Well, I'm sure the suspense has been unbearable for you, waiting for another episode of our Epic Trek North. So, here goes.
We spend a good night in an average motel, the Motel Garberville (it's a bit tired, but quite serviceable and a lot less expensive than the big name places) and headed out a bit late (for this trip), about 6:30am.
The reason was that the "Shrine Drive-Thru Tree" https://www.visitredwoods.com/listing/shrine-drive-thru-tree/185/ in Meyers Flats opens about 7:00am. Or so. Once we got there, the sign said "Sunrise". It was about then, so... The entry booth wasn't manned so we got out and dropped the $15 into the honor box, and crept in. This place is creepy! The entry leads to a dark grove, a canopy of closly overhanging branches...oooooh! We've seen enough BBC murder mysteries to know this is an immediate Danger Sign. You're either gonna find a body...or be one!
Luck was on our side and we got out without a problem...except the Yellow Submarine was a bit cranky that morning. I think the damp had invaded a spark plug hole and she occasionally wanted to run on only 3 cylinders! And, of course, she picked our entry into the steep downhill to the tree as one of those moments. She stalled. An didn't want to crank over! Maybe luck WASN'T on our side? Would a troll or even Big Foot come out and claim a victim? I let her roll to the tree, popped the clutch and HEY PRESTO, she fired up and pulled us up the other side! WHEW! You can see it all on the YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJAxObP8zDc
This place is pretty cool, and although the gift shop was closed, the drive out is past a couple of cool things. First up is the "Drive On A Log"--a ramp that lets you park atop a fallen redwood tree, and houses carved out of redwood stumps. Still in the ground, these are hollowed out and a couple of stories high. Weird what people will do.
Back on the road, we followed the northern end of the Avenue of the Giants. Sadly, the southern end was closed for roadwork, so we missed it. Still, in the eerie morning light, it's an amazing drive. It all seems so primal. Thankfully, the Citroen decided to cooperate and ran fine the rest of the trip. Silly French Car!
Finally back on 101, we cruised to Eureka, got gas, and a quick bite to eat (Cliffbars and a Coke) and off to the best Roadside Attraction of the Redwood Highway: TREES OF MYSTERY!
We've stopped there for years, the first time was when our eldest was only 2 ½ and was the only kid. We'd been seeing cars with bright yellow "Trees of Mystery" bumper stickers for hours, back then, and of course, they did the trick and enticed us to stop. At the time, all we could afford was a quick cruise through the gift shop and a pee, then it was back in the old Jag XJ6 we had back then. Sure enough, a large yellow cardboard "Trees of Mystery" sign was wired to our bumper. Sadly, they don't do this anymore...cars don't have proper bumpers. Still, they have them and you can get one for free. No wire to attach it to the Citroen, but still...
This time, we decided to hike the trail and see what we'd missed for the last 35 years. For a mere $25 (EACH!!!) we schlepped through the grove. It was a lot of fun, and since we'd arrived just about opening time, there were few others there. I recommend timing it this way, as later in the day, bus loads of chattering tourists will invade and ruin the tranquility. See: https://treesofmystery.net for more info.
It's a thing you should do...once. The trail is a hike, mostly uphill, past some weirdly deformed trees like the "Elephant Tree" and the "Upside-down Tree." The walk wasn't easy, but pleasant, especially as it was almost deserted. Near the top, is a sky bucket that will take you up to the treetops. It's worth the walk. This gave the feeling of soaring through the treetops and was worth the price of admission. We didn't do the Rope Bridge...nope...nope... There's also a section of classic American Tall Tales. Carvings of the friends of Paul Bunyan. A time gone by. If you're old enough, you'll have read these tales of Americana in elementary school. Sadly, they seem to have disappeard from the curriculum.
All-in-all, it was a lot of fun. The place is littered with odd chainsaw carvings of Paul Bunyan and his pals from the Old American Legends. It's of course, the gift shop that Marianne loves. They have TURQUOISE! So, beware. She makes it a point to buy something each visit, even if it's a small pair of stud earrings. What's really cool, though, is the museum of Native American artifacts. A truley wonderful collection.
From there it was up to Crescent City and US199. This road takes us inland to Grants Pass and the I-5. Our only stop was for lunch at the Historic Hiouchi Cafe. Constant Reader may remember we "discovered" this place on our last trip north and this time, we made sure to stop for lunch.
The place has been expanded and renovated since our last visit, but the food is still excellent. It's now really crowded so prepare for a bit of a wait. One of the dangers of a restaurant that expands and/or upgrades is it loses too much of its early charm and the food is seldom as good. Not so for this place. The food is still excellent and worth a stop.
From there we wound our way along US199 to Grants Pass and our usual digs at the Knights Inn. This place is clean and comfortable and an easy walk (even though the cool temps of the Redwoods had given way to 100+ by the time we got there) to our favorite eatery, The Laughing Clam. As usual, the fish and oysters and chips were excellent and the Guinness a perfect accompaniment. We even split the Hummingbird Cake (did you know that hummingbird tongues make excellent dental floss?) and sauntered back to the motel, trying not to melt.
The next day, it was up at O'Dark-Thirty to beat the heat and our last leg to Olympia.
This last leg was generally uneventful, it was just a cruise up the I-5 through Oregon and Washington. One memorable stop is worth mentioning, however.
A former student of mine, Vanessa Briseno, moved with her family to the Portland area several years ago. Through the magic of Facebook, we've kept in touch lo' these many years. We were finally able to arrange a meet up at McMennemen's Kennedy School Hotel! https://www.mcmenamins.com/kennedy-school?utm_source=Google%20Maps&utm_medium=Website%20Button&utm_campaign=Kennedy%20School I've talked about this guy's places before, chiefly, his Olympic Hotel in Centralia, WA. This is an old elementary school, built in the grand style of the 1920s/'30s. It has all the character that modern schools lack.
It was so wonderful to catch up and, gorsh, it makes me tear up a bit that old (uh, ex...she's not THAT old!) students want to keep in touch with their old (and yes, I AM old) history teacher. It's a real honor! We had a delightful lunch and she provided us with a CARE Package of Oregon goodies...several craft beers, jams, honey and blueberries (which we used to make an excellent blueberry/orange bread at my Mom's). It was a wonderful and touching gesture. Thanks, Vanessa!!
From there it was the usual creep through Portland traffic, then the shot up to Oly and Mom. A great trip.
Next up, the return trip and our shot at Fame and Glory.
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