byly cala noc atakowane przez piach, pyl i zwir. Chociaz przewaznie znaczaco czystsze nie sa.

California greeted us with a beautiful sunset. Kalifornia powitala nas pieknym zachodem slonca.