So much for delegating the writing of these entries. Here sit all the photos and yet - no story! The help these days…
Our next goal after Chico was wanting to see Redwoods. MsBoyink plotted a route that would get us over to the coast where there are a number of options for viewing them. Her route included an 80-some mile stretch of CA 299, a scenic highway that cuts through the Trinity National Forest over to Highway 101 on the coast.
I need to be clear - MsBoyink is the route planner and navigator. I need that to be clear because a couple of hours later we had to hole up at a rest area for an hour while MsBoyink reclined on the bed to recover from the motion sickness this route caused. While very scenic with rock bluffs, hills and following along a river, the road was very twisty and hilly. After a break and a light lunch we continued on to the coastal town of Klamath, CA.
We overnighted in a private RV park, then in the morning drove through the Prarie Creek Redwoods State Park. We hiked a trail - awe inspired by the size and majestic nature of these trees. We stopped by “The Big Tree”, perused the visitor center, and then turned around to drive the length of the park again.
From there, we checked off another item on Miranda’s pre-trip list of driving through a tree. Well, almost. Since we were hooked up with the bikes on the truck we chose to walk through the “Tour Through Tree” back in Klamath. Touristy? Sure, but to put a smile on your daughter’s face?
After that we got back on highway 101 headed north - wanting to be in a new state. MsBoyink decided that the scenic route might not be for her again so rather than driving a considerable part of the Oregon coast on 101 we headed over 199 bound for Grant’s Pass, OR.
The Redwoods were well worth the stop!
Okay, Boyink. I concede that I am the navigator and that I selected US 299 for our route over to the California coastline. However, I do recall talking with you about this a couple of days before our departure—and the other options over there added significant time to our drive AND were still curvy routes. (PS - thanks for stopping and letting me rest during the drive)
Now that I have that off of my chest…
Walking through the Redwood Forest was very cool. I felt like I was walking in another time (think Jurassic Park) or dimension (think Star Wars VI - Ewoks). I also felt compelled to stay on the trail, fearing that a slight step on any living thing may change my entire world when I emerged from the forest (think Ray Bradbury’s A Sound of Thunder ).
We love the redwoods. It does feels like being in Endor. In fact, that is where they filmed those scenes!