To test your coach's performance and reliability - and your nerves, plan a trip on California 299 from the coast to Redding! RJ - ever done that one?
Tony -Yup, both ways. Once in a 4905 stick, and a couple times in MCI automatics.
IMHO, no worse than SB on Hiway 1 from Monterey/Carmel to SLO, or EB on US 50 from Echo Summit down into the Lake Tahoe basin.
Just drop the gearbox into the appropriate gear and give your pecs a workout!
While in Eureka, did you by chance take in the Samoa Cookhouse?
FWIW & HTH. . .