April 4, 2005

April 4, 2005

Garberville to Crescent City, California

DAY 290

 

Today started out cloudy and cool. I thought it was cloudy, but it was actually coastal fog. Once it lifted, the day was sunny and warm.

We started out late, heading north on Hwy. 101 which from where we started out this morning, is known as Redwood Highway. Just before Phillipsville we turned onto the scenic 31 mile stretch of the old, original Hwy. 101 known as Avenue Of The Giants. We stopped at Phillipsville to buy a stamp, and a cup of coffee. Every 3 to 5 miles along this scenic drive was a small town. Between each little town was forests of old, giant, original growth redwoods. We stopped frequently to take pictures. At Humboldt Redwoods State Park Headquarters we stopped to look around the Visitor's & Interpretive Centre. We watched a short movie on the total destruction of this area by the flooding of the Eel River in the spring of 1964. We had lunch, then went for a short hike in the redwoods. I wanted to convince Bo to pee on a giant redwood, but they're too large for him ... so I did ! HA HA HA ! At the end of the 31 miles, we were back on the newer Hwy. 101, the Redwood Highway. I got a lot of great pictures.

At Loleta, we got off the highway, and drove into town. In one of the tourist information newspapers we had read about a cheese factory, and a sausage maker that interested us. We bought some freshly made hickory smoked jack cheese, and some freshly made chicken and apple sausages. Back onto the highway, and north to Eureka, where we stopped to fill up with diesel. We contemplated stopping in Eureka for the night, but I wanted to see, and stay overnight in Redwoods National Park. It was less than another hour down the road. Redwoods National Park was nice, but there wasn't a campground that could accommodate a rig our size. We did see 2 herds of Roosevelt Elks beside the road. The first herd was on both sides of the road, right up to the shoulders. Joanne was able to take a picture through the truck window of an elk right beside the road.

We came out of the redwood forests, and were beside the Pacific Ocean once again. Pounding surfs on wide, rocky beaches. We ended up driving further than we should have, and longer than we should have, to get to a campground at Crescent City. We are spending the night at Sunset Harbor RV Park. Across the road from the park, is a marina on the Pacific. We can hear harbor seals honking, or barking, or whatever their noise making is called. Maybe tomorrow morning before we leave we'll walk down to the water and take a look.

DSK