Redding, Trinidad, Patricks Point, Blue Lake

We are now heading north from the San Francisco Bay Area to begin the last half of our six month adventure. Our next stop will be to visit our cousins Robbie and Frank in Redding, CA.  It has been years since I've been to their place up here in the shadow of Mt. Shasta. 

Robbie and Frank are always open to outdoor adventures, so we wasted no time heading out to Turtle Bay Exploration Park and the Sundial Bridge to have a look around. The bridge is a cantilever spar cable-stayed bridge that forms a large sundial. The walking surface is glass so you can see the Sacramento River rushing by under your feet as you cross. With all of the recent rains, the river was REALLY rushing by under our feet! Go here for more on the bridge: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sundial_Bridge_at_Turtle_Bay

 The Sundial Bridge

 

.....with Robbie on the bridge 

We found out why they call the place Turtle Bay

On our hike through the park, we came across this gigantic osprey nest on top of this bridge. While we were standing there admiring the nest, the osprey flew up to take a rest.

The nest was HUGE! I mean REALLY YUGE! :o)

Our next stop was the Shasta Dam. 

Shasta Dam creates Shasta Lake. The lake is used for long-term water storage, flood control and hydroelectricity. The largest reservoir in the state, Shasta Lake can hold about 4,500,000 acre feet of water. The lake has been dangerously low in the past few years due to the extended California drought. This years continuous rain has filled the dam to nearly normal levels and the heavy snow pack in the mountains ensures plenty of water throughout the hot summer. Finally!

They are continuously releasing water from the dam to get ready for that snow-melt starting in the spring. This water will join the Sacramento River.

Frank is one of those mountain men who can take you just about anywhere in Northern California and whirl you through the backwoods along logging roads and dear trails and not get you lost. It comes from all those years of forest service work. He drove us all around through the beautiful Shasta/Trinity area just north and west of where they live. Some of the most beautiful country in the state.

Our time with Robbie and Frank was too short, but we need to keep moving to make it to Seattle for Rowan's next work stint. We are headed out to the north coast and had planned on taking Hwy. 299 from Redding to Arcata, but Frank said a huge rock slide has blocked the twisty mountain highway so we will need to go back south a bit to hook up with highway 36 to get out to the coast. Of course, Frank knows a shortcut to get to highway 36 via road A16, a little 2 lane back country road through some stunning scenery. We have never been on these roads before so are excited to have a new adventure.

We came across the most interesting thing out here in the middle of nowhere. This huge oak tree was covered in at least a hundred pairs of shoes that had been slung up into the tree. The funny thing is, there are literally no towns out here along this approx. 50 mile stretch of road that meets the small town of Platina at hwy 36. It must be the aliens again!

We reached this amazing vista along road A16. It was like being on top of the world. We only met about 5 other cars as we drove the entire 50 mile stretch to Platina.

Once we hit Hwy 36 we entered the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. This is the largest National Forest in California. The vast stands of trees are just amazing and include           Douglass fir, Ponderosa Pine, Sugar Pine, Red Fir, Mountain Hemlock, Western White Pine and Manzanita. We just don't get trees like this in the mid-west.

We could tell when we started to approach the north coast by the gradual appearance of Redwoods and Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park. There is something so spiritual about these trees. Get out and stand among them if you have the chance. Witness the peace, tranquility and spirit of the place. It will turn you into an instant environmentalist.

We finally met Interstate 101 at Fortuna (Humboldt County) and started to head north again through Eureka and into Arcata, where I used to live during my college years. The little town is the home of Humboldt State University. The place hadn't changed much in the almost 40 years since I have lived there.....still that hippie, laid back environment and with a population of only about 17k . A breath of fresh air!

Our final destination today will be a little bed and breakfast in Trinidad, just north of Arcata. We stopped at Clam Beach on the way to recreate a photo we took here on the beach about 20 years ago. We took the photo in roughly the exact place. Trinidad is north in the distance, on the point to our left in the photo.

Looking south at the approaching storm. Yikes! We'd better hurry up and get to Trinidad!

We turned off of Hwy 101 at Trinidad to get on the coastal road that will take us to our lodging for the night. This road is right on the cliffs of the ocean. We found that in many places the road is literally slipping off into the ocean. There were places all along that had sunk a few inches and had been patched. The endless rain this year is causing whole hunks of the coastal roads to simply fall into the ocean. We figure this will probably be the last time we will be able to drive this road as it is today because it will be gone in the near future.

Turtle Rocks Inn, Trinidad, CA
 Once we reached the Inn, we spent the next 3 days hiking, eating, relaxing, watching the sea lions on the rocks below us and gazing out at the pure blue infinity of the Pacific Ocean. The Inn was fantastic! Go here for more info: http://turtlerocksinn.com/california-redwood-coast-bed-and-breakfast-inn-innkeepers/
The food is some of the best we have ever had at any place we have stayed. Everything is home cooked from scratch by the Inn's hosts. Breakfast is always at least 4 courses. It will last you all day.

The view from the deck of our room:

Location is everything. The Inn is walking distance from the entrance to Patrick's Point State Park. The park has trails right along the ocean cliffs with spectacular views of the rugged California  coast. The yearly whale migration happens just a stones throw off of these cliffs, so bring your binoculars.
As we walked into the park, we noticed there was lots of activity along the trails. It seems the constant torrential rains have caused some of the rim trails to drop off into the ocean, so the park service was out cutting new trails further back from the edge. We will need to be extra careful when out walking along the edges today.

I was soooo excited when we came upon this banana slug.

Now, more than you ever wanted to know about this slug: These slimy terrestrial slugs are native to the Pacific coast of North America from southeastern Alaska to Santa Cruz, CA and are the second largest species of slug in the world, growing up to almost 10 inches long and weighing over 4 ounces (the one in this photo was about 4 inches long). They have an average lifespan of 1-7 years. These gastropods can move at 6 1/2 inches per minute! Heck, that is faster than me before my morning coffee! Banana slugs have been used as food by Yurok Indians of the North Coast and by German immigrants in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Ewe! I guess they would just slide right down like an oyster..........EWE!

Rowan standing right at the edge of one of those very fragile cliffs. Yes, I was holding my breath! The little rascal!

We spent lots of time at the Inn too, just watching the weather come to us and go by us. It was very dramatic at times with the rain pouring down directly in front of us while the sun was to one side.

Blue Lake, CA
I lived in this tiny town back in the early 80's. It is located just 5 miles east of Arcata and sits in the redwoods along side the Mad River. The Dell' Arte International School of Physical Theatre is what brought me here all those years ago. The perfect tiny town to live in when studying physical theatre. Little or no distraction from your studies. The town currently has a population of about 1100, it was about 400 when I lived here. We took the short drive out here to have a look at my old school and to see what changes have taken place in the town.

 I spent many a night sitting at the logger Bar with friends when I was in school here. The place is exactly the same, except for new paint on the outside.

 Mad River Brewery is new since I lived here. We stopped in for a beer. Pretty tasty!

The Dell'Arte School is still going strong:
http://dellarte.com/about-dellarte-international/ 

 The only major change I noticed was a new casino just as you come off of Hwy 299 into town. This must be why the population has risen. When I lived here it was Pacific Lumber that provided all the jobs for the local community. Pacific Lumber no longer exists here. Times, they are a changin!
 
 Trinidad, CA
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinidad,_California
Another wonderful little spec of a town on the northern CA coast. Population about 350. Tourism in the summer months and whale migration is their economy. We went into town just to have some seafood at the Seascape Restaurant. The restaurant is located at the end of the main road through town, and I mean the end of the road. You will be in the ocean if you keep going. It looks out on a tiny fishing cove and has fabulous seafood pulled right out of that ocean.

  
Rowan with her clam chowder chin :o) They brought us this YUGE bowl of it to share.

The YUGE crab and shrimp louie with garlic bread.

The perfect meal to end our stay in Trinidad. If you are looking for small town charm and peace and quiet, we recommend this north coast area.

Next, we head northeast to Eugene Oregon.