The Redwood Forest

WOW! I cannot tell you how impressed we were with the Redwood Forest. Even though we have big trees in North Carolina, the trees here are huge. Not only do they have a big trunk, they are also extremely tall and straight.

We stopped and walked through Lady Byrd Johnson Grove. We were fortunate enough to run into a volunteer from the ranger office who very graciously walked with us and told us about all the various plants along the way. He told us about the different trees and how the redwoods could sometimes heal their own outer bark when damaged.

We stood in a large tree that was burned out in the center but still lived. We saw where trees had fallen over and other trees grew out of this fallen tree. It's absolutely amazing how these trees overcome damage from fires and cuts and still live. If the top is damaged or lost, then other "branches" take over and grow so that the tree is actually several trees at the top which increases the height of the tree.

One thing the volunteer pointed out was "the widow maker". This is a curved branch which had fallen from the top of a tree. Since it fell such a long way, when it hit the ground it was embedded sometimes two fee. If it was a man cutting down trees, it could very well make his wife a "widow".

We actually drove through a tree at Klamath, California. This was an experience in itself. We drive a small Toyota Rav 4 but had plenty of room to get through. This is called "Tour Thru Tree" and there is nothing else there except the tree.

We went out to the harbor at Crescent City and saw seals (a lot of them) just resting on the dock. We could get pretty close to them and they didn't move too much. They are extremely loud. People did not seem to bother them and the locals are so use to seeing them that they just ignore them.

Before leaving California we went to go to Klamath, and visit the "Trees of Mystery" and ride a tram up to the observation tower where we could look out over the redwoods and get a really good view of the range of mountains covered with redwood and other kinds of trees (all very tall).

At the entrance was a huge (I keep saying huge because everything around the redwood forest is very large) is a carving of Paul Bunyon and his pet "Babe' (a blue ox). Each had been carved from a single tree. As we walked thru the area, we found that there were carving everywhere and these carvings not only were carved form a tree but had been done with a chain saw. Someone was very talented.

On the way to Oregon from California, we stopped at the Seal Cave along Highway 101. We had to ride an elevator down 200 feet to the cave. It was cold and wet. There was an entrance from the ocean where the seals come in, get on a rock in the cave and apparently "rest" for a while. Since this is a big attraction I presume that the seals stay around here year round.

Now let me tell you about the fog along the coastline (Highway 101 California to Oregon). It appears to be ground fog and is sometime so heavy it is hard to see very far in front of you. We went to Subway for lunch and while sitting there, the fog rolled in and it looked like smoke blowing through, then it was gone.....just like that.

The flowers here are just beautiful. There are flowers along the roads, some I can identify and some I will have to get a book and look up. A lot of the flowers grow wild.

If I find I have left out sanything I will add it later.

We're getting ready to leave the coast of Oregon and travel inland to Salem to visit friends for a week and then on to Clarkston, WA to visit a high school classmate.