The Redwoods

On Friday we arrived in the Redwoods.  This is of course is the famous Redwoods along highway 101 in northern California.  We have driven through here in the past and ridden down highway 1 on our motorcycles but we have never stopped and smelled the roses.  This time we had scheduled ourselves to do just that.

We had reserved a site at the Redcrest Resort in Redcrest, California.  This is a little collection of residences with a couple of gift shops and a restaurant.  The resort rents cabins that are about the same as King suite rooms that are nicely appointed and basically self sufficient with only a microwave, small refrigerator and coffee pot.  The RV sites are limited to a couple of pull throughs and some back ins.  Our site was a back in on gravel that required minimal leveling of Piper.  Electric is a little rustic (only the 30 amp plug), water hookup was a little awkward, being along the fence behind us about 15 feet (had to use both my 15 foot hoses) and a sewer connection that I had to dig out a little so that my 90 degree screw in elbow would fit.  All a little tedious but a nice spot.  Plenty of redwood trees for shade here in the park and the bathrooms are right next door.  Each spot has a fire ring and a picnic table and is fully graveled.  They also have an area with about 8 tent sites on grass.

This resort/town is almost center in the Avenue of the Giants auto tour and is one of the few marked “towns” on the map that actually has a store.  If you are going to drive the avenue of the giants and get out and hike anywhere (which you should absolutely do) make sure that you have plenty to drink and take snacks with you.  Even places like the visitor center do not carry drinks for sale and have no snacks.  Speaking of hiking, this terrain is mostly flat with minimal elevation changes.  Most of the trails we were on or saw were wide and easily navigated.

On Saturday morning we were joined by RP’s Mommy Max and Teacher Tom the running man, who had driven up from the Bay Area to see us.  They insisted on taking us out to one of their favorite places in the area, the Benbow Lodge.  This is a great old place in Benbow that was built in 1926.  It is a hotel that is very reminiscent of the hotels I saw in Bavaria when I was stationed over there.  The looks of the typical Alps chalet and the rockwork is absolutely beautiful.  They have an indoor dining area and a great outdoor patio where you look down onto their well manicured lawn and the river below where there was a foursome of Muscovy ducks lounging in the sun.

the croquet lawn with the river below it

The interior of the hotel is a very eclectic gathering of decorations that don’t seem to have a theme other than early century adventurer collection (if that’s a theme?).  After brunch, we walked the grounds and then drove over and toured through the KOA and decided that we would keep it in mind for future forays in the area.  It is right on the river with a golf course running along it.

Off to drive the Avenue of the Giants, we made a pit stop in Garberville for fuel.  Garberville is hippie central.  Everywhere you look there is someone trying to sell home made jewelry on the sidewalk, grubby looking 20-somethings with backpacks, dirty pants and usually sandals and maybe some tie-dye.  They usually are wearing their hair in some developing stage of dreadlocks and almost everyone smells of either patchouli oil or reeks of marijuana.  This is indeed in the middle of Humboldt county, the long recognized capital of weed in America (although it is still illegal in California for recreational use).  I see people who have obviously just used, people who reek of it and even overhear a guy making a deal to buy some from another person on the phone. This is a town that gained its reputation in the 1960’s and has never left that image behind.  Again, I marvel at the variety and melting pot that is America.  RP and I have stayed here at the Best Western when on our motorcycle adventures.  There is a nice little store/café about center in town where you can get a coffee, sit outside, and watch the wildlife go by.

Off northbound from Garberville on the avenue to the visitor center for the Redwoods Park and a stop along the way with a tree and BFD.

BFD in a hollow tree

The visitor center for the redwoods is a nice place that has plenty of souvenirs and a great display about the conservation effort for the redwood forest.  They have the Redwood log car that belonged to Charlie Kellogg.  Kellogg was a vaudeville star who was also a conservationist who was raised in the area.  In 1917 he fashioned an RV called the Travel Log ( complete with a double bed, kitchen, windows, dining area and guest room) out of a single redwood log and put it on a Nash Quad chassis.  He then toured the U.S. with it until 1926.  It is now in the Humboldt Redwoods State Park Museum here at he visitor center in Weott, Ca.

nash

kellog’s travel log

drivers controls

interior

interior2

We headed out from there (RP picked up our souvenir pins) for the Founders Grove where the four of us took the leisurely walking tour through the grove.  This is a nice even surfaced walking trail that has some good information about the grove and Redwood trees in general.  The Dyerville Giant Redwood is located along this trail.  The Giant was once the largest tree in the grove standing at about 375 feet and was 54 feet around.  It was felled in a storm in 1998 and a resident approximately a mile away heard the crash and thought there had been a train wreck.

Teacher Tom and the rootball

We had all heard about the Albino Redwoods or “spirit trees” and wanted very much to find them.  We had been told that one was in the founders grove and there is indeed one tree with a whitish branch at station number four on that trail.  We were in search of the real spirit tree though.  All of the “albino redwoods” have been documented but when you ask where they are you don’t get a straight answer.  After a long search through the afternoon and some sleuth work on the part of our expert trail trackers, we discovered the spirit tree.  We came around the bend in a trail and there ahead of us, like a beacon with sun shining on it was indeed the albino redwood tree growing at the base of a regular green giant.

spirit tree

Flynn checking it out

This albino is about 20 feet tall and its big green brother stretches hundreds of feet into the sky.  This is indeed a moment of rapture.  We don’t speak for  a bit and then approach this stand alone vision.  I think of what the first person to see these trees thought.  A perfectly white “Christmas Tree” in the middle of the grove of giants.  The Native American in me demands a short prayer and thanks to the creator for letting me see this wonderful sight.

There is a great fallen tree behind with a covering of redwood sorrel and an entire carpet of the stuff in a glade beyond.

a sorrel glade

There are huge old stumps that have the evidence of turn of the (20th) century logging, the telltale springboard cuts and the huge crosscut sections.

century old stump

If you stand at the base of the giant stumps you can see where the mighty giant fell 100 years ago.  We take our photos and bid fare thee well to the spirit tree, make our way back to the car and head out, somewhat stunned by the sights sounds and smells of this ancient forest.  We record the location in our minds but nowhere else as we feel that the person who should see this fabulous grove is the person who will get out of their car and walk and search for it.  We head back to Redcrest feeling very humble and delighted by our discoveries today.

Max and Tom have rented the cabin directly opposite our space so we drag out the chairs, rev up the old charcoal grille that I have been carting around in the back of the Beast and grille some chicken for dinner.  While waiting for the grille to get up to temp Teacher Tom breaks out the wine and cheese.

Teacher Tom and Mommy Max hors’ d’ourves

The occasions that we get together are special to me as RP does not drink wine due to an allergy to the tannins.  Teacher Tom and I get to swirl and sniff and snort and smack our lips at our glasses of different wines.  We often hit a red or two and a white or two  and sometimes something rather different that one of us has found in our travels.  Sometimes we carry the wine around or store it for months before we get a chance to try it together but I truly enjoy having this experience with him.

My grille is a charcoal only grille and maybe is a little cumbersome but I use only lump hardwood charcoal in it and we like the flavor and really appreciate the smell at a campsite over the smell of briquettes.  Some chicken goes on the grille and RP gets some peas, Brussels sprouts and a pasta side whipped up (having the amenities in Piper is so nice!).  We put the red checked table cloth on the picnic table and set out the food.  It’s serve yourself on paper plates and somehow tastes and feels just as good if not better than any 5 star restaurant anywhere.

We clear away all the evidence of our feast and I get the fire started in the fire ring and pull the chairs around as the flames grow and dance and the light begins to fade.  We all gather around and the fixings for S’mores comes out along with the roasting sticks.  The fire drops to the hot coals and everyone gets to making S’mores for dessert.  There is just something about making S’mores around the campfire after dark and sharing them with friends and family.  We talk about our days adventures and semi plan tomorrow.  I call and tell my dad about our day and delight in his voice and camaraderie on the phone as we talk about campfires in other times and other camps in wild places with no amenities.  We catch up on the last week and he sounds great on the phone and I wish he was here with us.

Plans are made for breakfast (pancakes, eggs, bacon) and the cabin people head to their abode and we button up for the night, it’s starting to cool off significantly.  Time to catch up on some blogging and relax.

Sunday was another tour around day with us driving to Rio Dell to have some wings, beer and catch part of the Seahawks football game.

Teacher Tom at a walk through stump

Back down to the camp and prep for dinner and our last evening together.  We decided to go to the café at the Eternal Tree for dinner and had Rueben sandwiches and toured around their little exhibit.  As evening falls we sit around our table with some more cheese and wine and I get the fire going.  Our site is next to the bathrooms for our end of the resort and we have a steady stream of folks walking past.  They all respond when we say hi.  There was a newly wed couple from London, England on their honeymoon/holiday.  These two were serious about their sightseeing as they were on bicycles and had started their trip in Vancouver, BC and were headed to Florida.  Both very nice and chatty.  There was the couple from Denmark who came and chatted and then stayed around to sample our S’mores.  They had never heard of S’mores so we explained to them the process of making them and then gave them the fixings to make their own.  They made good S’mores and the female half seemed to actually enjoy them, not so sure about her husband.  They both thoroughly enjoyed the experience and after talking for a long time they headed off to their rented RV.

We caught up with Teacher Tom and Mommy Max for the rest of the evening (never sure exactly when we get to see them next) and then get some of our stuff stowed as we plan to pull out the next morning.

Monday takes us on an uneventful iron ass ride home.  We head north, staying on 101 through Crescent City and then angling east to hit Interstate 5 at Grants Pass, OR.  We pass through some beautiful northern California scenery before hitting Grants Pass.  We decided to drive straight through so we would have a day to rest and unload Piper before we had to return to our jobs.

We pull into the house and park overnight, getting our house set up for occupancy again is quick and simple.  We have neighbors and friends who take care of the house while we are gone on trips.  Our garden has been very fruitful.  Someone has place some pretty big zucchinis on our porch and the tomato plants have a bumper crop going.

Ahhh well,  Back to the grind that is our daily life.  We have had enough time off and travel to sate our need for a little while.  We’ll see what our next adventure is going to be, I know the Florida Keys are in the near future and there are plenty of local excursions to keep us busy.

Till next time,

See ya out there!

BFD