Redwoods

They're Actually Red!

A Cross-Section of a Redwood (it's Red inside!)

Leaving: Anacortes, Washington
July 25, 2006. 8:11am PST. Mileage: 6367.5km

Arriving: Requa, California
July 25, 2006. 7:30pm PST. Mileage: 7355.2km

Bridge between Washington and Oregon

We left Anacortes really early in the morning, after having stayed up for hours having wonderful conversations with Sam & Deb. We went and got large, moist muffins from a place called "The Store Grocery" or maybe, "The Grocery Store", but no one's really sure. We drove for hours and hours, and eventually arrived in beautiful Oregon. We didn't find out much about this state, except for their one weird law - no one's allowed to pump their own gas - it's all full-service!

We veered off the Interstate in southern Oregon to head to the coast, and ended up in Requa, California, a town right within the Redwoods Forests, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It was a beautiful place - completely serene and quiet, with temperatures that dropped about 10C from where we were in Seattle, WA. We went to Klamath Overlook Point, which really feels like the end of the earth. It's a weird feeling to look out and hear nothing and also not be able to see where the horizon meets the ocean.

At Klamath Overlook Point

We spent the night in a Bed & Breakfast called the Requa Inn. The exterior was worrisome, but we soon found out that the contents were much better than the cover. We stayed in Room #6, a gorgeous room overlooking a river, with a private bath that was renovated with Victorian furnishings (including a claw foot tub!). We even had a teddy bear!

Our room at the Requa Inn
(you'll have to go there to find out the Bear's name!)

The next morning, July 26, we set out for the Prairie Creek Redwoods National Park. Being extremely ambitious, but having only limited time, we decided on the 3.3 mile trail. We entered the forest completely in awe. At the entrance of the trail stood a giant Redwood with a hollow base. Marion fit inside with lots of room to spare! The Redwoods, I believe, are the tallest, or largest, trees in the world (someone let us know if that is incorrect).

Might almost have more square footage than some Toronto condos!

Everything about the forest was amazing. It seemed like we were the only two people left on earth. We saw one person the entire time we were on the trail. It's hard to describe the intensity of the silence. The coolness of the shade created by the trees contributed to the heightened cool forest smells, while the few slices of sunlight basked us in a wonderful blanket of warmth.

Looking up at giant Redwoods

Even Kris looks tiny!

We also saw a lot of different plants (I believe the correct term is "flora"?) along the way. But we realized we really aren't nature people. About an hour into the hike, we felt like we were never going to get out of the Redwoods. And we didn't even know which mushrooms we could eat for survival!!

I don't suppose these are edible?

Pretty little flowers


More Redwoods

We finally got out of the trail, and headed out in our car. But we were stopped in our tracks by the attraction of a sign that merely read, "Big Tree." We thought we had seen big trees already, but apparently this may be the biggest one in the park. Its name is actually, "Big Tree," and it was BIG.

Information about "Big Tree"

Kris & "Big Tree"

We left soon after seeing "Big Tree", and only stopped once more in the area to look at some Elk that live in the Prairie Grasslands that are just adjacent to the Redwoods. Really! One minute you're walking through giant trees, and the next minute you're walking in tall grasses before you finally drop off onto a beach and into the Pacific Ocean!

Redwoods - Definitely something to see