Days 8 & 9: Clear Lake, CA

Our stay in Fortuna was brief -- the Riverwalk is a nice enough RV park, close to the river, and a great jumping off point for exploring, but we didn't.

Yesterday we drove from Fortuna to Clear Lake, a fairly easy day down 101 through redwood groves and small towns, often along the Eel River.

The Trees of Mystery roadside attraction on Hwy 101.  Paul and Babe still pulling them in, a bit of nostalgia.

The Eel River along Highway 101.

Our destination this day was yet another last-minute change, made on the fly -- to Nice on Clear Lake, instead of Ukiah -- but a good one. We found ourselves at the Aurora RV Park in Nice, at the northeastern end of Clear Lake. We've heard lots about Clear Lake, but never stopped here before. This is the largest freshwater lake that is entirely in California. (Tahoe is bigger, but shares shoreline with Nevada). A very popular place in summer, it's a nice place to visit in the winter.

Our park is under renovation, so a bit funky in places, but we are right on the edge of the water so the view is lovely and the manager is wildly enthusiastic. And the birds! The birds!!!. On a walk over to the playground nearby we saw coots, some strange geese, pied grebes and a pair of Western Grebes engaged in an amazing dance -- like a ballet, in perfect unison, long necks weaving and turning together. Loved it.  Later just a few steps from the RV there were mergansers, more grebes, and buffleheads.

A dock in Nice.

I think this may be Mountain Mahogany, embellished by lichen.

R & H at a playground just down the road from the RV Park.

Clear California skies!!

Friendly tree at the playground in Nice.

We decided to spend the day here and we were rewarded by a beautiful sunny day, temperatures in the 60s. We drove part way around the lake, stopping at Rodman Nature Preserve and on through the small town of Lakeport and pretty farmland -- lots of vineyards -- to Clear Lake State Park where we had a lovely walk. We saw an amazing array of birds including western bluebirds, ruddy ducks, acorn woodpeckers, turkey vultures, pied grebes, yellow-rumped warblers, coots, buffleheads, and I think a few I've forgotten, as well as many Western pond turtles. Altogether a fine day of nature stuff.

Acorn Woodpecker at Clear Lake SP

H checking out the osprey nest at Rodman Nature Preserve, Clear Lake

Western pond turtles, Clear Lake SP

 We did make our first attempt at geocaching in a while, which H was very excited about. I think he was hoping for a pirates chest of gold buried in the sand. Unforunately, not only was there no gold, no chest, and no sand, but we couldn't find the altoid tin that was the geocache. We were within 10 feet of it according to the GPS, but going the extra 10 feet either led us into traffic or down the steepside of a garbage-strewn embankment to the lake. We gave up. Still, it was cool to dig out the geocaching GPS and try to remember how to do it -- not completely successful, but we'll get there. Fun to see H so keen as well.

The name of this geocache site is "A Perfect Place". Couldn't find the cache, but perfect view of Clear Lake.

 This definitely a place to return to -- lots more to see and do.