Bear and Lion Country

Thursday, 27 August 2009

Road Trip Day 8

Memories of cold / hot camping mornings came flooding back as I ate my bowl of Cheerios and drank a cup of juice, followed by an English Muffin... which is appropriate, seeing as how I am one!

I left foggy Eureka behind and drove straight to the southern-most entrance to Redwood National Park. My previous experience at other national parks showed that the visitors centres are excellent and the Park Rangers are an invaluable source of advice and information. I explained how long I'd be at the park and how much I could walk with my sore hip and the ranger gave me some ideal suggestions.

Best Advice, Ever

First on my agenda was Lady Bird Johnson Grove, a circular walk around the area where the National Park was dedicated in 1968. It's a beautiful area, high on a mountain ridge, but level and with a well written set of self-guide directions.

At the start of the trail is an information board which featured what is probably the best piece of advice I have ever received.

If it's too small to read above, this links to a larger version.

So, remember, if you are attacked by a Bear or a Mountain Lion, don't just lie there, fight back aggressively.

Also, point 3 at the bottom, remember to pick up small children. Why? Because you'll need them at point 4 "...throw objects".

Happily, my walk was incident free and the most ferocious things I encountered were a small lizard and a German couple and their two kids. I chucked a few pine cones at them just to be on the safe side.

Fern Canyon

My next destination involved a drive on several miles of unpaved road which was fun, but The Beast is pretty dirty now. I am considering not having her washed for the entire journey. Given the hassle I had with the rental I'd quite enjoy returning the car covered in 6,000 miles worth of dirt.

8 miles of gravel and two streams later I parked up and took a walk along Fern Canyon, a deep cut in the coast with ferns growing deep on both sheer sides and a stream gently running through it. A lovely cool, humid loop walk for an hour.

Back at the car park I tucked into the remains of yesterday night's pizza.

Big Tree

Heading further north I reached the scenic Newton B. Drury Scenic Highway which, like yesterday's scenic drive, is a section of the old 101 Highway running through an area of Redwood forest. There were several turn offs and I took one marked "Big Tree", at which I saw an especially large specimen which had apparently been saved from an enterprising man who wanted to chop it down and turn the stump into a dance-floor.

In this more enlightened, ecological age it's hard to imagine people wanting to fell these magnificent organisms. You can really feel their presence as you walk amongst them and I've hugged a few now.

Another Motel

Tonight's hotel is another example of the classic two storey, park in front, roadside type though this one is showing more signs of age than most I've stayed in. It's fine though and absolutely adequate, except for the WiFi which is pretty poor. I'm writing this in draft form in my room, but will have to go out onto the walkway outside my upstairs room to get connection. Still, the TV works fine so I watched the Little League Baseball World Series (which does feature teams from all over the world, so there!) and the sports news on ESPN before heading out for food.

Clam Chowder

The minimal research I did for dinner lead me to The Beachcomber Restaurant just south of me here in Crescent City. Their dinner menu included a starter of Clam Chowder which I've seen on several menus already but have never tried until tonight. My verdict? Delicious! I'm hoping to have a few more bowls before I leave the North-west. My entrée was a huge Sirloin, cooked to absolute perfection followed by a small piece of bread pudding for dessert. Both meal and service were faultless and I was sure to tip accordingly. Thanks Josh.

Moonlight

I was feeling very happy as I left the restaurant, but the visual treats for today were not over as I took in the view of the hazy half moon reflected in the Ocean and the Battery Point Lighthouse blinking away. A perfect end to a wonderful day in beautiful Northern California.

A Word About California

By the end of tomorrow I'll have crossed into Oregon so it seems like a good time to talk about California.

Not for a moment did I feel anything but welcomed by the people and places in Southern California, but I would say that as I've travelled north the landscape has become progressively more naturally beautiful and the folks have seemed more laid-back and warm. Maybe I didn't see enough of LA, but I did feel very comfortable in San Francisco and, on reflection, should have spent another day there.

I'm glad I've slowed my progress down a little over the last few days as I'd have hated not to have seen all I have seen of Redwood. I was sure I'd enjoy the forests here but was unprepared for how majestic they really are.

Goodnight.

View Driving Day 8 in a larger map

Stats - Day Thirty-Four

Distance travelled - 117 miles - Eureka to Crescent City via Redwood National Park.

State count - 16 + DC

Pizza Count - 5... I started it last night and finished it today so it only counts as one pizza, even though it was two meals.

Room numbers stayed in - 203, 1, 148, 212, 205, 210, 246