Redwoods: Embrace the detours.
Our next adventure took us along the tree-lined US 101, the Redwood Highway, weaving through several big tree groves to our campsite on the Avenue of the Giants route. Our family was fortunate to spend several days exploring and hiking among these gentle giants as part of our year-long journey across the country.
““Learn character from trees, values from roots and change from leaves””
Ancient Redwoods RV Park was beautiful. Lining the roads were wild blackberry and salmonberry bushes, which we took full advantage of, picking bowls worth. We didn’t have to venture far—just out of the parking lot to the Immortal Tree, which might just be the most durable tree in history. This 1,000-year-old giant coastal redwood has survived lightning, forest fires, the logger’s ax, and the devastating Flood of 1964, yet still lives to tell the tale.
The Avenue of the Giants, a 31-mile scenic drive that runs parallel to Highway 101 in Humboldt Redwoods State Park in northern California, features some of the world's largest remaining old-growth redwoods, which can grow up to 300 feet tall and 30 feet across. It has been called the finest forest drive in the world. My eyes exploded open to the sight of a darkly enchanting greenish-hued city of living skyscrapers. It really stuns you. No forest you’ve ever been to, nor movie you’ve ever watched, can come close to explaining the beauty. Every step is cushioned with a springy softness from rust-colored needles and logs sheltering new life, with ferns bursting up everywhere. The scent in the air is almost overwhelming—earthy and grounding, yet freshly enlightening.
Along the same pathway as our campsite, there was also access to the Eel River, a federally designated Wild & Scenic waterway. We drove our Bronco onto the riverbed, where Foster found multiple sticks as souvenirs, and the rest of us skipped rocks in the flowing river.
After a few nights on the Avenue of the Giants, we drove one hour north to the beautiful area surrounding Redwood National Park. This national park, established in 1968, includes three state parks and has 450,000 average annual visitors. It's a sprawling system of preserves that shelters our planet’s tallest living things—and happens to be the 21st least visited national park. We visited the Kuchel Visitor Center, which had exhibits and a film illuminating the park’s natural history. During the ranger talk, we learned that a typical redwood forest contains more biomass per square foot than any other area on earth, including the Amazon rainforest.
Lady Bird Johnson Grove is a must-see spot if you have limited time. It is an easy ¼-mile loop trail near Orick. It is a very popular hiking trail, but we were lucky enough to snag a parking spot up close. It was a great hike, but with our RV campground being right on the Avenue of the Giants, exploring the area around there was our family’s favorite.
We ventured up north for an hour, and called Azalea Glen RV Park our home for three nights. Luckily, it is just 0.3 miles from the gorgeous Sumeg State Park in Trinidad. The park has dense forests of spruce, pine, fir, and hemlock that stretch over an ocean of wildflower meadows and dramatic shorelines, ranging from sandy beaches to cliffs that rise above the Pacific Ocean. Wedding Rock Trail is a gorgeous yet steep 0.3-mile walk with a breathtaking view. We also played along the Rim Trail and Rocky Point Trail for over an hour, jumping rocks, climbing boulders, and for Foster, playing in the dirt. Patrick’s Point Trail is another shorter hike to a beautiful lookout over a cliff. We had planned to check out the infamous Agate Beach, but the kids were eager to rest their feet and look for calmer waves. The trail to Agate Beach is a 0.5-mile out-and-back with 200 steps down to the sandy shoreline.
Clam Beach at Vista Viewpoint was a short 1-mile hike down to the edge of Mad River, where we could see sea lions sunbathing and swimming in their natural environment. We were in awe. Some of the younger sea lions were playful and ‘running’ the sea lion way. Just a mile down the road, we enjoyed Clam Beach’s almost bare shoreline, seashell hunting, and Foster loved becoming the dirtiest person on the beach via mud, sand, and saltwater. The boys brought their RC trucks, and it was an RC wonderland of hills, off-roading jumps, and power drifting (Hawkins corrected my titles). We brought home 10 pounds of sand in our clothes (mostly Foster's) and 12 almost-full sand dollars.
Humboldt Lagoons State Park includes four lagoons: Big Lagoon, Dry Lagoon, Stone Lagoon, and Freshwater Lagoon, which can be seen from Highway 101. We stopped at Stone Lagoon and experienced the largest waves we have ever seen. The tide was coming in, and these waves were easily 10 feet tall. The kids, who were not water-ready, got soaked and laughed the entire time while chasing the tide.
Located in Klamath, California, the heart of the Redwood Empire, at the very center of Redwood National and State Parks, Trees of Mystery is California’s premier nature attraction on the North Coast! It features interpretive trails through Giant Redwoods and a number of unusual tree formations, many of which can be seen from its Trail of Mysterious Trees. This map will lead you through trails with tales and rugged beauty as you walk through the Redwood forest. You can glide through the forest canopy and walk the aerial suspension bridges through the old-growth redwoods. The twins' favorite portion of the park was the suspension bridges, while Hawkins loved the gondola to view the canopy, where we saw a bald eagle’s nest! To finish out this experience, we drove through 'elk country' and saw over 100 Roosevelt elk and blacktail deer leisurely grazing and lounging.
Must-try eats…
The Lighthouse Grill in Trinidad is a must. It was a little hole-in-the-wall place with delicious food. We tried the clam chowder, fresh same-day fish & chips, spicy fried chicken sandwich, and the famous waffle cone with mashed potatoes, gravy, bacon, and brisket. A very unique combination! The cone was made with cornmeal, garlic, rosemary, and chives! Lighthouse Grill
The Beachcomber Cafe in Trinidad is a small, family-owned and operated business with a whole lot of heart and amazing coffee, pastries, and environment. In fact, Drew loved it so much that he worked there one day while we were exploring. Beachcomber Cafe
Final Thoughts
So, what is it like to stand in the presence of a giant redwood forest? In a word, to me, it’s like heaven. Forget puffy clouds and pearly gates. This is how I would imagine heaven to be.
Nature proclaims God, and we enjoy nature, we enjoy God.
