Today we traveled up Rt 101 through the Redwood NP. The redwood trees were very tall. They are the tallest trees in the world. Though not nearly as large in circumference as the Sequoia’s, they are still very large.
There were no areas where you could pull off the road in the midst of the park. We watched signs and never saw one that directed you to an entrance. There were several state parks in the area that were clearly marked but nothing for Redwood National Park.
We stopped at Mystery of the Trees to see what was up with that place. The parking lot was filled. There was a huge statue of Paul Bunyon and the Blue Ox, Babe. Darlie had her photo taken with Paul. He spoke to her and told her to smile for the picture. Some guy sits in the belly of the thing with a microphone and talks to the people as they pass by.
See Darlie standing by his shoe?
They had a private trail that went up into the redwood forest. They charged $14.00 for a quarter mile walk. People were paying up and taking to the trail. Call me cheap but I didn’t see the value. They did have a very large Indian or should I be PC and say native American, museum on the grounds. It was free. You had to pass through their large gift shop to reach it, however.
These are hand carved. Don't they look lifelike?
They had one of the best collections of Indian relics I have ever seen. They had each area of the west covered by tribe. Clothing, musical instruments, implements used for preparation of food and weapons, and ceremonial clothing were just a few of the many items they had on display.
We hit the road again and traveled to Oregon. The price of gas dropped 40 cents a gallon. That was a welcome sight. The roads also improved. California roads were pretty rough and in need of repair.
As we were going up the highway, George Stapp flew by us in this bug. If you don't now George, you should. I like the alien face on the back, George.
We stopped at Harris Beach State Park. We were told that Oregon has the best state parks anywhere. I would have to agree. We paid big bucks last night to get a glimpse of the ocean. Tonight we are right on it. The views are breathtaking. We will stay here for a few days and do some hiking around the park. They have paved trails that go down the cliff to the beach.
The beaches here on the northwest coast are made up of black and white granular sand. There are no seashells like back home. Black and white rocks roll back and forth at the shoreline as they are tossed around by the surf. Signs along the beach warn of “sneaker waves”. They are rogue waves that sneak up on you if you get too close to the surf. People have been washed away by them and lost their lives. Signs warn you never to take your eyes off the waves.
Darlie picked up the usual junk; crab bodies, driftwood and stones, all of which was transported back to the MH for bagging. Before we get home we will have to start throwing away good stuff to make room for these “collectables”.
We cooked our dinner outside over an open fire tonight. It is an activity that stirs the primal juices. If you ever wondered what early man did with all his time it is very simple. He spent most of the day chasing down something to eat. Then he sat patiently while his wife roasted it over an open fire. That pretty much takes the whole day.
We developed a method that works pretty good. We use a deep aluminum cake pan and a pie tin to make a dutch oven. Tonight we put our chicken, potatoes and seasonings in the cake pan, cover it with the pie tin and put it on the grate over the open fire. It takes about one hour to cook everything. We also put a can of Bush’s beans next to it. I know, back home that sounds horrible but out here it makes you salivate.
We were going to go listen to a young ranger talk about tidal pools tonight but we are pooped. We are both ready to go to bed.
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