Decided to go up north to see the Redwoods, about 200 miles. Started out seeing more vineyards and hills although the hills are starting to turn the golden color they get in summer instead of lush spring green. After about an hour and ½ we started seeing more firs and pine trees and the hills and mountains got rockier. Lots of rock slides as we drove through Mendocino Forest. US 101 is called the Redwood Highway and they call it a freeway when it’s two lanes each way and then it goes down to one lane each way in little hamlets like Hopland, Willets, Leggett, Benbow, Garberville and Myers Flats. We saw a herd of elk grazing in a valley near Laytonville. Also turkeys, quail and deer. Some farms, horses, cows, llamas, goats but mostly forest with bright orange and yellow wildflowers on the side of the road. Up and down mountains again too but now they’re covered in trees. Some logging trucks, too, even saw Paul Bunyan.
We didn’t know if we were seeing redwoods or not until we saw one-BAM, BIG TREE, RED WOOD-and then there was no mistaking them once you’ve seem one. Beautiful scenery with the blue-green Eel River below in the valley. Passed a log house made out of one tree, a tree you can drive through and all kinds of redwood touristy stuff.
Once again Harry got us out of a tight bind. The GPS took us down a bumpy, ½ lane dirt road to the campground. We had gone about a mile when we realized we were never gonna go around the next bend. Had to turn around-another 8+point turn. When we finally got to the campground we realized it wasn’t the one we wanted so we went back to the campground books and found the right one about 20 miles north. This one’s 1/3 the price and much nicer. It’s small and quiet, I think we might be the only ones here. There’s lot of fat robins in the field and three cats that don’t want to have anything to do with me. Cool here, about 60, going down in the 40’s tonight.
Tomorrow we’re going to explore the Redwood forest. This is also a great salmon fishing place but I don’t know when the season is. Also found out we’re in the middle of Bigfoot territory-YIKES!