Yesterday we left San Francisco around noon. We had planned on leaving earlier, but we're a slow moving pair. At least it's that time of year when the day lasts longer. When heading towards a campsite, I always feel like its a rush to beat the sun. Setting up camp in the dark is difficult.
We took the 101 North almost all the way here. We passed through the hot golden hills of Sonoma's wine country. When we hit Willits, a colorful arch transversed the road reading "Gateway to the Redwoods." The landscape had taken a turn for the green and the temperatures dipped. Massive ferns and giant redwood trees came into view. The air was pungent with the scent of arboreal life. As we went further up the 101, gift shops selling smoked salmon, redwood carvings, and burls started popping up. What is a burl? I'm not exactly sure, but it seems like a living piece of a redwood tree that you can grow moss on. We stopped at one of the shops that had a house made out of one log. Crazy!
Along the way, we took a detour off the 101 on a road called "The Avenue of the Giants." It wound through groves of GIANT and I mean GIANT redwood trees. I tried to take pictures, but just like any other majestic beautiful natural thing I've tried to capture with my camera, it just doesn't do it justice. The forests up here are so dense and tall that they blot out the sun, so you have to turn your car lights on while driving through them.
There was a period of time in history when these trees were cut down. That makes me so sad. They're so beautiful. I am glad some people had the sense to stop before all these majestic giants were gone.
We got to Crescent City around 7:30. This was the area I wanted to be, since there are several great campgrounds. I really wanted to stay in Jedidiah Smith State Park since the reviews on Tripadvisor were so glowing. I knew that getting to the campground so late with no reservations (and on a holiday no less) was really pressing our luck. When we got to the entrance the ranger told us that he was leaving in about 15 minutes, but we were in luck since he had one site left. I was so thankful. Our alternatives were a bland KOA campground or a budget motel. YES! I wanted to camp under the redwoods and I got my wish!
The ranger station had signs with bear warnings. We asked him how bad they were this year and he said they hadn't had any problems... yet. Like true Wisconsinites, we had a dinner of Johnsonville Better with Cheddars with some cans of High Life. We were careful to keep our food and toiletries bag locked up in the car and the sites bear box. I slept soundly although it was pretty cold and I was wearing many layers.
Now It's about 9 am and I'm sitting in the campsite. I'm hearing bird calls I've never heard before and seeing fat slimy banana slugs. It's overcast and about 60 degrees, so I'm a bit chilly. Mike is off exploring the campground and the gorgeous lazy river that runs next to it. When he gets back we'll have some bagels and pack up camp. Today we'll hike around here somewhere for a bit and then head across the Oregon border towards Crater Lake. Hopefully we'll find a good campsite and it won't be too cold and wet. Whatever happens, we're prepared.
One more thing... when we go on these road trips we like to listen to audio books. It helps the miles fly by. Currently we're listening to Rob Lowe's autobiography. It's really good and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes movies and California.
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