Brrrrrrrrrr

Monday night we stayed at a private RV park right on the Sacramento River. It was very beautiful, with sloping grassy fields leading to the banks of the river. There were a few people fishing off the bank and a couple casting from small boats. We could see fish jumping out of the water! The sites had concrete pads and lots of plantings around them. It was very pleasant with the breeze off the river. We only planned to stay one night, although if we did not already have reservations on the coast, we might have stayed a few more days.

Tuesday morning Lannas drove for over four hours on a narrow, winding road through the Klamath Mountains. He really drives very safely, but I was so nervous I kept my eyes closed most of the trip. We came out of the mountains and almost immediately saw the Pacific Ocean! Our RV park is located on a road that follows the ocean. We had a very nice dinner at a small restaurant right at a pier and boat launch.

This morning we were able to see and hear sea lions on the rocks in the ocean below our site. They sound like they are barking. It was also cold this morning - 50°!

After breakfast we drove up to the Redwood National Park and the Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park – about twenty miles away. We were surprised on the drive at the numerous signs telling us that we were passing in and out of tsunami hazard areas.

We hiked for about an hour to see the Lady Bird Johnson Grove. The Coastal Redwood is the tallest tree in the world, growing to as tall as 360 feet! There are also tons of ferns in the forest - many different kinds. Information in the park indicated that fields of ferns are the first step in a new Coastal Redwood forest.

After the hike we drove down some scenic bypasses, then to the little town of Klamath. We wanted to see one of the three totally non-PC places where you can drive through a redwood. This particular tree is approximately 735 years old and damaged by fire some time in the distant past. The tunnel through the tree was completed in 1976.

The lady who took our $5 fee told us about a 45 foot gray whale and her calf that had come up in the Klamath River – three miles from the ocean. The weaned calf had found its way out, but the mother was still in the river, despite all their attempts to encourage her out, including firing water cannons, playing killer whale sounds, and local Yurok tribe members beating drums.

We also saw several herds of elk on the side of the road.

The most remarkable thing about the entire day was that the temperature never got above 65°! Brrrrrr.