Nature vs. Nurture

Mother nature vs. the mother-of-all tree nurturing almost concurrently appear on the fifth leg of our "tall-tree" adventure. You will take Davidson Road back to U.S. 101 and drive a couple miles north to Exit 753. The Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway parallels 101 for about seven, grassy tree-lined miles until you reach 101 again at Exit 765. From there, drive north on 101 about 10 more miles and make a left turn on Requa Road.

At the historic Requa Inn, you can rest, take in the spectacular view and enjoy delicious, down-home meals. Built as a 22-room hotel in 1914, the building is now a bed-and-breakfast country inn with 10 rooms, each with a private bath. The inn is surrounded by the stunning scenery of the north California coast and is located in the center of Redwood National Park.

Back on 101, you'll come to the "nurturing" part of our tree-trip. This is the polar-opposite of what you just experienced for the last several days: the high-octane Trees of Mystery. This touristy park has been operating for over 50 years....with an over-the-top Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox greeting you at its entrance!

Look for our next blog which will take you through a virtual tour of Crescent City and Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park.

Redwood National Park

On the fourth leg of our California/Oregon 'tall timber' journey, you'll visit a national treasure known since 1968 as the Redwood National Park. Driving north up U.S. 101 through Trinidad and into the tinier town of Orick, California, you will come upon the Kuchel Visitor Center. At the Center, you can pick up a free permit to hike into the Park's awe-inspiring Tall Trees Grove, and will receive a map to guide you there. Additionally, you can view displays and videos that explain the Park's significance and importance.

Redwood National Park encompasses almost 40,000 acres of ancient forest (this is in combination with other smaller parks that abut the Redwood National Park.) The tallest known redwood in this forest is 379 feet high but forest rangers won't divulge its location simply for its protection.

You can view the National Park Service's website on this enchanting forest by clicking on Redwood National Park.

Coming up on the next leg of our adventure: Beaches, waterfalls, and elk...on my!

The beautiful photograph of the Redwood Forest by Ann Hornyak, thank you!

"...their lives will outlast yours a thousand years."

"Here are trees that have already stood for a millennium or two--and still their lives will outlast yours a thousand years." This stunning statement is an excerpt from Philip Hyde and Frangois Leydet's Sierra Club's "Last Redwoods" book. On the fourth leg of our "tall tree" adventure, you may ponder the aforementioned quote's significance while meandering 40 minutes along a narrow gravel road that takes you through Douglas firs, rhododendrons, and some of the tallest redwoods in the Redwood National Park. As you drive through this incredible grove of giants, the trees are so towering it strains your neck to peer up at their tops, and only if you sit among them for a while, listening to the high-up branches blow and squeak in the breeze, can you truly begin to take in their immensity.

Moving out of the majestic Redwoods, you will encounter treasures of a different kind. Returning to U.S. 101, you will travel a couple miles north to Davison Road. If your vehicle can make the long, unpaved seven mile drive down Davison Road, your eyes are in luck. You'll encounter Fern Canyon, a secluded, rocky grotto on Home Creek that is a paradise of ferns growing on 50-foot-high canyon walls. There's also an excellent chance of seeing magnificent Roosevelt elk. Plus, there's Gold Bluffs Beach, a pristine, windswept stretch of sand along the Pacific, where you can beachcomb and walk for miles.

Last, there's a coastal trail along which you can view three waterfalls. If you want to see these falls, you need only walk (or ride your bike) 1.5 miles out from the parking lot at the end of Davison Road.

Photo of Roosevelt Elk by Mike Dierken.

Lighting Up the View

On the next leg of our "tree-filled" coastal adventure, you will backtrack from the Avenue of the Giants on Highway 101 to the town of Arcata and then continue north to the tiny town of Trinidad, California. Trinidad's offical website labels itself as the "smallest, oldest, and most westernly city in California." With only 400 folks inhabiting this coastal town, that very well might be true! Here, the bluffs will present you with your first elevated view of the Pacific coastline, with its shore strewn with tangles of beach grass and smooth driftwood logs.

Check out the white and cherry-red Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse (a replica of an 1871 structure), which leads you to a rocky, sheltered pocket of Trinidad Bay.

Heading back out of Trinidad, turn left off Main St. onto Patrick's Point Drive and follow it north until, east of Patrick's Point State Park, it ends at 101 North. You'll wind past several sandy beaches and above ocean coves where sea lions gather to bark and howl.

You can access more information about these two quaint towns by checking out the following information site for Arcata: www.arcatachamber.com and for Trinidad: www.trinidadcalif.com

The beautiful photo of the lighthouse was shot by Lee Cousey...thank you!

A Redwood Investment

Investing isn't all about the stock market these days...it is also about investing in personal experiences like viewing the natural wonders of the western United States. And tops on this "wonders" list has to be the California Redwoods and Oregon's towering trees. Over our next several blogs, we will explore the cool driving/sightseeing trip that starts in Eureka, California and ends in Ashland, Oregon.

So many of our Rogue River whitewater rafting guests like to wrap their trips around a bonus "adventure." And, this driving trip is a mystical doozy!

Start in the quaint town of Eureka, which is located on northern California's western coast. This town's historic district is filled with colorfully painted "ladies"--or refurbished Victorian houses. You will begin on Highway 101 and dip south. Soon, you will take a 32-mile spur that leads you off the highway and along a two-lane road (route 254). This stretch of road will take you beneath a canopy of massive branches belonging to the giant Redwoods, averaging 200 feet tall and 500 years old (see photo above of these spectacular beauties).

Next blog: Another installment of this "investment" driving tour takes you back up north into the Northern California town of Trinidad, heading towards southern Oregon and the beautiful Rogue River area!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun....

Isn't this a beautiful view of a lazy evening on the Rogue River? These 15 wonderful women spent their fall vacation on the Rogue River with us! They experienced an incredible Indian Summer--rafting, inflatable kayaking, and just enjoying being together.

That's the cool thing about a river trip. It brings everyone together to talk, relax, and just basically enjoy some leisure time.

Check out our 2009 schedule at Rogue River dates and rates.