Monday, September 30. 2013, Move to Giant Redwoods RV Camp, Myers Flat, CA

The rain finally stopped (Klamath, CA) and Sam and I went out to have a look. The river was up about 10 feet! Of course, some of it was due to high tide, but the slow draining river was also backed up with the huge amount of rain. Folks said they had never seen the river so high. They either were not here or have forgotten the devastating floods this area has survived in the past that would have left our coach underwater! Luckily, we didn't see that much rain.

They had to put waders on to walk out the dock to their boats.

It was time to pack up and head further down the road. We traveled 115.5 miles (4,693.6 trip/64,174.7 total) south on US 101 to the Humboldt Redwoods State Park area.  

 Iconic Eucalyptus trees along Hwy 101.

An interesting mural alongside Hwy 101, passing through Eureka.

We stopped at what seemed like a nice little park, Giant Redwoods RV Camp, on the Eel River in the tiny town of Myers Flat. Unfortunately, it was our first experience with poor, outdated park wiring. The voltage level was so low our power protection circuit shut down. Except for water, we really were boondocking. On the plus side - the new restrooms had the nicest showers we have seen. I would estimate the shower was 6 feet by 8 feet and it had heated floors! How deluxe is that?

Sunday, September 29, 2013, Rain, Rain and More Rain, Klamath, CA

We are starting to feel like Noah, except I know this coach will not float. It started raining early on Saturday. Just for good measure, the slides were pulled in and the awnings were put up. As predicted, the winds picked up and the rains fell with a fury. It rained all night and continued right through Sunday night. I walked Sam whenever the rain eased up, but he still got soaked. Tight space, plus wet dog - not ideal.

Sunday afternoon we saw this guy walking a wheelbarrow in the pouring rain. It turned out to be full of fish and he took it to the cleaning station where he and a friend spent the next few hours cleaning them. Our neighbors had spent the week here fishing. They left on Saturday with more than 100 lbs of Salmon on ice.

Given the rain, we opted to lay low for the day. I read a book, Joani researched camping sites and put together a plan for the next few weeks. We also found a Big Bang Theory marathon on cable which included some episodes we had never seen. A little downtime is always a good thing.

Friday, September 27, 2013, Lighthouses in Crescent City, CA

I thought I should fill up the car today which meant a trip to Crescent City, CA. There are not a lot of gas stations along the coast, so you have to pay attention to that little gauge. Crescent City has two lighthouses, both worthy of exploration. Of course, we saw one while we had lunch the other day, but wanted a closer look.

Many yards in Crescent City had several clusters of these pink flowers.16 inches tall with red stems. It is nice to see so much color in the fall.

Amaryllis belladonna, known as "Naked Ladies" because the flowers bloom before the leaves develop.

The Point St. George Reef Lighthouse is really too far out for a good picture. But the rocky coast framed it nicely.

I think the Battery Point Lighthouse is best viewed from the north. It was close enough to low tide that we walked out to the lighthouse. It is a private residence that allows tours, but, unfortunately, it was closed for the day, so we were not able to go inside. We did, however, climb all over the grounds. After evaluating all of our pictures, we decided we had our best shots from the shoreline after all.

Thursday, September 26, 2013, Coastal Drive Loop Drive, Klamath, CA

It was the Coastal Drive Loop drive today (Klamath, CA) - out Klamath Beach Road and back on Alder Camp Road. We started pretty late this morning, so this nice short drive was perfect. High Bluff Overlook seemed the perfect spot to consume our picnic lunch. We had the place to ourselves as we soaked up the sights and sounds of the Pacific surf crashing on the rocks below us. The solitude was nice and, of course, the sunshine and gentle breeze helped to make a very enjoyable afternoon.

Ocean on the left and the Klamath River on the right.

Fishermen lined up at the mouth of the Klamath River catching salmon.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013, Elk, Sea Lions and Redwoods, Klamath and Crescent City, CA

Still exploring the Klamath, CA, area, we started our day with a stop at Elk Meadow. We were all by ourselves when we drove in. We looked around the picnic area for a few minutes and, seeing nothing, we headed back out. Strangely, the road was now filled with cars, so we stopped to see what was going on. Roosevelt Elk, that's what was going on - a whole herd of them. We counted nearly twenty. Of course, there was only one male, so he was busy.

This is zoomed as much as my camera will zoom. I could not see all of the elk lying down at the time.

As they arose, one by one, it was apparent that this was a very large herd.

We got to the National Park Visitor's Center which, strangely enough, was on the beach. Stranger still, they didn't have any lights on. We found out Pacific Gas & Electric had scheduled a rolling blackout. California apparently doesn't have enough electricity for everyone at the same time! At least I got my official Passport stamp and some good park information.

Next, we went to Lady Bird Johnson Memorial Grove in the National Park. We only walked about halfway around the trail before it started raining. We tried to ignore it at first, but it persisted. We got soaked and ran back to the car.  What we did see was pretty amazing.

This tree is fascinating.  It has seen many fires (the heartwood is gone), but the tree is still alive.

Apparently, the outside growing layer is all that is needed for a Redwood to survive.

The Redwood lacks the volatile resins found in pines, firs, and spruce, and its sap is largely water.

Since the rain seemed like it was going to continue, we headed to Crescent City, CA, with a few stops along the coast for some wave watching.  

We stopped in at the City Visitor's Center for maps and recommendations. The very helpful lady there recommended the Chart Room for a nice lunch where we would have a view of the harbor

We had a view of the Battery Point Lighthouse and we were treated to a sea lion show on the dock.

Behind the restaurant, the dock was lined with 12 -14 California Sea Lions.

I'm not sure if he appreciates his neighbors hind flipper on his head.

(check out the nails found only on a sea lions hind flippers.)

I was able to watch this big guy jump up on the deck.

.  I am about 30 feet back and they are used to gawkers.

He didn't stay long.  Posed for a few pictures and then took off.

Our Visitor Center host also told us we should drive out Howland Hill Road to Stout Grove. It was fantastic! The very narrow, unpaved road wound through the giant trees and gave us a different perspective on the forest (notice our car parked next to one of the redwood trees).

Hollowed out, but alive. I expected to see a gnome peek out.

I expected this tree to start talking to me. Come on!

A ray of sun made its way through the canopy to shine on David.

As we returned to our coach, it started raining, but the sun was still shining strongly from low in the west creating a beautiful double rainbow. We could actually see the rainbow in front of the trees! People were stopped along the side of the road taking pictures. Fortunately for us, we were close to the coach and the rainbow was still visible when we got home.

This was a first for me. The rainbow was so close it was in front of the distant trees, but just behind the close tree.