Redwood Country - October 1-14, 2006

This is coming to you from Arcata, California, just north of Eureka. We’ve been here a week exploring the redwoods and the northern California coast. But I’ll start by telling you a bit more about Gold Beach, Oregon, our previous stop and not technically “redwood country.”

On our last day in Gold Beach we took a trip up the Rogue River on the popular Mail Boat Tour. The mail boats have been have been provided postal service to the tiny town of Agness about 30 miles up the river for over 100 years. These days they carry tourists as well on a day-long trip in their open-air craft. It was clear but chilly when we set out in the morning, but the awe-inspiring scenery made us forget about the cold. We spotted great blue herons, egrets, a trio of frisky river otters and several bald eagles before we made our lunch stop in Agness. We had our choice of dining options, but Ez and I picked the historic Lucas Lodge where we had a full-on fried chicken feast served family style for us and our fellow diners. On the return trip to Gold Beach, our river pilot thrilled us by turning “doughnuts” in open areas of the river – fun, as long as you didn’t get wet!

Here's another photo of the stunning coast south of Gold Beach.

Our drive to Arcata took us down Highway 101 through the heart of the redwoods. These travel days are sometimes frustrating because we can’t always stop to check out the scenery or roadside attractions. That’s why we decided to backtrack up 101 for our first day trip. We stopped at the redwood grove dedicated to Lady Bird Johnson where we took a hike back into the forest. Words can’t describe how amazing it is to be in the middle of these towering trees – like being in a medieval cathedral with the arches soaring above. Maybe that’s why when we arrived at the Trees of Mystery, a popular tourist site that charges a $13.50 admission fee to walk a paved path through carved bears and Disney characters – well, we decided to take a pass. .

On the way back we took a scenic bypass along narrow gravel roads that hugged the cliffs above the ocean. A fog bank had settled along the coast and the scene from the cliffs above the clouds was like looking out the window of an airplane – too cool!

This was a great day, but sadly we FORGOT THE CAMERA!! Which led us to ponder the eternal question: If you didn’t get a picture, did it really happen!?!

Another day we drove south from Arcata through the Victorian village of Ferndale. This entire town of original Victorian structures has been declared a national historic site. Here are some examples of the ornate architecture.

After leaving Ferndale, we traveled another narrow, winding road that took us to the remote Lost Coast area. We saw just a few cars, some scattered ranches, and lots of glorious scenery. When we reached the Pacific the road traveled right next to the rocky black sand beach. We stopped in the small town of Petrolia for lunch and visited with some of the locals in this off-the-beaten-path location before circling back down to the redwoods. In the John D. Rockefeller grove we saw some of the largest known redwoods and also spotted two young deer feeding in the forest. Sorry - it was getting toward dusk and the photos didn’t turn out very well.

At different times on our journey we’ve explored Native American ruins, old ghost towns, and historic mansions until we’d had our fill. But at this point, we’re still a long way from burning out on redwoods! That’s OK – I’m sure we’ll have other opportunities as we work our way south through California.