Tuesday July 8, 2014


Non-Travel Day

 
This morning started off cool and fogy with a feeling of rain in the air, but even with this we headed south a few minutes to the “Newton & Drury Scenic Pkwy” that parallels Hwy 101 through the old-growth redwood forest in Prairie Creek State Park . This was another drive that brings you up close and personal with these redwood giants of the forest. On numerous
occasions along the drive we stopped to gaze at the trees and at several times we took short hikes / walks thru the forest to wonder at the beauty of not only the monstrous trees but also the general forest environment and in particular the ferns that covered the forest floor. After completing this drive we continued south on US Rt. 101 to “Bald Mountain Road” and another scenic drive through the Redwood forest. Around 11:30 we headed back north and stopped
for a picnic lunch at a pull off along the coast road that overlooked the beach and ocean. The beach here is comprised of a lot of rock and dark gray sand. We then continued north to Crescent City for a trip to the Battery Point Lighthouse. The lighthouse is located on a large rock offshore that can only be accessed by a walkway at low tide as it is submerged at high tide, so the tours are only given during a two hour period each day at low tide. This narrow window of time gives people time to finish the tour without being stranded on the island by the incoming tide. The lighthouse went into operation in 1856 and has operated continuously since then, and is still in operation today. The tour took about 1 hour and included a description of the lighthouse keeper’s quarters, a short climb up the tower, and an explanation of the light itself. This was a very enlightening afternoon. Thankfully the fog has lifted and the temperature has risen, it is a very comfortable afternoon.