THURSDAY - With a very short 40-mile travel day we left early (around 9:00AM) and then found a place along US-101 where we could park for 2-1/2 hours and watch the surf roll in.
Towards the end of our drive today we passed over the Klamath River and entered the Yurok Tribe Reservation.
I remember from South Florida, where the Seminole Tribe would sell cigarettes on tribal lands to the public for cheap, because they didn't have to pay all the state taxes on them. Here we saw gasoline on the Yurok Reservation for $5.59, when everywhere else it was $6.15 or more. Guess where I'll be buying all my gas this week?
We checked in at noon to our new campsite, hooked up to the electric, filled our fresh water tank and got the Starlink up and running, then started planning our day for tomorrow.
TRAVEL DAY
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This is what happens when a redwood tries to hide in a predominantly spruce and fir forest. Notice the tall one has already "lost it's top", a lightening strike would be my guess.
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These two golden bears greet you as you drive over the Klamath River Bridge.
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The Klamath River is the third-largest salmon and steelhead producing river on the west coast.
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On the opposite side of the bridge you're greeted by 2 golden bear butts.
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All tucked into our home for the next week with the Starlink up and running.
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A picnic table and fire pit come with the site, but I'm sure we won't be using either.
FRIDAY - Before we go any further in our visit I need to get something straight.
The "Official" name of where we've been visiting for the last week is "Redwood National and State Parks". The National Park was founded in 1968, after there were already four California State Parks in the area.
Now they both operate certain aspects of the larger National Park, mostly the State Parks continue to operate the campgrounds, but offering the National Park discount programs.
As I mentioned before, that's good news for us seniors with the National Park Pass, but bad news for us personally because we're too large to fit into any of the 100-year old state park campgrounds.
Today we're going to be exploring the 10-mile long Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway. It's southern terminus is located 20-miles south of our campsite, so we'll be driving parallel to it down US-101 for half of our early morning drive.
We are trying to time it so we arrive at the Prairie Creek Visitor Center when they open at 9:00AM, so I can once again get my passport book stamped before we begin our outdoor explorations today.
NEWTON B. DRURY SCENIC PARKWAY 10-mile drive in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
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We arrived at the Prairie Creek Visitor Center just before they opened at 9:00AM.
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Inside was this large mosaic tiled Roosevelt Elk in the gift shop, only he wasn't for sale.
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Outside on the bathroom building wall, Tricia spotted one of those slimy banana slugs.
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Rather than ride to each of our two planned stops, Tricia decided to hike the 2.4-miles.
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The trail quickly left the roadside and ventured into the forest.
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The carnivorous Robust Lancetooth Snail eats slugs, larvae, and other snails.
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Also along the trail were more of the White Trillium flowers we previously saw at Trillium Falls.
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One of several obstacles along the trail today.
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Back on the footpath means she's nearing our first meetup point,...
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...a location on the trail aptly named "Big Tree". It's not the biggest in the forest, but at 23.7' wide and 286' tall it's still a "Big Tree".
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A couple of 5' somethin' people in front of it gives you a little perspective of size.
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At the Big Tree location was this Stellar Jay, hoping to be fed, not by us, sorry!
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This is a seed pod for a Coastal Redwood. Not very large, is it?
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This downed piece of redwood is located near the base of the Big Tree.
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It is a prime example of "curly wood", a genetic mutation of the redwood tree.
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It is "very valuable" for making unique table tops and other wooden products.
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When redwoods get older (1500-2000 years) they develop burls around their base. These burls are the primary way redwoods reproduce by sprouting up new trees.
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Here is another downed giant along the trail.
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In the foreground you can see the very deformed trunk of a maple tree...
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...which eventually found a way to survive and reach for the skies.
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The Prairie Creek Trail (renamed Karl Knapp Trail in 2021) follows along Prairie Creek.
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If this tree had fallen several feet to the left...
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...it would have demolished this wonderfully necessary footbridge.
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This is our second planned meetup location, aptly called "Corkscrew Tree".
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It's a close group of four separate redwood trees weaving around each other.
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Very unique indeed!
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Well we're both back in ROVER now to complete the 10-mile scenic drive.
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If, and when, we revisit Redwood National Park, we'll need to futher explore this region.
SUNDAY - We managed to avoid being out in the rain yesterday by taking a day off from our sightseeing.
Today we've got a short, but adventure packed, sightseeing day planned. Best of all, it's entirely all within just a few miles of our campsite.
SCENES FROM IN AND AROUND KLAMATH, CA.
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Just 2-miles south of our campsite on US-101 is Requa Road and another 2.5-miles down Requa Road, where it deadends, is the Klamath River Overlook.
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Of course with the heavy fog this morning there's not too much to see from the overlook.
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1-mile back down Requa Road, below most of the fog, you can finally see the Klamath River.
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Without the greenery in the forground, this would appear to be a black and white photo.
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There is a wide, naturally made, sandbar where the Klamath River meets the Pacific Ocean.
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There are usually sea lions and seals hanging out here, but we don't see any from here.
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There is a road over on the south side of the river, maybe we'll go look from there.
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Just a little ways from the mouth of the river is an RV park on the shoreline.
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Just south of the Klamath River Bridge is Klamath Beach Road and the Coastal Drive. At the "T" junction of Coastal Drive is the High Bluff Overlook Trail.
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Just 100-yards from the parking lot is the end of the trail and this overlook.
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We must have spent 10-15 minutes here watching the waves crash upon the rocks.
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Here we share a 20-second video of what had us so transfixed.
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We were back in the truck and leaving when we saw this sign on the other side of the lot.
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This trail was longer at about 1/4-mile and lead down to a large flat spot on the coast.
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There are several of those white-coated rocks just offshore from here.
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The coast is very jagged here due to uplifing plates below the surface.
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Looking north up the coast towards the Klamath River.
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To think this goes on 24/7/365 whether there is any one here watching or not.
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On the south side of the flat field was another lookout spot.
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I guess this is where the birds all go to get a free shower.
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These must be some kind of bedrock to be able to withstand the constant beating they take.
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What does that look like to you down there on the cliffside?
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Would you believe it's a World War II radar station disguised as a farmhouse?
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The other building down there has a pair of 50-caliber anti-aircraft machine guns. Several of these "fake homesteads" where built after Pearl Harbor to protect the U.S. mainland from Japanese attack along the California and Oregon coasts.
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We are now approaching the Klamath River from the south side.
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How did those two people get way down there on the shore?
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This is the view from the Coastal Drive south of the Klamath River.
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From here we can see the sea lions and seals everyone talks about.
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Zoomed all the way in with her cell phone this is as close a shot as she could get. Luckily, last week Tricia hid her "big camera" deep in ROVER's back seat.
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Please excuse this jittery, hand-held, extremely zoomed in video.
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That one in the back must be the proverbial red-headed stepchild of the herd.
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Something caught that baby seal's attention.
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Now everybody wants to know what's going on.
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About 2-miles from the mouth of the Klamath River is where the original bridge stood.
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That was until Christmas 1964 when a huge flood took away the concrete bridge.
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Today these two bears still guard what's left of the original bridge.
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Once we paid our $15 we were given the chance to drive ROVER through a redwood tree.
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From the back it looks wide enough to get ROVER through.
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From the front it still looks wide enough.
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They claim it to be 7'4" wide and 9'6" tall, but that measurement comes at the pavement. NOTE: The tree is now only 90' in height after it lost it's top in a storm, but it's still alive.
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OK! Time to get out the vasoline and get ROVER all greased up and ready to try.
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Mirrors all tucked in and so far so good.
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OK. We are all the way in. Now it's time to get out the other side.
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YEAH, that didn't happen! The mirrors, even when folded were about 2" too wide. The opening tapers as it get higher and is probably only 7' wide at 4' off the ground.
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This photo and the next will show we had daylight on both sides.
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With standard F-150 mirrors, instead of our large towing mirrors, we would have made it.
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Across the street from the entrance to the tour-thru tree are a few emus and sheep.
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Tricia got the animal photos while I thanked the NEW tree owner for the chance to drive though his tree. The DuPont Family, original 1976 owners and creators of the tree, sold the property when the last family member passed away in January.
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Here you an see me pulling ROVER into the Log Cabin Diner parking lot next door.
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Emus are the 2nd largest non-flight birds, ostriches are first of course.
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On the shelf behind our corner booth was the Log Cabin Diner and Tour Through Tree.
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The Log Cabin Diner was very cozy and had delicious food.
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They even keep the diner's silverwear setups in an antique picnic basket.
WEDNESDAY - Once again, after a day off, we've saved what we hope to be the best for last in our sightseeing options from this location. The "Trees of Mystery" park is located just 2-miles north of our campsite on US-101.
General admission costs are $30, but we 60+ seniors only pay $25. The admission price includes an all inclusive visit to their park.
TREES OF MYSTERY "introducing visitors to the california redwoods since 1946"
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We arrived 30-minutes before they opened at 9:00AM to a nearly empty parking lot.
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This Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox are not like ones we've seen around the country. Paul will wave his hand, twist his head and wink while verbally welcoming guests to the park.
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Since we arrived so early I had time to make a new friend in the parking lot.
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But I think he liked Tricia better than me!
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We were the first patrons through the gate this morning to begin exploring the park.
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There were all kinds of unique trees in the park, not all of them were redwoods either.
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At the beginning of the "Redwood Canopy Trail" you'll need to climb 100' up into the trees.
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There are 10 platforms, 2 of which are connected by a spiral staircase and the other 8 by cabled suspension bridges.
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The bridges do bounce and sway and once you start the trail, there's no turning back...
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...because there's only one exit and that's at the end of the trail.
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Halfway through the trail you'll take a spiral staircase down to the lower level.
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Those are the 50' tall exit stairs down there.
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The spiral staircase is hiding behind that big tree up ahead.
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Here's Tricia happily releasing her inner child.
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In this photo you can see the starting stairs at the beginning of the trail.
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That was fun! Now it's time to head towards the back of the park and ride the SkyTrail.
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With all this up and down hiking I was happy to see there are plenty of benches to rest upon.
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At 297' the Brotherhood Tree claims to be the tallest tree on private property.
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I know we haven't seen any thing larger outside of Redwoods National Park.
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While we were admiring the Brotherhood Tree we started a conversation with this couple from Arizona in the gondola car in front of us.
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Arriving at the top of the ride we handed them a TWO PEAS AND THE POD info card, so don't be surprised if they become the newest members of the group.
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There goes our now empty gondola cars back down to the bottom.
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Here come two more cars on the way up, but they're both empty. It's still early!
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The bathroom doors displayed humorous signs for being way up here in the woods.
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Tricia was unaware of what was beneath her hand while taking this centipede photo.
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In addition to the moss and centipede, there was another one of those forest snails.
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This downed Redwood tree across the path is now considered to be a "candelabra" tree...
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...which means it has sprouted new vertical trees instead of normal limbs.
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This section of the park is dedicated towards children with it's storytelling.
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Pushing a button on the box (on the left) will tell you a story about what you're viewing.
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I just enjoyed looking at the very detailed wood carvings.
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This was my favorite, it was huge, probably a 40' wide pictorial of this redwood habitat.
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At the very end of the trail is a cross section of a 2000-year old redwood tree. It references historial events that this tree was around to witness taking place.
After we spent 2-hours walking around the Trees of Mystery park we drove a few more miles north on US-101 to check out another coastal overlook.
Looking for our Visited States Map and Data? How about our State by State Bucket Lists or Visited Campgrounds List? If so, click on the sign below to be taken to our other website.
This is what happens when a redwood tries to hide in a predominantly spruce and fir forest.
These two golden bears greet you as you drive over the Klamath River Bridge.
The Klamath River is the third-largest salmon and steelhead producing river on the west coast.
On the opposite side of the bridge you're greeted by 2 golden bear butts.
All tucked into our home for the next week with the Starlink up and running.
A picnic table and fire pit come with the site, but I'm sure we won't be using either.
We arrived at the Prairie Creek Visitor Center just before they opened at 9:00AM.
Inside was this large mosaic tiled Roosevelt Elk in the gift shop, only he wasn't for sale.
Outside on the bathroom building wall, Tricia spotted one of those slimy banana slugs.
Rather than ride to each of our two planned stops, Tricia decided to hike the 2.4-miles.
The trail quickly left the roadside and ventured into the forest.
The carnivorous Robust Lancetooth Snail eats slugs, larvae, and other snails.
Also along the trail were more of the White Trillium flowers we previously saw at Trillium Falls.
One of several obstacles along the trail today.
Back on the footpath means she's nearing our first meetup point,...
...a location on the trail aptly named "Big Tree". It's not the biggest in the forest,
A couple of 5' somethin' people in front of it gives you a little perspective of size.
At the Big Tree location was this Stellar Jay, hoping to be fed, not by us, sorry!
This is a seed pod for a Coastal Redwood. Not very large, is it?
This downed piece of redwood is located near the base of the Big Tree.
It is a prime example of "curly wood", a genetic mutation of the redwood tree.
It is "very valuable" for making unique table tops and other wooden products.
When redwoods get older (1500-2000 years) they develop burls around their base.
Here is another downed giant along the trail.
In the foreground you can see the very deformed trunk of a maple tree...
...which eventually found a way to survive and reach for the skies.
The Prairie Creek Trail (renamed Karl Knapp Trail in 2021) follows along Prairie Creek.
If this tree had fallen several feet to the left...
...it would have demolished this wonderfully necessary footbridge.
This is our second planned meetup location, aptly called "Corkscrew Tree".
It's a close group of four separate redwood trees weaving around each other.
Very unique indeed!
Well we're both back in ROVER now to complete the 10-mile scenic drive.
If, and when, we revisit Redwood National Park, we'll need to futher explore this region.
Just 2-miles south of our campsite on US-101 is Requa Road and another 2.5-miles
Of course with the heavy fog this morning there's not too much to see from the overlook.
1-mile back down Requa Road, below most of the fog, you can finally see the Klamath River.
Without the greenery in the forground, this would appear to be a black and white photo.
There is a wide, naturally made, sandbar where the Klamath River meets the Pacific Ocean.
There are usually sea lions and seals hanging out here, but we don't see any from here.
There is a road over on the south side of the river, maybe we'll go look from there.
Just a little ways from the mouth of the river is an RV park on the shoreline.
Just south of the Klamath River Bridge is Klamath Beach Road and the Coastal Drive.
Just 100-yards from the parking lot is the end of the trail and this overlook.
We must have spent 10-15 minutes here watching the waves crash upon the rocks.
We were back in the truck and leaving when we saw this sign on the other side of the lot.
This trail was longer at about 1/4-mile and lead down to a large flat spot on the coast.
There are several of those white-coated rocks just offshore from here.
The coast is very jagged here due to uplifing plates below the surface.
Looking north up the coast towards the Klamath River.
On the south side of the flat field was another lookout spot.
I guess this is where the birds all go to get a free shower.
What does that look like to you down there on the cliffside?
Would you believe it's a World War II radar station disguised as a farmhouse?
The other building down there has a pair of 50-caliber anti-aircraft machine guns.
We are now approaching the Klamath River from the south side.
How did those two people get way down there on the shore?
This is the view from the Coastal Drive south of the Klamath River.
From here we can see the sea lions and seals everyone talks about.
Zoomed all the way in with her cell phone this is as close a shot as she could get.
That one in the back must be the proverbial red-headed stepchild of the herd.
Something caught that baby seal's attention.
Now everybody wants to know what's going on.
About 2-miles from the mouth of the Klamath River is where the original bridge stood.
That was until Christmas 1964 when a huge flood took away the concrete bridge.
Today these two bears still guard what's left of the original bridge.
Once we paid our $15 we were given the chance to drive ROVER through a redwood tree.
From the back it looks wide enough to get ROVER through.
From the front it still looks wide enough.
They claim it to be 7'4" wide and 9'6" tall, but that measurement comes at the pavement.
OK! Time to get out the vasoline and get ROVER all greased up and ready to try.
Mirrors all tucked in and so far so good.
OK. We are all the way in. Now it's time to get out the other side.
YEAH, that didn't happen! The mirrors, even when folded were about 2" too wide.
This photo and the next will show we had daylight on both sides.
With standard F-150 mirrors, instead of our large towing mirrors, we would have made it.
Across the street from the entrance to the tour-thru tree are a few emus and sheep.
Tricia got the animal photos while I thanked the NEW tree owner for the chance to drive though his tree. The DuPont Family, original 1976 owners and creators of the tree, sold the property when the last family member passed away in January.
Here you an see me pulling ROVER into the Log Cabin Diner parking lot next door.
Emus are the 2nd largest non-flight birds, ostriches are first of course.
On the shelf behind our corner booth was the Log Cabin Diner and Tour Through Tree.
The Log Cabin Diner was very cozy and had delicious food.
They even keep the diner's silverwear setups in an antique picnic basket.
We arrived 30-minutes before they opened at 9:00AM to a nearly empty parking lot.
This Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox are not like ones we've seen around the country.
Since we arrived so early I had time to make a new friend in the parking lot.
But I think he liked Tricia better than me!
We were the first patrons through the gate this morning to begin exploring the park.
There were all kinds of unique trees in the park, not all of them were redwoods either.
At the beginning of the "Redwood Canopy Trail" you'll need to climb 100' up into the trees.
There are 10 platforms, 2 of which are connected by a spiral staircase
The bridges do bounce and sway and once you start the trail, there's no turning back...
...because there's only one exit and that's at the end of the trail.
Halfway through the trail you'll take a spiral staircase down to the lower level.
Those are the 50' tall exit stairs down there.
The spiral staircase is hiding behind that big tree up ahead.
In this photo you can see the starting stairs at the beginning of the trail.
That was fun! Now it's time to head towards the back of the park and ride the SkyTrail.
With all this up and down hiking I was happy to see there are plenty of benches to rest upon.
At 297' the Brotherhood Tree claims to be the tallest tree on private property.
I know we haven't seen any thing larger outside of Redwoods National Park.
While we were admiring the Brotherhood Tree we started a conversation
Arriving at the top of the ride we handed them a TWO PEAS AND THE POD info card,
There goes our now empty gondola cars back down to the bottom.
Here come two more cars on the way up, but they're both empty. It's still early!
The bathroom doors displayed humorous signs for being way up here in the woods.
Tricia was unaware of what was beneath her hand while taking this centipede photo.
In addition to the moss and centipede, there was another one of those forest snails.
This downed Redwood tree across the path is now considered to be a "candelabra" tree...
...which means it has sprouted new vertical trees instead of normal limbs.
This section of the park is dedicated towards children with it's storytelling.
Pushing a button on the box (on the left) will tell you a story about what you're viewing.
I just enjoyed looking at the very detailed wood carvings.
This was my favorite, it was huge, probably a 40' wide pictorial of this redwood habitat.
At the very end of the trail is a cross section of a 2000-year old redwood tree.
