We had the pleasure of enjoying a week in Klatmath California, reveling in the Redwood National Forest. I remember learning about these trees when I was in grammar school. It was hard imaging a tree being that tall, and that old. Some of these trees are over 3,000 years old. The oldest living trees on earth. I have to say, one of the most impressive things is the fact that citizens stepped in after becoming alarmed with the loss of trees to logging. Trees that would take thousands of years to grow back. in 1910 the Save the Redwood League was born. Eventually they established three state parks, Jeremiah Smith Redwwod, Del Norte Coast and Prairie Creek. Some of these state parks are part of Redwood National Park as part of the National Park Service (our favorite federal agency). We were able to enjoy all of these parks. Thanks to the NPS, and all the people who fought to preserve the trees, we are able to enjoy this majestic trees, as will our children and grandchildren. The National Parks are truly a National Treasure. It would be a true tragedy if these trees were logged into extinction.
Our time spent with the Redwoods was truly amazing. We enjoyed the long walks in the Woods. Dave couldn't stop singing "Into the Woods", which always makes me smile. It is a reference to the movie, which we saw with my Mom. Let's just say, Mom wasn't a fan of the movie. I think she would have loved these woods. But I digress, the Redwoods are majestic. The air was fresher here. One of the most amazing things is seeing a tree that is at least 100 feet, and the trunk is hollowed out from previous forest fires, and yet it is standing tall. These trees are very resilient to have withstood thousands of years of natural disasters, and still stand tall.
There is one section of the Redwood National Forest that you have to get a permit to enter. Only 40 people are allowed a day. It is in an effort to stop damage to the trees there. The tallest tree was suppose to be in this guarded area. So we drove 7 miles on a dirt road, used our code to enter the gate, and walked a 3 mile, steep path, to seek out the tallest tree (there are not plaques designating any tree). Well, it was great because it was quite. There were many large trees, but we could not decide which tree was the largest. The largest was discovered in the 60's from a great distance. From where we stood, they all looked huge. There are so many huge trees towering over us, we couldn't see the tops of any, they just blend together for one tall canopy. We had a wonderful day. This was our last day in these Redwood Forests, which was good. We were both exhausted, our feet needed a break.
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Fern Valley in Orick Ca. Parts of Jurassic Park were filmed here |
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| We did the tourist thing and drove the car in the "Tour thru Tree" which is on private property. |
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Crescent City- the Tsunami capital of the Continental US. Not very comforting. The 1964 tsunami killed 11 residents. These towering dolosse on the pier in Crescent City are in place to protect against the erosive force of waves. |
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| We found out that the number 1 restaurant in the little town of Klamath was at a neighboring campground. I heard it was fresh all you can eat BBQ'd salmon and I was there. A local multi genre band called The Mighty Steelheads preformed many of our favorites. It was BYOB, great food and music, we had a great night, and a great closure for this segment of our journey. |
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| Battery Point Lighthouse, Crescent City |
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| Burnt in a fire long ago, and still standing tall. |
