Traveling with Much to Learn

We began our week at Village Camper Inn RV Park in Crescent City, CA. This is a small and beautiful park in the Redwoods, about a mile from the coast. Unfortunately, 4 of the 7 days we were there were cold and cloudy; we started out the week staying in and chilling out. (Maybe I have jinxed our weather by having Chores and Chillin' days. May need to change them to Chores and Relaxin’ days.) To be honest, I started my week with a nap.

Fortunately, the Sun made a 24-hour appearance the next day. We headed out to find elk. No elk was to be seen, but we wandered into the Jedidiah Smith State Park and found a River Trail leading to the Stout Grove of Redwoods. The River Trail provided some excellent views of forest life. This pic is of a small stream we crossed. The green was almost overwhelming. Every hue imaginable lined the trail and the creek. There were tiny flowers scattered all around. The air was filled with the scent of blooming vines throughout the forest. Birds skittered through the canopy singing their songs of joy. But no sight was more welcome than the Trillium.

 

The Trillium is a native of California and thrives in damp Redwood Forests. We first encountered them in the forests of Ontario. There, they served as harbingers of Spring. These blooms are formed by three petals backed by three leaves. The flowers at white when they first appear and begin to change color to lavender and a deeper purple as they age. They do not cover the ground like poppies. Instead, they pop up from time to time in the forest litter and add sparkle to the varied green landscape. They are welcome reminders of the unique nature of this wondrous place.

 

Stout Grove is an old-growth grove of Redwoods that have thrived alongside the Smith River for many thousands of years. They were left undisturbed during the massive logging 125 years ago by the efforts of a lumberman named Frank Stout. The grove is named for him. The park is named for the Mountain Man named Jedediah Smith, the first European Fur Trader in the area. But it has been inhabited for at least 10,000 years by the native people of the area. These trees are genuinely majestic. This one reaches over 250 feet and is not the largest we saw. There is no way a picture can do justice to the scale of these remarkable plants. I will say more about them a little later. The grove was a delight to the senses. This grove's scent, sight, smell, and feel made the hike a joy beyond measure!

 

We went to Trees of Mystery the next day to see another old-growth grove protected by a touristy attraction along HWY 101. After experiencing these magnificent creations from the ground, we wanted to see them up close in the canopy. Marlene wanted to walk the catwalk through the canopy, which she did. I volunteered to stay on the ground and take pictures of her way up there. (Volunteer is a somewhat self-serving word to use. You could not have gotten me up there for anything.)  But she reported that the walk was great. I completely trust her judgment on this matter.

 

We found this interesting stump alongside the path when she rejoined me on the ground. It is called the Devil's Inferno. Lightning struck this tree several decades ago. Instead of starting a forest fire, the tree absorbed all the energy and burned on the inside, leaving the outside relatively unscathed. Several days later, observers reported that the inside glowed with a devil's fire, but the rest of the trees were shielded from the heat by the damp, thick bark and outer growth layer. These Redwoods have wisdom that exceeds most people. They know the secret to the greatest love, to lay down one’s life for a friend. Trees of Mystery was a fascinating afternoon. Eventually, I got into the canopy on a Gondola Ride to the park's top. From there, we saw the forest canopy at our feet and the Pacific Ocean in the distance. The colors and aromas are just as intense as the forest floor.

 

Our next stop was the mouth of the Klamath River, the home of the Yurok People. Their land follows the river 43 miles upriver from this point. These people have lived along this river for at least 10,000 years. If you look closely, you will see that the river has formed a natural breakwater across the mouth, offering protection for their dugout canoes which were their primary way of transportation. They did not have to venture out to sea. The river and surrounding forest provided everything they needed, and they had the wisdom to take care of their home so that it would take care of them and their children’s children. They have been doing this for 10,000 years. The river protects them, and they protect the river. Hmmm… we have something to learn from them.

 

The next day arrived with clouds and a cold, damp wind. The highs were in the mid-50s, and the lows were in the lower-40s. The forest is naturally humid, and the winds penetrated the grove where we were camping. All I could say about that day was, “I’m Cold!” This was January weather for this area, and the locals were also complaining. But the weather is beyond human control and demands that we adapt, though we do not have to like it. So, I took the opportunity to look ahead to our 2024 travels while enjoying Koko’s warmth.

 

Our original plan for 2023 was to see the national parks of the West and then take 2024 to explore the national parks of the Midwest. The extraordinary weather of 2022 and 2023 required that we pass up on visiting Sequoia, King's Canyon, Yosemite, and Lassen Volcanic National Parks. The snow buried the parks under ten to twenty feet of snow, and the plows could not clear the parks in time for us to visit. The flooding Spring rains washed out many of the roads to the parks, and some were not passable until late April or May. So, we diverted to HWY 101 and followed the Pacific Coast for 6 weeks. We have another three weeks before we turn inland. So, I spent the cold, dreary day working up a new plan for 2024. We will travel through the western part of the Midwest and return via California. I don't know if this will be the final plan, but I have plenty of time to make changes.

 

We spent our last full day in Crescent City and California, driving into Oregon and visiting Brookings. (Hey, we wander. What can I say?) This is the home of Harris Beach, where some of the most iconic pictures of sea stacks and tidal pools have been taken. The day was cool, but the Sun shone, so we enjoyed our afternoon exploring. I took all the same pictures that everyone else had taken. (Feel free to see them on my Flickr account.) We then drove up the Boardman Scenic Drive and found some beautiful overlooks, including a beach shot at Arch Overlook. It was an enjoyable day, but I am ready for more variety in our travels. I hope the next few weeks will offer us this opportunity.

 

The next day we set out for our two-hour drive to our next stop, Bandon/Port Orford KOA Journey in Langlois, OR. The cable connecting the brake lights to the Jeep stopped working, so Marlene drove Nakai, and I took Koko up the 101 to another beautiful campground. It was a nice drive, and we set up in a forested campsite. Looking forward to a quieter, drier, and warmer week. Hoped for more camping and less touristing. That night, we went into Port Orford, and I had some of the freshest seafood I have had in a long time. I could taste the sea in every bite.

 

The next day we drove into Old Town Bandon alongside the harbor. The old downtown was destroyed by a fire some years ago. They rebuilt it into a quaint and touristy shopping area. We walked through the shops, took in the sights, and stumbled onto the workshop of Washed Ashore, where the artists create sculptures from the trash that is recovered from the ocean. We saw the traveling exhibit last February in Galveston. This is one of the sculptures on display outside of the workshop. Yep, we have a lot to learn from the Redwoods who place the welfare of their neighbors ahead of their own. We have much to learn from the Yurok People who put the needs of their children's children ahead of greed and power. And we must listen to those who gather our trash and make art out of it.

 

We returned to our campsite and enjoyed the warmer weather by sitting outside and grilling a small tri-tip. It was a glorious way to end a week of ups and downs. We even found that the campsite came with empty bird feeders. We filled them and hoped for a warmer, drier, and birdier week. I live in the hope of the variety my soul craves as we continue our journey up the 101 in Oregon.

 

I look forward to the journey and hope you will travel with us. We all have much to learn!

 

Bob