Apr 19, 2012 - Washougal to Eureka

If you have read the last three journal entries, you may have noticed a weather pattern – RAIN!! It rained again today (harder this time) as we headed south toward California. It rained all the way to the California state line, and then it became misty and foggy. But that was okay! Shortly after we arrived in California we reached the Redwood National Park. Pauline said that if our trip ended today, we would have seen enough to last us a lifetime! The setting of these giant trees in the mist was unbelievable. We’re not sure if what we saw...

Sep 2, 2011 - Redwood NP day 2

Redwood NP day 2 First stop is the Big Tree Wayside, ½ mile easy trail has access to 1 of the largest Redwoods (Hgt 304 ft, diameter 216 ft., circumference 68 ft, age 1500 yrs.) in this old growth Redwood forest. The sun gave the most beautiful shadows on our walk. Next we drive north to High Bluff Overlook. There is a WWII radar station disguised as a farm and shed. Tom saw a banana slug coming back up the hill. In the afternoon we head south to Gold Bluffs Beach and Fern Canyon. The road is terrible and nothing seeing, have to ford...

Sep 1, 2011 - Redwood National & State Parks, Prairie Creek SP, Elk Prairie CG

Redwood National & State Parks, Prairie Creek SP, Elk Prairie CG We have never been in a State Park and Nat'l Park under the same umbrella. I will try and explain: 3 California redwood state parks were created to protect the redwoods. Prairie Creek (1923), Del Norte (1925), and Jedediah Smith (1929). In 1968 Redwood Nat'l Park was created including the 3 SP's and CA said no we won't give them up, hence in 1994 they began managing them together to preserve the trees. Redwoods grow from a seed the size of a tomato seed to 500 tons over the...

Aug 20, 2011 - Redwood National Forest

So quick update from last journal entry Bonnie got mushed under a chair and has been limping around for a couple weeks but seems better. She also learned while recuperating how to open the bedroom awning blinds with her head to look out. We have been picking Matty up at day camp and got to see him doing magic with the other kids. The last hour of each day grandparents were allowed to watch them. This weekend Meg, Adam and Matty went to San Francisco to look for a new residence. We decided to go to the Jedediah Smith National Park. We went...

Jun 7, 2011 - Mammoths in the Mist

We head west from Napa/Sonoma Valley to the coast and start driving up the (yes, yet again)very scenic road - Highway #1. Although it is overcast and somewhat drizzling, the views are amazing and the road hugs the coast dramatically. We drive for about 5 hours in total...but not that many kilometres...it just takes a long time to move any distance. However, we don't really mind. We listen to tunes and enjoy te views. We stop at a coastal KOA, after stocking up on some groceries and set up on a very damp but grassy site that is right...

May 31, 2011 - TREES AND HEROES

No matter how many times you visit, the Coast Redwoods will amaze you every time. The Coast Redwoods (Sequoia Sempervirens) are the tallest trees in the world. They can grow up to 370 feet, 22 feet in diameter and known to live over 2000 years. The Redwood National and State Parks (a cooperative management) have preserved 133,000 acres of the redwood forest in Northern California and visiting should be on everyone’s bucket list. The Coast Redwoods (found on the CA coast, hence the name) are different than the Giant Sequoias (Sequoiadendron...

May 16, 2011 - Orleans, CA

May 16 – 17, 2011 Klamath Riverside RV Park; Orleans, CA We are at Orleans in the Klamath Mountains and the area is gorgeous! The RV park is the most lushly landscaped we’ve found so far; Little Bear and I took photos of trees, flowers and a huge wooden statue of Bigfoot himself! We are here to visit Don and Cathy who are fellow Titanium owners also from San Diego; this is their headquarters for drift boat Steelhead fishing every October! This year they came early as both RV parks in Orleans are shutting down for good very soon. The...

Jun 25, 2010 - Cool, cool, cool... and lovin' it!

We are wondering why we packed numerous pairs of shorts. Have worn so few of them. When we phone home and hear of temps in the high 90's and humidity to match, we are so glad we are here! The 4 days at Yellowstone were packed with activity. Many trips into the park resulted in several buffalo jams (traffic tie-ups while tourists take pics of the bison), viewing countless thermal features, including Old Faithful, bald eagles, elk, and a black bear. No wolves or grizzlies this time, but can't complain. Jan and Noah enjoyed numerous short...

Mar 30, 2010 - Redwood National Park

After two days of solid rain it started to clear up so we headed out to the Redwood National Park. The park was established in 1968 to protect the world’s tallest trees and Redwood Creek’s salmon fishery. Today the national park works in conjunction with the California State parks to protect the redwoods of the area. After stopping at the visitor centre which sits above the beach we took the Davison Road a narrow twisty road through ancient redwoods. We then walked some of the Cal Barrel Road which was closed to cars and a place where Jenny...

Oct 30, 2009 - Redwood National & State Parks

Spent all day yesterday doing chart reviews at the birth center in Santa Rosa. This trip isn’t totally a vacation. Still have tremendous am0unt of work to do to finish my DNP project!! Still finding consistently good congruity between UDS data and that in the charts. Then drove north from Santa Rosa and spent the night in Ukiah. Then headed north up the coast to the Redwood National and State Parks. Found out that the coastal redwoods are in same family as the giant sequoias we saw in Sequoia and Yosemite. The coastal redwoods are not as...

Oct 8, 2009 - Our visit to Redwood National Park

We expected large trees, but they are huge. We expected many trees but there are thousands scattered over miles. We expected maintained lands on which the trees are growibg but they are literally in the wild. This was aan awakening experience and a most pleasant one. We took many pictures (including the one in which Connie is standing near a stump which I would conservatively estimate at 18 feet in diameter).

Jun 9, 2009 - Redwood National and State Parks

Today we made a trip down to the Redwood National and State Parks in northern California. It was about a two hour drive and we had a great lunch at a little seafood restaurant in Crescent City, CA. The parks are actually a combination state and federal parks. The state parks were the first to be set aside by the state of California in the 1920's. The federal government set aside additional lands in 1964 and in 1994, the federal and state governments signed an agreement to manage the four contiguous redwood parks cooperatively. A lot of the...