We left Miranda, CA at about 9:00am and head North along the ‘avenue of the giants’. This is a historical 32 mile stretch of US-101 lined with Redwood trees. It’s a great way to start our drive as we admire the sheer size of these trees that are at times right at the edge of the asphalt.
Rejoining US-101 we drive North for about an hour admiring the forest all about us. Shortly after Eureka and Arcata, CA we turn into the small town of Trinidad, CA and drive to the beach. It’s a cool and overcast day but Barb was insistent that she wade into the ocean. We took a short walk onto the beach & Barb discovered how cold the ocean is at this time of the year.
Leaving Trinidad we headed further along US-101 and stopped to make a coffee at the Trinidad rest stop. Again, the Redwood trees surround us.
Back on US-101 we detour into Redwood National Park and drive the scenic route. We stopped at Elk Meadows, see a herd of Elk and then go to the visitor center and pick up a pin for our collection. The visitor center is housed in a 1934 building constructed by the CCC when the park was originally being formed.
Driving on the scenic road, we stop to walk amongst the trees. They are magnificent, they are huge. Enough said.
Returning to US-101 again we turn toward the Oregon state line.
Soon we arrive in Brookings, OR and immediately find ourselves stuck in a traffic jam. It took us an hour to arrive at a restaurant for lunch before we went on to get groceries and fuel. A few minutes further along the highway we arrive at Harris Beach State Park where we will be staying for the next three nights.
First impressions are very good. Barb walked on the beach and calls the park gorgeous. We’ll talk more about the park in our next post.
