October 1, 2012
Chinook RV Resort, Klamath, CA
After a leisurely morning we set out at 11am for the Trees
of Mystery just 4 miles up the road from where we are staying.
After paying our admission fee of $22.00 (senior rate) we walked the 8/10ths of a mile along what was called The Kingdom of Trees leading to the skytrail,
a 9 minute ride in an enclosed gondola through the redwood forest canopy. We disembarked at the top and walked up a ramp leading to an observation deck that overlooked the Klamath backcountry on one side and Hidden Beach and the Pacific Ocean on the other side.
We sat on a bench and ate our lunch. There is a choice to descend of returning on the gondola or taking the Wilderness Trail. There were signs warning that the trail should only be attempted by experienced hikers.
Did we heed the sign? No of course not. There were walking sticks available to aid in the descent. I think I realized I had made a mistake around the half way mark but it was too late.
We took our time and finally made it back to a section called the Trail of Tall Tales which is devoted to the folklore of Paul Bunyan and his unique adventures depicted in giant redwood carvings done with a chainsaw.
The trail ended at the gift shop, where we were treated to a sample of the fudge of our choosing. Yum. Trees of Mystery is touristy and cutesy but in my opinion worth the time, effort and money.
After paying our admission fee of $22.00 (senior rate) we walked the 8/10ths of a mile along what was called The Kingdom of Trees leading to the skytrail,
a 9 minute ride in an enclosed gondola through the redwood forest canopy. We disembarked at the top and walked up a ramp leading to an observation deck that overlooked the Klamath backcountry on one side and Hidden Beach and the Pacific Ocean on the other side.
We sat on a bench and ate our lunch. There is a choice to descend of returning on the gondola or taking the Wilderness Trail. There were signs warning that the trail should only be attempted by experienced hikers.
Did we heed the sign? No of course not. There were walking sticks available to aid in the descent. I think I realized I had made a mistake around the half way mark but it was too late.
We took our time and finally made it back to a section called the Trail of Tall Tales which is devoted to the folklore of Paul Bunyan and his unique adventures depicted in giant redwood carvings done with a chainsaw.
The trail ended at the gift shop, where we were treated to a sample of the fudge of our choosing. Yum. Trees of Mystery is touristy and cutesy but in my opinion worth the time, effort and money.
It was 2:30 by
the time we got back to the car. We
planned on stopping at a beach access area that was between the Trees of
Mystery and Crescent City but we passed it and there was no place to turn
around. So we continued on and went into
Crescent City because Monte needed some wood screws for a project he is working
on. Back in the car I plugged in “Area
Attractions” in the GPS and saw that Battery Point Lighthouse was less than a
mile away. We drove there, parked and
walked down to the beach.
The lighthouse was inaccessible as the road leading to it was underwater.
We saw a few people bending over picking items up so we asked a lady what she was looking for. She said she was looking for agates, apparently one of the favorite pastimes of the locals. I searched for some for a half hour but only found one very tiny green one. Monte noticed that the tide was going out and that the road leading to the lighthouse was becoming accessible. He decided to check it out. I continued looking for agates for a while and then went in search of Monte. By this time the water had receded almost completely from the road leading to the lighthouse.
The lighthouse was inaccessible as the road leading to it was underwater.
We saw a few people bending over picking items up so we asked a lady what she was looking for. She said she was looking for agates, apparently one of the favorite pastimes of the locals. I searched for some for a half hour but only found one very tiny green one. Monte noticed that the tide was going out and that the road leading to the lighthouse was becoming accessible. He decided to check it out. I continued looking for agates for a while and then went in search of Monte. By this time the water had receded almost completely from the road leading to the lighthouse.
When I found Monte he told me it was work walking up the
hill to see the lighthouse. It is under
construction. We learned, from a local,
that the lighthouse, built in 1856, has been lived in continuously since the
first lighthouse keeper took residence.
It is manned by volunteers on a 30 day rotation basis. We inquired how one would get on the list to
volunteer. It is as easy as joining the
historical society for a $10 membership fee and being put on a waiting
list. How cool is that? Of course when it is high tide you are stuck
on what becomes an island until low tide.
On the drive back to Chinook RV Resort we drove down a
beach access road and walked along the beach for a little while.
We were both pretty hungry at that point so we went home and ate the leftover ribs from the other night. It had been another wonderful day in our new life. When you see us smiling in pictures it is not because we are posing for the camera. It is because we are so very happy and can’t help but smile at all the wonderful things we are getting to see and do.
We were both pretty hungry at that point so we went home and ate the leftover ribs from the other night. It had been another wonderful day in our new life. When you see us smiling in pictures it is not because we are posing for the camera. It is because we are so very happy and can’t help but smile at all the wonderful things we are getting to see and do.
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