April 30, Arcata to Crescent City and Trinidad

April 30, Arcata to Crescent City and Trinidad

It was cool again this morning but the sun was shining, there was not a cloud in the sky and it soon warmed up to around 65 degrees. Our first stop was the Kuchel Visitor Centre, the southern entrance to the Redwood Forest. The park guide was very helpful and recommended several hikes, scenic drives and key lookoffs points.

As we entered the Park we stopped at a beach to take some pictures. A sign at the beach warned of "Dangerous Sneaker Waves that have killed four people since 2004. Never Turn Your Back on the Sea".

We hiked the Lady Bird Johnson Grove, a 1 1/2 mile walk through old growth redwoods and Douglas fir. Lady Bird Johnson dedicated the Redwood National Park in 1968.

The scenic coastal drive was not open due to heavy rains this spring. However, we did drive the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway, a 10 mile not to be missed drive through the forest that features many trailheads and an a grove where elk graze. We were lucky enough to come upon a small herd of elk, some lying down, while the young ones grazed in the grove. Signs clearly stated "Do Not Approach Elk, Stay Behind Fence".

We stopped at a smoked salmon store in Klamath, a Yurok Indian Reserve. We sampled four kinds of smoked salmon and settled on three kinds for our picnic at Wilson Creek where we watched the waves crashing on the beach. Continuing along the scenic route we stopped at several look off points and stood in awe of the ocean before us.

We drove as far as Crescent City where we stopped for a coffee break before we headed back down the coast. On the drive back we stopped at a couple of trailheads and walked through more giant redwoods. These trees are so tall, so old and so big that everything around them is dwarfed. We took numerous pictures but it is difficult to capture the immenseness of these giants.

Another sign that we noticed along this route was "Tsunami Warning Zone". The Park brochures have a section on tsunamis and information on what to do if you feel an earthquake.

Our one last bit of excitement for the day was coming upon a bear crossing the road. It was great to see a black bear while in the van and not while walking on one of the trails.

We are staying at Sounds of the Sea RV Park tonight and will drive the Avenue of the Giants tomorrow.


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