Woke up thinking about Raging Bulls. (Please read the previous addendum to “Day 01.”)

So today when Leah would ask, �I have to pee. Can we stop?� or, �Do we have to listen to this crap?� I�d kick into my best Pesci��I�m yer brudda. How can you ask yer brudda a question like that?� Etcetera. I usually hate people who quote movies randomly. You know, that fuck who�s always gotta go into his, �Office Space� routine, or all my friends who this itch to go into a goddamn �Zoolander� skit every 42 minutes. Horseshit.

Grant�s Pass was our turn off towards the coast. We jumped on on 199 and were off. There�s this amazing little section where the forest turns to forest. Everything gets greener and bigger and there�s this weird�.�magic�� to the groves and hollows.

And with that first passing Redwood, the car goes quiet and the trees start.

There�s just something about their size and their staggering, silent power. You feel like you are in a holy place. Nature is strong here. It isn�t ours in a place like that. It�s the forest�s. I get silent around these towers. There just aren�t words to describe the power of a tree that is 20 feet in diameter.

�Uh, that�s a big tree.�

Whenever I�m lucky enough to whip through a stretch of Redwoods, it�s one of those experiences that sorta backs up the pleasant uneasiness I feel about, well, everything. I mean, something has to be designing/planning/thinkin� up all of this, right? Those Redwoods are examples of �things gone right� and man, I appreciate every bit of their grandeur. For the record, that is my 5th visit to the Northwest California coastal Redwoods.

All existential battles aside, ya just gotta stop at the Trees of Mystery. You just gotta. In the summer when the crowds are plenty, some guy climb�s up into Paul�s head and yells down, �hey you in the green jacket!�, as if old man Bunyan was greeting you as you walked up to pay some respects. �Hey you with the yapping Dachshund: Shut that rat up! Oh, and welcome to the Treeeeees offffff Mysterrrrrrrry.�

Across Northern Callifornia we went, painstakingly through the mountains, dropping down into Redding and Red Bluff, down the 5 towards Sacto, took a little back door through Grass Valley and was back on the 80 towards Reno.

Rolled into Reno real late. Secured a room. Tried my luck downtown at the Fitz and dropped some cash. File under: �Reno, my investment in your future, you sonsabitches.�

Crashed to the soothing sounds of Gary barking at every noise possible.
01. “And into the forest we went…”
02. “A staggering silence.”
03. “20 feet in diameter, man.”
04. “Paul and Babe, greeting us.”
05. “30,000 lbs of Minnesotan.”
06. “A fine array of Bigfoot figurines.”
07. “Don’t mess with nature.”
08. “Little sister Leah had no beef with those Redwoods.”
09. “Famous carving of the big one. Willow Creek, Calif.”
10. “Paint-by_number wall in Red Blulff, Calif.”
11. “Reno, Nevada: The biggest little Nakamoto in the world.”
12. “Looked for Willie and Ryno at the Fitz, and, well, didn’t see ‘em.”
13. “Motor Lodge majesty.”