We are off to see the Redwoods, a total bucket list item for both of us. There is so much to see here we know we can’t see it all so we’ve picked a couple of touristy things to do. First of all, almost nothing in the Redwoods is dog friendly. What a bummer. All this forested land filled with hiking trails and only two are dog friendly. Hmm. Well, we are going to make the best of it.
The Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway winds its way through the upper part of the Redwoods National Forest. There is also a dog-friendly hiking trail toward the end of the drive. Perfect!
Before we get to the parkway, I want to take a little detour and see something I found on a local guide map. A World War II Radar Station. I transcribe oral histories for a company that is contracted with the WWII National Museum. So this is of particular interest to me.
Just off the road is a marker and a trail. In a nutshell, following the bombing of Pearl Harbor the US established radar stations along the coast that watched for invaders. To disguise the buildings, they were fashioned in a way to look like the typical farm buildings of the area. The buildings were equipped with a diesel generator, electronic equipment, and two .50-caliber anti-aircraft machine guns.
As it turns out, the Japanese did have submarines off the coast of California and Oregon.
We take the trail down to see the buildings, which must be taken care of to some point. However, they don’t mow the grass much anymore.
I wonder if this is where they stuck the guns out of the window? Maybe it’s just a peep hole for the watchers.
As we continue to drive around this loop we stop at various overlooks. At this overlook we find sea lions. I wonder how can we get down there!
There are several reasons the Redwoods only grow in this area of the United States. One of them is the constant mist that seems to hang in the air. The Redwoods aren’t the only plants that like the mist. Moss covers almost everything.
We are having a hard time taking meaningful pictures as the trees are so tall.
They are also as big around as I’ve heard my whole life.
The other odd thing we’ve noticed is how they seem to grow in clumps. Two, three, or more trees in a cluster.
We’ve made it to the Cal Barrel Road Trail, one of the few trails dogs are allowed on. I wonder if the REALLY big trees are several that have just grown together over time? Check out the ones behind me.
This tree is unbelievably big. My three guys look so tiny!!
Sometimes lightning will strike a Redwood and it will burn from the inside out. Redwoods are generally not bothered by forest fires because of their thick protective bark that is very moist. However, the inside of the tree is more susceptible to burning.
This tree has fallen across the trail. Look at the size of the root ball. I bet this tree made a heck of a noise if trees make noise when they fall and no one is there to hear them. Ha ha.
John convinced Eli to try to climb the downed tree. Eli couldn’t see the point, but after a bit of coaxing up he went.
To round off our day we are visiting Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park to see the herds of Roosevelt Elk. These elk are the largest elk species on the North American continent. Hunted almost to extinction, the conservation efforts have resulted in over 1,000 animals in the wild today. We found this small herd while driving some of the state park’s side roads.
Tomorrow, after we play with the dogs, we will do some more sightseeing.
