Day 19: The California Redwoods

The day started like most others on this trip. We got up, putzed around for a bit, then went for coffee and breakfast. It was pretty chilly and foggy again this morning, so we made sure to dress for the conditions. 

We found a coffee stand on our way into Crescent City and had breakfast at The Apple Peddler. After breakfast we rode the 20 miles or so to the Trees of Mystery. It was a walking tour that was capped off with a gondola ride to view the canopy of the redwood forest.

The first tree you come to is the Family Tree. Called that because of the 12 smaller trees that grow from its horizontal branches.

There are so many amazing things to see in this area, that it's hard to know what to talk about. To be honest, pictures cannot capture the majesty of the redwood forest.

We continued along the path toward the SkyTrail gondola. Along the way we saw one of the coolest trees -- the Cathedral Tree. It is seven trees in one, and people actually get married there. 

By the time we reached the landing for the gondola, we saw the Brotherhood Tree. The Brotherhood Tree is "dedicated to the Brotherhood of Man, all races, creeds & colors."

The gondola ride had some amazing views, unfortunately the pictures didn't turn out as amazing as we would have liked. The windows in the gondola reflected a lot of light. We were able to see just a little sliver of ocean from the observation deck, and even that was hard to see because of the layer of fog that sat a mile or so off the coast. 

We decided to take the gondola back down instead of the hiking trail. The sign said it was steep and recommended for experienced hikers. When we reached the gondola landing, we hiked down to the Gift Shop and got an ice cream before riding back to Crescent City. 

By that time, the temperature had climbed to a whopping 69-degs, so I was able to forego the heavy gloves for lighter ones. The rise in temperature had also burned away some of the fog. On the way back to Crescent City, we pulled over and enjoyed the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks below. 

Tomorrow, we leave for Willits, CA. Willits is further inland, so it should warm up. (Famous last words.)


Mileage today: 45.3
Jae's trip total: 3088.3
Donna's trip total: 3088.4