Day 9 - Newark - Monterey, CA

Just outside San Francisco is the Big Basin Redwoods State Park, California's oldest state park.  On our way south, I thought this would be a great way to start the morning.  Well, it turned into an adventure for sure!  The road in was essentially 1 1/2 lanes and some of the curviest I've ever seen.  Add on that we were running low on gas (I thought there would be a gas station on the edge of the park), and it made for some exciting times.  This road was a windy, twisty path through the forest with trees of every size going past on either side.  We arrived at the visitor center and discovered that it was a very popular location for a Sunday morning!  People were everywhere.  Unfortunately the rangers had no gas and I was honestly a bit queasy from driving that road in.  After a brief rest, we continued down the road and pulled into a gas station at Boulder Creek safe, but on fumes!

We soon found lunch in downtown Santa Cruz at a local place that was packed with college kids, a few young professionals, and then older folks.  It was an interesting mix of folks who were enjoying each others' company and the good food.  Santa Cruz is known for it's boardwalk area (voted America's favorite seaside amusement park per signs) which includes several permanent amusement park rides:  a wooden roller coaster, log ride, etc.  Again, Californians were out in droves to enjoy the sun and warm temps.  It was a neat sight to see on our way out of town.

We were soon driving down California 1 and past Monterey and Carmel.  We entered the Big Sur area of the highway to see even more dramatic sea to shore landscapes, along with a lot of traffic, especially around the Bixby Creek Bridge (the famous one everyone wants to photograph).  We continued down the road until we reached McWay Falls.  We made a u-turn and then headed back towards the Monterey Peninsula.  This area was beautiful as well, but in comparison, I'm fonder of the coast up north of San Francisco.

We drove through some of the Carmel neighborhoods marveling at how these folks live.  Soon we paid to enter the 17-mile drive in Pebble Beach.  This route took us to all the major scenic points in Pebble Beach.  We were very taken with Spanish Bay where the wind was howling in, but the cairns erected on the beach were unmoved.  The drive around the area was beautiful:  waves were crashing into the shore; the houses were huge and gaudy; and we were able to watch the sunset right as we saw the Lone Cypress which has become the symbol for Pebble Beach.

A short stop in the Pebble Beach club gift shop and we were soon on our way to dinner in downtown Monterey.  We found THE best place ever:  Montrio Bistro.  Our waiter was very friendly, along with the rest of the staff, and we could tell the kitchen folks put a lot of thought into each selection.  YUM!!!  Our hotel was nearby and soon we were checked in and looking forward to our final day in the car.

Day 7 - Crescent City - Fort Bragg, CA

The word of the day for Day 7 was:  TREES!  Our hotel on the harbor at Crescent City was on the northern boundary of the Redwood National and State Parks so it was an easy morning to slip right into tree viewing.  After a great stop at the visitor center where a very knowledgeable volunteer gave us perfect tips for the visit, we set off!

At the Del Norte Coast grove, we saw our first coastal redwoods.  They are relatives of the giant sequoia which is seen in the Sierra Nevadas, but the redwoods are bigger.  They feed off the fog that rolls in nearly daily and can reach 1,500+ years old pretty easily.  These giants tend to clump together in groves and through the many interpretive signs we learned that what we have and see today is only about 5% of what used to be here.  Logging in the 19th and 20th centuries cut down many of these giants.

In between groves, we were treated to some amazing seashore AND the sun was out this morning!  We even detoured up a hill for the Klamath River viewpoint so we could see the river meet the ocean.  Also finally saw some surfers as the waves appeared to be bigger.

One of the things I've learned in traveling is to "eat local."  We found a little diner nestled right along the scenic highway.  It reminded me a lot of Shorty's back home, but we had a wonderfully quirky waitress, dined with loggers and locals, and had some great laughs!

After lunch, we dived back into the forest.  One stop was the "Big Tree" which is one of the few named trees.  The park service realized that if it named trees, people would want to stop and see the specific ones and thus would get up close and trample around the bases, which would do more harm to the tree than good.  Along the byway, there were several trailheads that ventured off into the forest.  We took a couple and were reward with amazing sights and sounds.  We ended our time at the Redwood park with a hike to the Lady Bird Johnson grove.  She was here in 1968 and 1969 and this area was dedicated to her.

Leaving the park we were snapped back into civilization as we arrived in Eureka about 5:00 on Friday evening.  Traffic and people were everywhere!  However, a bit south of there we jumped onto the Avenue of Giants scenic parkway.  This is a state park that isn't quite as polished as the national park, but still amazing.  The trees were so thick here that you would drive from a meadow where the sun was shining into the thick of the forest where your bright headlights were needed.  One of our favorite stops was a trailhead we took that lead by two creaking trees.  At first we thought we'd come upon a bear or other animal sleeping, but alas...just a giant tree swaying and creaking.

Our drive continued south as the sun set and we were able to catch some pink rays above the Eel River bank.  We soon arrived in Garberville where we found dinner at an amazing New Orleans bistro with a live band!  Garberville is apparently known for being the "marijuana heartland of the U.S." according to the BBC; marijuana cultivation has replaced timber as the economic driver in the area.

It took longer to get to the hotel then planned because the road was VERY curvy.  Made it safe and sound, just a little late.

We continue our trek south and will be in Silicon Valley for our next stop.

“One of my most unforgettable memories of the past years is walking through the Redwoods last November – seeing the lovely shafts of light filtering through the trees so far above, feeling the majesty and silence of that forest, and watching a salmon rise in one of those swift streams – all our problems seemed to fall into perspective and I think every one of us walked out more serene and happier.” - Lady Bird Johnson - July 30, 1969