But first I had to get there.
Probably my favorite part of the drive was along U.S. 395 from Burns to Lakeview. Open country where I could see for miles. The road meandered along the east side of Lake Abert.
After beginning to sink in the flats during my walk out to shore, I backtracked up to my car to resume the drive south.
It took a little over 11 hours and 600 miles to reach Hiouchi, California, my home for two nights. To reach the cool, damp weather, I first had to drive through blazing heat. It was 105 degrees in Medford. And there was a fire near Grants Pass.
After checking in at the motel, I drove down the hill to Crescent City for dinner. Afterward, I went for a walk along the jetty.
Tuesday was sightseeing day. First, though, I wanted to go for a run. (Of course.) It might just be me, but "Coastal Trail" evokes an image of a relatively level trail along the sea. I was wrong. The trail began climbing after just a half mile. I don't mind hills, but this one long hill was too steep for running, requiring fits and spurts of power walking. And because the plan was to run out to a certain point and return, I had to descend this monstrosity. (My poor knees.) Don't get me wrong, the relatively flat sections of the trail were fantastic. And it felt great to just be running in the misty forest. But that hill was hell.
The trailhead was located at a beautiful overlook of Crescent Beach. This scene is why I made the trip. (Crescent City is off to the left in the fog.)
I went back to the motel to get cleaned up and returned to Crescent City for breakfast. Then, I headed south on U.S. 101. First stop, the Klamath River's outlet into the Pacific Ocean.
The great part about this photo is I received a job offer at this spot after returning from a hike down to the overlook. It was such a pleasant surprise since I had interviewed for the position months ago while still in South Dakota and had written off the possibility of ever hearing from them again after the "Thanks, but no thanks" letter. Funny how things work out.
Just a bit further south on 101 was the Tour-Thru Tree in Klamath.
Thank you to the kind motorcyclist who took my photo. Quick, funny story: Later in the evening, I drove up to Brookings, Oregon. While at the Dairy Queen, two motorcyclists walked in and asked me, "Were you down in California earlier today?" It was the same biker who took my photo and his buddy. Small world.
What I later learned was this is not the only tree you can drive through in Redwood Country. There are similar trees in Leggett and Myers Flat.
The southernmost point of my journey was Fern Canyon in Humboldt County. The road to get there was just awful. Terrible! Fern Canyon is part of Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. State park = entrance fee. I never carry much cash, so I asked the ranger if she accepted credit cards. "Nope. No electricity."
I looked in my wallet to discover I was a dollar short of the eight-dollar entry fee. I would have had enough cash if I hadn't just shelled out five bucks to drive through that damn tree. Since the ranger station was three miles into the park along that God-awful road, I was faced with the prospect of driving through six miles of hell without seeing the canyon. I really didn't want to turn around.
I'm sure I sounded whiney and looked pathetic when I told the ranger, with wallet open for her to see, "I only have seven dollars." She looked at me for a couple seconds before replying, "We'll just make you a senior today." And how much was the senior admission fee? Seven dollars!
There were two at-grade stream crossings past the ranger station. I had asked a couple folks beforehand if my little car would make it. "Oh yeah, won't be a problem." Well, the car didn't have a problem, but it was disconcerting nonetheless. I mean, the Weather Channel's mantra is practically "Turn around, don't drown."
After a short hike, I arrived in Fern Canyon. Supposedly, scenes from the second Jurassic Park movie were filmed there.
Heading back north, I stopped at the Trees of Mystery. There was no need to go inside when Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox were available for photos for free in the parking lot. And it's not like I had any cash left on me anyway! Paul's right hand waved and right eye blinked.
I wrapped up my day of sightseeing back in Crescent City. Here's a shot looking south toward Battery Point Lighthouse.
Wednesday was the loooooong drive home, including a stop at Crater Lake National Park. However, since I still live in the 1980s world of 35mm film and I haven't finished the roll, those photos will have to wait. And I've already mentioned my gas station story in Brothers and getting pulled over.
Great trip, but no more road trips for awhile. My life of leisure is exhausting.
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