Highway 101 – Oregon to California

Though Waze wanted to take us on a faster route to our next destination (in California) by taking us east to an interstate that goes 70+ mph, we wanted to drive the more scenic road, down Highway 101.  It ran along the Oregon coast, sometimes right on the water, sometimes more inland; through many small cities, some cute, some not; and through luscious forested areas – always pretty.  The road provided many overlooks for good views of the Pacific Ocean and of the large outcroppings of rocks that dot the coast.  Oregon knows that it has a beautiful coastline, and it has done a great job at making the shores and beaches accessible to the public along the Pacific.

Finally, in coming to the California state line, there was a border stop.  We thought they were looking for illegal aliens but they were only interested in fruit.

Our campsite for two nights was on the ocean near a lighthouse in Crescent City, California.  It was mostly just a parking lot with full hookups but the location was very convenient to where we wanted to be and it was on the ocean.  One of the attendants was a young man of color named Akiva (from Crown Heights; his father had a shul…).  He said we were the first people he met in the campground who recognized his name as Hebrew.

In 1964, an earthquake measuring 8.8 on the Richter scale struck Anchorage, Alaska.  Within five hours, a wave cresting at 21 feet slammed into Crescent City, killing eleven people and destroying 29 city blocks.  Although there have been other tsunamis along the coast, this was the worst tsunami disaster ever recorded in the U.S.  As a reminder of the ever-present – though, thankfully, relatively infrequent – tsunami danger, all along Highway 101 there are warnings: in Washington, tsunami evacuation routes; in Oregon, entering/leaving tsunami hazard areas. 

Redwood National and State Parks – July 23, 2019

It was a short drive from our campground to the park.  Uniquely, among all the U.S. national parks, Redwood is co-managed by the National Park Service and the California Department of Parks and Recreation, and is officially known as Redwood National and State Parks.  The three California state parks (Prairie Creek, Del Norte, and Jedediah Smith) within its boundaries were created between 1923 and 1929; the national park, whose boundary encircles these three, was established in 1968.  In 1994, the national park and the state parks joined to form one management organization.  Redwood is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve (balancing conservation with sustainable use). 

Our national seniors pass gave us free parking in the day use of the state park.  Entrance to the parks themselves is free for all.

Our three-hour walk, after visiting the ranger station, began with the Jedediah Smith (fur trapper who came to the area in 1828) River Trail that followed the Smith River to a walking bridge which crossed the river and is usable only in summer.  This led us to the Stout Memorial Grove, one of Redwood’s most famous areas, an impressive, densely packed scenic stand of redwoods.  We thought that we had seen some huge trees in the Hoh Rain Forest of Olympic National Park, but these redwoods were even more impressive. 

You have the distinct feeling of being an insignificant creature walking among these giant works of wonder.  But that is not correct; we are not insignificant, we have the power to destroy these living creations of beauty to the point of extinction (which was almost the case here, with heavy logging which began in the area – after the Gold Rush – in 1851, and which built some of the stately homes in California).  We also have the ability to learn from our mistakes and say we must protect these natural jewels before it is too late.  That is the calling of national and state parks, to protect and to teach us to live in harmony with what G-d has created.

Coast redwoods, as the ones here are called, grow only in a narrow strip along the Pacific coast of California and southwestern Oregon.  They start from seeds the size of a tomato seed, yet at full growth can weigh up to 500 tons, reach a height of 380 feet, live up to 2,000 years (they average between 500-700 years old), and have a bark of up to 12 inches thick which makes them impervious to fire and insect damage.  They have no known killing diseases.

Something interesting that we learned: There are actually three distinct redwood species: dawn redwood (found in China); the giant sequoia (found on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in central California, the most famous of which is the General Sherman tree of Sequoia National Park); and the coast redwoods (found in this park).  Although the giant sequoia grows to a larger diameter and bulk, they do not grow as tall as the coast redwoods.

July 24, 2019 – Day 2 at the Redwoods

We said goodbye to Shoreline RV park and drove south on 101 to a different section of the park(s).  We took three hikes, each about 45-minutes to an hour.  Although they all went through old growth forest, we never tired of being among the trees.  It is one of the most relaxing experiences we can think of.

Our first hike began at Prairie Creek trailhead.  It was a wonderful walk through the forest, surrounded by old growth very tall trees and low growth plants; most striking, however, was that we were by ourselves as no one else was walking the trail at the time.  We could hear the forest noises, the chirping of insects, the rustle of leaves…., and because the trail was relatively narrow, we felt completely enveloped by green.  We’re not sure how the trail difficulty was rated but it was a spiral trail with a pretty decent incline.  At one point, we were level with the middle of the trees.

Then, a short drive brought us to Big Tree Wayside to see the most massive tree in the park. The trail connected to Cathedral Trees Trail for another nice walk through the forest.

The third and easiest of the hikes was through the Lady Bird Johnson Grove.  Here, in 1969, Presidents Nixon and Johnson joined Governor Reagan in dedicating a 300-acre grove to Lady Bird Johnson and her campaign to preserve America’s natural beauty.  An interpretive brochure is available at the start of the trail which nicely describes the park, its history, and its mission.

We left the park in the early afternoon and drove along beautiful Highway 299 to our new campground just outside Lassen Volcanic National Park.  Tired, but happy, we relaxed after a delightful day of walking, communing with nature, exploring, and driving along beautiful roads.  We both agree, Redwood National and State Parks is a place we would like to revisit in the future and camp inside one of the state parks (Jedediah Smith, probably) which is by reservation only.