California's North Coast -- Day 3

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Monday found us in Fort Bragg, California -- which is about mid-way between San Francisco and the Oregon state line.  And what were we to do there?  Ride the famous Skunk Train into the redwoods, of course!

We arrived bright and early for the 10:00 AM trip and spent the next four hours thoroughly enjoying ourselves as it wound through the countryside on the spectacular Redwood Route, touring an amazing display of native California redwood trees.






There was also some diversion provided by way of the Train Singer, who has been providing live entertainment aboard since 1989.



We arrived at our turn-around point deep in the heart of the forest.  Everyone disembarked, stretched their legs, did a bio break, ate lunch (we declined since we had other plans) and explored the stopping area.




Then it was time for the return trip.




At times the redwood trees blocked out so much of the sun that the train lights could easily be seen  illuminating the route ahead.


When we arrived back at the station, Kate was waiting for us with Maggie and everyone was famished for good eats.

Mmmm... A french dip -- the first I've had in many many years.


And here's something you don't see every day -- skunked beer that you're actually supposed to drink!  Yes, I had one aboard the train.  And yes, it was delicious!


After reviving ourselves with our late repast, we headed out to find Kate's discovery (she didn't come on the train with us due to having to care for the dog).  She said something about a glass beach...


And so it was... the first glass beach I've ever seen.  According to what we were later able to find on the Web, this is considered by many to be the finest glass beach in the world and there is also a local museum that displays the finer examples that have come from it.




While Cindy and Kate explored the glass of the beach in detail, I wandered off for more photo opportunities.




We also found a bunch of these things, which we later determined were chitons.  I never knew chitons were capable of growing so large.



And, of course, the sunsets are to die for out in that part of the country...



My Dad, very pleased that we were having such a good time on the trip that he had planned.


Kate and Maggie, just after the sun dipped under the horizon.

California's North Coast -- Day 4

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Tuesday, the 6th, we started off with the same exact breakfast cafe we discovered the prior morning -- Egghead's.  If you ever find yourself overnighting in Fort Bragg, California and keep driving around and around and around the streets looking for a place -- any place -- to be open early in the morning, just slap the driver silly until he parks his carcass in front of this place.

I can't speak for lunch or dinner, but this place rocks for breakfast.


These may look like three unassuming pancakes, but I can assure you... they were not.  They were corn flour pancakes stuffed to gills with wild huckleberries and cooked with butter to a fine crust.  WILD HUCKLEBERRIES, people!  If my sister and Dad (above) look like they're pressed as far away from  me as possible, it's because they don't want to get between me and my precious huckleberries.

True story.


Man...  Those things were to die for.

My sister had some sort of stuffed Belgium waffle, which anyplace else would have been spectacular.  But when placed up against my corn cakes with huckleberries... well, it was just plain sad.


Once we waddled out to the car and exited town, we again headed for points north, only stopping briefly in the morning to stretch our legs and take some photos before heading inland.



Ever hear of Landsdale Grove?  How about Avenue of the Giants?  Surely you've heard of California Redwoods?

Well... these are young'uns.  Seriously.

We haven't even made it to the big ones yet.


Note my sister and the dog in the image below for scale.



Can you spot Cindy in the image below?  The dog and my sis are easy-peasy, but try finding Cindy.  I took this photo and I still had a hard time picking her out.


And this is what it looks like peering out from the cavernous interior of that log.


We finally stopped for lunch in Eureka at the Cafe Waterfront, which had delicious chow.


Then after lunch, Dad made the mistake of saying we could take five to walk off a little of we'd just eaten.  Ha!  Kate and I made a break for it, taking turns rolling one another, camera in hand and the dog providing cover for us.



I've seen some amazing Victorian gingerbread houses, but nothing like this -- and I was struck by the disparity of architecture styles.


Note in the photo below two items of interest: the head gliding above the surface of the water in front of the Coast Guard cutter, which was the first seal we saw on the trip.  And the other is the really rough looking... sailboat?  Former sailboat?  To the left of the cutter.  Yeah, that's the one.


This just reminded me of a impressionistic painting, nothing more.






Below are spider webs.  Just really cool looking in that specific lighting angle.



And we continued on up the coast, taking a last breather at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park.

And, no... we're not there yet.  The BIG ones are still yet to come.


Everything was drenched with moisture.


And the water created some of the most incredible displays of moss I've ever seen.


Our van is in the photo below.  Note the dots that look like leaf litter at the base of the tree behind it near the road.  Those dots are Dad, Kate, Cindy and the dog.  And that STILL isn't the big one.




We finally made it to our northern most base-camp for the trip -- Crescent City, California.  After we checked into the rooms, we hustled across the street to catch some shots before the conditions vanished on us.





The image below has a story.  We liked the dock and thought the old International truck was a great addition to the scene, so we moved closer.  And closer.  And then all hell broke loose inside the truck.

There were two dogs inside the vehicle; both were mutts, but one was much larger and looked like it was predominantly German Shepard.  And it was beyond flipping out.  The Shepard-mix was levitating inside, literally bouncing off the walls and roof, and making the entire truck rock violently.

And when it saw that we weren't going away, it began to destroy the interior by ripping huge chunks out of the upholstery and going as foaming-at-the-mouth-crazy as I've ever seen an animal achieve.

We just took our time taking photos and finally moved away when the dog had finished with the upholstery and had begun on the dashboard and nobs.  I truly felt sorry for the owner when he came back to the destroyed interior of that truck.  However, who knows -- maybe he had to buy vehicles just like it on a regular basis due to the interiors being utterly ripped apart every few months or so...





Stay tuned for Day 5, when we finally reach the BIG redwoods.