LandCruise with the Ballou’s: Bainbridge -> Gilbert

“Eureka! Eureka!”  Archimedes has gone down in history as the guy who ran naked through the streets of Syracuse shouting “Eureka” – or “I have it!” in Greek.  The story behind it was that Archimedes was charged with proving a new crown made for Hieron, the King of Syracuse, was not pure gold.  He realized after getting into a filled bathtub and seeing the water spill over, that the water displaced was equal to the weight of the body submerged.  Since gold is heavier than other metals, this technique could be used to see if the crown was pure gold.  Forgetting that he was undressed, he went running through the streets of Syracuse shouting “Eureka”, and that’s how legends are born.

Eureka, CA is the oldest city in Humboldt County, incorporated in 1856.  Its uniqueness is due to the fact that it is protected by the “Redwood Curtain”, and on this morning it was also covered with a thick marine layer.  Unique for its Victorian architecture, artisan culture and one of a kind shops its a fun place to visit.  Originally settled by the Wiyot people and called Jaroujiji, or “where you sit and rest”. 

HIGHLIGHT: Watched Monday night football and saw the Seahawks walk away with a 17-16 victory over the Russell Wilson lead Bronco’s.

The name “Russian Gulch” was given to this area by the US Government surveyors in honor of the Russian Fur Trappers who founded “Fort Ross” 50 miles south of here. Until well into the 1900’s, it was a fishing boat harbor and a stop for freight and passenger ships. It is now a California State Park.

Passed quickly through San Francisco. Just missed last weeks heat wave, but experienced the severe marine layer which was a result. Enjoyed an amazing campsite on the seashore of Half Moon Bay. No trip down the California coast would be complete without a stop at the Monterrey Aquarium – our next destination.

The Monterrey Aquarium in the historic Cannery Row of Monterrey Bay was established in 1984. The water in the area is so clean, the aquarium is able to pump raw sea water from the depths of Monterrey bay directly into the huge tanks without significant filtration.

Something dear to my heart, making a significant dent in the goal of ridding the world of plastics is highlighted at the aquarium. Artwork by several creative artists: Katherine Harvey In the Depths, Marti Cormand New Deal, Heath Nash Milkhandle Ball, and Chris Jordan Gyre.

On our beach walks in the morning, we noticed the beaches were pristine – no litter, no plastic. Inquiring at the aquarium, we were told there was a very active “Beach Brigade” of volunteers who combed the beaches regularly making a huge difference. What can you do to lessen your use of plastic in the world today?

Black Grapes from the CA breadbasket (near the Imperial Valley). Grapes (of all kinds) are the largest producing crop at $5.23 bil/year followed closely by Almonds, pistachios, cattle, and strawberries.

Katchner Caverns is an amazing cave discovered in 1974 by Gary Tenen and Randy Tufts.  They kept this discovery secret for over 15 years until the stars aligned.  The owners of the property James and Lois Kartchner (James had been a science teacher and the superintendent of the schools in the area), and a unique situation of the governor of AZ, Rose Mofford had all aligned holding the record of the shortest bill passed into law in AZ to make this cave a State Park.