Blogs from Humboldt Redwoods State Park, California, United States, North America - page 2

In 2006, a team of intrepid researchers in California discovered 3 trees taller than the Stratosphere Giant of Humboldt Redwoods State Park. The tallest living thing in the world is now a Coast Redwood called Hyperion, and it stands an incredible 115.2 meters (378.1 feet) tall! Redwoods have grown and prospered in many areas of Europe, Asia and North America since the warm Paleozoic Era over 160 million years ago. Changes in climate have restricted their natural range and eliminated all but three genera of redwood. Dawn Redwood, (Metasequoia glyptostroboides), is native to a remote area of central China. The Giant Sequoia, (Sequoiadendron giganteum), is native to the western slope of the southern Sierra Nevada mountain range in California. The Coast Redwood, (Sequoia sempervirens), is native to the Pacific Coast from southern Oregon to central California, ... read more

June 26, Friday On southbound along Route 101 the Oregon coast is full of huge rocks, water just cascading in, over and around the sea stacks (huge rocks sticking up out of the water just offshore) it's beautiful. The road meanders from right along the edge of the ocean cliffs to a bit inland making hairpin turns deep inside the ravines that lead the streams to the ocean. The only trouble is occasional slow moving "tourists" that refuse to utilize the many "pull-outs". Not that I'd EVER pass on a double yellow .... but..... We crossed into California and at the Humboldt Redwoods State Park we pulled off highway 101 to follow the Giant Tree Avenue for many miles, mostly because I had no idea where the campgrounds were located in this park. Eventually, quite by ... read more

It all started with a three day weekend, and the ambition to get out of town for some much deserved rest and recuperation. We woke up early Saturday morning and hit the road by 6:00, bikes loaded for the long-haul to the “lost coast”. The planned route would take us through Berryessa and Calistoga, and on to Skaggs and the coast, where we’d travel 100 miles through the great redwoods to Shelter Cove for the holiday weekend. We’d spend two nights in an oceanfront motel before heading back home. We made it to Winters by 7:00, just in time to see some hot air balloons taking off for a morning ….sail (is that what you call it?), balloon, whatever… The early morning sunrise combined with the colorful... read more

Happy Thanksgiving to the Canadians! We went through Avenue of the Giants today, and I feel as inadequate trying to describe it as I did trying to describe the Oregon coastline. I’ve seen pictures of the giant redwoods, individually and in forest pictures, but that’s about like looking at a picture of a hot fudge sundae compared to tasting one. And one thing neither of us had thought of, or heard about, is the smell. When Bob stopped the car and I opened the door, the smell of the forest was overwhelming. It filled the car, and felt like all was right with the world. It was like Christmas of old~~the way Christmas trees used to smell, before they started smelling like diesel and dust. Also, I'm including some pictures to show that I saw autumn ... read more

We ended up camping at a great little campground in the National Redwood Forest that wasn't technically open yet, which meant we were there with 2 other campers and a very low price. cha-ching! we made friends with "Bob", the manager, who had all kinds of advice and opinions on everything, as well as some useful guide tips for our time in the forest. We also met a couple who invited us into their snazzy trailer for drinks and also provided us with our first piece of "kitchy memorabilia from people we met on our trip": a bumper sticker reading "Howdy, Damn It!". So now we travel in style, with Howdy, Damn It! slapped on our spare tire. We like to embrace our hick-ness, obviously. ... read more