Ooooo-eeee! Today was a wonderful day filled almost entirely with passages down roads we have never seen or even imagined before. We started this morning with a big egg scramble and fortified coffee and I ate some special chocolate before piling into Charlotte for today’s fun.
We took 101 north up to the area around Crescent City but right before we got into town we turned off on Humboldt Road. Using this one-laner, you can bypass Crescent City and all its squiggly roads and signals. We continued until we reached Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. This park is just off 101 and I have passed through it before on CA-199 but never stopped. Again, I have been stupid. The park and its grove of enormous redwoods is spectacular and I do not have adequate descriptors to truly describe how beautiful this part of the world is. Peg and I wandered down to the Smith River which runs through the park and we were rewarded with views of the turquoise-blue river running through a truly impressive stand of redwood giants. There are trees here with diameters which easily exceed 20 feet, heights in excess of 300 feet and a canopy under the redwoods which blocks almost all sunlight. It is quite shady down were us peons lurk.
On the way out of the park campground, we talked with a ranger who suggested a scenic drive not far from the park entrance. From the campground entrance, we turned north on CA-199 to South Fork Road and almost immediately turned right onto Douglas Park Road. Right about the time the paving ends in favor of a dirt road, the name changes to Howland Hill Road. Howland Hill Road is a mostly gravel but sometimes mud single-lane road that runs for about 6 miles through some of the most dramatic and beautiful territory I have ever seen. Charlotte had no problem other than getting really dirty and passing through some sections where traction was hard to find but while doing this, also passing through a stunning old-growth redwood grove. This drive could probably be considered bucket list quality.
After a couple hours, we passed out the lower end of the road into Crescent City. I have passed through Crescent City many times on 101 but have never turned off any further than the distance to a gas pump. This time, however, we drove across 101 right out to the coast and again were rewarded with some magnificent views of this northernmost section of California coastline. There is a gorgeous lighthouse at Battery Point, a spectacular rocky coastline running up to Castle Rock and a little road that takes you out to Point Saint George which is a point. From the area around Point Saint George, the ocean surrounds you on 3 sides.
We curtailed our sightseeing and turned back into Crescent City where we stopped at the Rumiano Cheese Factory. They have a great selection of cheeses and fresh curds which I have always loved even though the have the texture of biting down on a slug or a pencil eraser. Nevertheless, they are very tasty and the half pound or so that we bought hardly made it back to the trailer.
On the way back to the trailer we took the Alder Camp loop, just like yesterday. It is still spectacular.
I might have screwed up but if I didn’t, you can see photos by clicking here