unfortunately, we didnt have enough time to meander through some of the recommended trails. that only means we will have to come back someday. we headed south back through eureka for our late lunch and then started for san francisco. yay!
Showing posts with label california. Show all posts
Showing posts with label california. Show all posts
Dec 27, 2009
california road trippin' ~ day 6
today, we started our trip back south, but not without taking the coastal drive, where the real magic of the redwoods can be experienced. it was a sunnier day, with the morning fog disappearing into splendid rays of light streaming through between branches and leaves. we seemed to be the only ones on the narrow road by the coast. once the coastal drive ends, we end up on hwy 101 again and the stunning redwoods can be admired in their full glory. we pulled along the side of the road many times to admire them, and even took a short hike into the forest. i definitely recommend doing this as you get the full experience of the forest and the crisp air. the greenery is so diverse inside, youll find yourself constantly marveling at how everything thrives and depends on each other.
unfortunately, we didnt have enough time to meander through some of the recommended trails. that only means we will have to come back someday. we headed south back through eureka for our late lunch and then started for san francisco. yay!
unfortunately, we didnt have enough time to meander through some of the recommended trails. that only means we will have to come back someday. we headed south back through eureka for our late lunch and then started for san francisco. yay!
california road trippin' ~ day 5
we started the day with breakfast at our cozy motel in klamath called ravenwood motel. seemingly in the middle of nowhere is an unsuspecting charming motel off highway 101. the rooms are small, but immaculately clean. reminded me of a posh vegas hotel, except smaller. you could tell that thought was put into the details...from the italian wrapped soaps to the dark wood furniture. it was hard for me to believe that this gem was even called a motel. breakfast was waiting for us in a dining room that was filled with the collections of the owner's now deceased wife.
we were greeted with a wet and drizzly sky, but the air was so clean you could almost taste it. across the street from the motel you could see the backdrop of trees. it was the perfect place to start the day in the redwoods.
our first stop at the redwoods was the trees of mystery, just a few miles north of our motel. we were greeted by a gaudy gigantic statue of paul bunyan and his companion. after you pay a fee inside their tourist gift shot/museum, you get to walk through a self-guided trail inside the park. once inside, you are completely immersed in the beauty of the redwood trees. it was dense and wet all around, and we followed the trail to the cathedral trees, then up to the gondola that took us to the top, where, on a clear day we would have a spectacular view of the redwood forest. i managed to get some beautiful shots anyway.
we finished off our visit at the gift shop and had a look at their extensive collection of native american artifacts.
from there, we took the coastal drive that led us to a lonely unpaved road. we stopped along the way to see some interesting sights, like a native american ceremonial ground near the river. further along the road, we saw the most spectacular scenes...the towering redwood giants. the fog made them even more stunning and majestic. my mouth was gaping wide the entire time we drove down the road. you could hear all the oohs and ahhs coming from me over and over again. having never seen the redwoods, it was something surely not to be missed. my eyes thanked me for it. :)
we were greeted with a wet and drizzly sky, but the air was so clean you could almost taste it. across the street from the motel you could see the backdrop of trees. it was the perfect place to start the day in the redwoods.
our first stop at the redwoods was the trees of mystery, just a few miles north of our motel. we were greeted by a gaudy gigantic statue of paul bunyan and his companion. after you pay a fee inside their tourist gift shot/museum, you get to walk through a self-guided trail inside the park. once inside, you are completely immersed in the beauty of the redwood trees. it was dense and wet all around, and we followed the trail to the cathedral trees, then up to the gondola that took us to the top, where, on a clear day we would have a spectacular view of the redwood forest. i managed to get some beautiful shots anyway.
we finished off our visit at the gift shop and had a look at their extensive collection of native american artifacts.
from there, we took the coastal drive that led us to a lonely unpaved road. we stopped along the way to see some interesting sights, like a native american ceremonial ground near the river. further along the road, we saw the most spectacular scenes...the towering redwood giants. the fog made them even more stunning and majestic. my mouth was gaping wide the entire time we drove down the road. you could hear all the oohs and ahhs coming from me over and over again. having never seen the redwoods, it was something surely not to be missed. my eyes thanked me for it. :)
Nov 11, 2009
california road trippin' ~ day 4
from sequoia, most people who have more time would probably go to yosemite. unfortunately, we didn't, so we headed straight to the redwood coast. that meant a very long winding drive. 10 hours, to be exact. from sequoia, we took the 198 west (about 80 miles) to the 5 north (about 110 miles) to the 580 west towards san francisco (80 miles) and then to the 101 north (for about 254 miles). the 101 was the longest and toughest drive. it was filled with curves and steep slopes after we passed eureka. the thick fog, combined with the curves, dips, night driving, and speeding cars made me it a harrowing drive. maybe im just a wimp, but i was nervous and sick. at one point, the fog was so thick we could only see about fifteen to twenty feet in front of the car. on a positive note, i did enjoy the occasional small (and i mean small) towns we would drive through. the 101 would suddenly become 'main street.' and then in no time, it would turn back into a freeway again. but despite the cold, motion sickness, and lack of use of our feet, we did see some interesting things. most of what you see below are photos i took before the evening set in, except for the last one which was our last chance to get a bite before we headed into the fog.
Nov 1, 2009
california road trippin' ~ day 3
on our second day in sequoia, a ranger recommended we take the country road to enter kings canyon, which is on the national park on the northern side of sequoia. we took the 216 and somewhere along the way, the road forks and i took the wrong path. we ended up an hour away from where we needed to be, in a farming town. we only realized we had gone in the wrong direction when i stopped to get gas and to asked where we were.
although we lost some time getting to kings canyon, the drive down the country road was so worth it. there was so much to see and i couldnt help but stop often to snap some shots. these are definitely things we wouldnt see from the side of a road around here (in l.a., that is).
it was pretty late in the afternoon when we arrived at the entrance of kings canyon. we only had time to see the sequoias of grant grove, which was the first stop in the park. a tree, called general grant is also known as the nation's christmas tree. the impressive tree, which is over 247 feet tall and 40 feet wide, was dedicated as the nation's christmas tree in april 1926. after our short walk through grants grove, we headed back for town, taking a different route. we went back via sequoia and not the country road we entered through. we caught a glimpse of the moon while the sun was still up. very cool.
although we lost some time getting to kings canyon, the drive down the country road was so worth it. there was so much to see and i couldnt help but stop often to snap some shots. these are definitely things we wouldnt see from the side of a road around here (in l.a., that is).
it was pretty late in the afternoon when we arrived at the entrance of kings canyon. we only had time to see the sequoias of grant grove, which was the first stop in the park. a tree, called general grant is also known as the nation's christmas tree. the impressive tree, which is over 247 feet tall and 40 feet wide, was dedicated as the nation's christmas tree in april 1926. after our short walk through grants grove, we headed back for town, taking a different route. we went back via sequoia and not the country road we entered through. we caught a glimpse of the moon while the sun was still up. very cool.
california road trippin' ~ day 2
got a late start this morning...we made sure we rested up for the next few days. from tiny town of three rivers, we entered sequoia national park. along the way, we stopped at numerous scenic spots. some of the attractions were closed for the season, but it didnt dampen our spirits, however. some of the following were the highlights of our day.
the most amazing sights were towards late afternoon, where we were able to see the sunset over the spectacular skies and forest. moro rock is the spot to catch the best view of the sunset. i didnt make the complete climb all the way to the top, but pramin did. he got a hair raising view ~ not a recommended climb if you have a fear of heights (that would be me). i did manage, however, to catch some sunset shots from the halfway point before the sun completely set. the first two are pramin's shots. i get chills just from looking at the photos, let alone climbing to the top!
our day come to a hungry end as we drove the long windy road back into town and had dinner at the only pizza place in town. i was actually hoping to find some soup to warm me up, but ended up settling for spaghetti in meat sauce, and pramin had a pepperoni and mushroom personal pizza. pretty good food for a tiny town of only 2500 people (actually, it seemed more like 50).
the most amazing sights were towards late afternoon, where we were able to see the sunset over the spectacular skies and forest. moro rock is the spot to catch the best view of the sunset. i didnt make the complete climb all the way to the top, but pramin did. he got a hair raising view ~ not a recommended climb if you have a fear of heights (that would be me). i did manage, however, to catch some sunset shots from the halfway point before the sun completely set. the first two are pramin's shots. i get chills just from looking at the photos, let alone climbing to the top!
our day come to a hungry end as we drove the long windy road back into town and had dinner at the only pizza place in town. i was actually hoping to find some soup to warm me up, but ended up settling for spaghetti in meat sauce, and pramin had a pepperoni and mushroom personal pizza. pretty good food for a tiny town of only 2500 people (actually, it seemed more like 50).
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