Author: Easin' Along

After a restful stop at Fort Bragg, CA, Helen and I drove 200 miles due north to Klamath, CA. Our home for the next four days is the Klamath River Campground.  Our mission was to walk among the massive Coastal Redwoods that have thrived in this area for thousands of years. Again, we were not disappointed by either our home or the trees.

I reserved a campsite at this campground many months ago, primarily for the favorable reviews on RV Trip Wizard. No one lied. The owner, an amiable fellow, assigned us to a grass-covered corner spot overlooking the scenic Klamath River.  During our stay, I had many opportunities to photograph scenes of the area and around the campground that should give readers an idea of the peaceful setting we enjoyed.  The owner also said I could use campground water to give Ruby and Dora the bath they both desperately needed.

Helen and I had two outings in Klamath.  The first was a drive to Klamath Beach Overlook to view the sea lions gathered there to rest and feed. These large mammals assembled on the sand in what appeared to us as a small convention.  Although we stood a hundred feet or more above their meeting place, we could hear them roar, grunt, and groan constantly.  The roar of the Pacific did not overwhelm the chorus. The drive to the overlook took us by a beach where several photographers stood on the beach to take pictures of waves crashing on the sea stacks.

Our second outing accomplished what we came to Klamath to do–stand under the enormous coastal redwoods. We chose Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park for our hike. The two-mile trail took us along a beautiful stream and through a fern-laden forest dotted with wildflowers. With the first step, however, the redwoods became the focus of our attention. Information posters along the trail told us that many of these giants are over two thousand years old. The trunks of many of them are over twenty feet in diameter and reach a height of 200 feet or more. It is almost impossible to photograph an entire tree from ground to crown. I tried.

At one point on the hike, we approached The Big Tree, a redwood used as somewhat of a display model. This impressive piece of flora measured 286 feet in height, 23 feet in diameter, and estimated to be over 1500 years old. Standing beside this redwood, I found myself wishing that this tree could talk so that it could tell me the things it had witnessed over those 1500 years.

Alas, the tree won’t talk to us, so we’ll be Easin’ Along…mission accomplished. Join us next week at Crater Lake. 

After a fun-filled few days in Lake Tahoe, it was time to return to the California coast. Our destination was Pomo Campground in Fort Bragg, California, a small beach town north of Mendocino. The drive was a long one—over six hours, and we were ready to relax during the two full days of this leg of our trip.

Helen and I camped at Pomo last summer and had a great experience. For a small town, Fort Bragg offered much to the summer tourist population. Nevertheless, we were ready for some downtime. We planned to do little except visit the Botanical Garden, catch up on laundry, and stroll casually on the bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean while waiting for the laundry to dry. I don’t know how we could make things more exciting.

When we visited the Botanical Garden last summer, the Dahlias and summer annuals were in full bloom. Unfortunately, this year, we arrived too early to get a repeat performance of that dazzling display, but the incredible roses put on a show almost as spectacular. The garden covers several acres above the ocean and offers visitors many trails lined with colorful blooms on each side. The highlight of the visit was the number and varieties of Rhododendrons that thrived in the cool spray coming off the Pacific.

We used the rest of Day One to pour through our email, organize the ever-growing volume of photographs I had on my MacBook, and deep-clean Dora—details that we placed on hold until now. We needed this break. Day Two was laundry day, and Pomo Campground has an excellent laundry facility. The weather was too pretty to wait for the dryer to finish. Instead, we used the time to walk on the trail above the ocean.

Waves crashing on the rocks fascinate me, and I love trying to capture the image with my camera. I pushed the shutter speed to 1/1000th sec to freeze the action and managed to record several big splashes. In addition to the waves, the ice plant growing wild on the bluff added plenty of color to the scene.

I don’t have much more to add to this post—this is an R&R stop, after all. Thanks for Easin’ Along with us and helping with our laundry. Please come back next week as we visit Klamath, California, and Redwood National Park. The massive Redwoods are something to see.

Helen and I drove north from Yosemite National Park to Lake Tahoe, located on the borders of California and Nevada.  Tahoe Valley Campground is our home for the next five days. This campground has close to four hundred campsites, and we joined just as many campers for the Memorial Day weekend.

When we arrived, the campground was sparsely populated; when we left, it was packed. Tightly spaced campsites allowed us the opportunity to meet many of our neighbors, most of them from California. The campers to our left came from Sacramento, joined by four or five of their friends towing travel trailers.  They had a lot of fun over the next few days, and Happy Hour was a lively event each afternoon.

The main attraction in Lake Tahoe is the Lake itself. The Emerald Blue water is staggeringly beautiful, and my camera got a workout because I took pictures of it at every opportunity. I’m not confident that I captured an image that accurately represents the beauty of the water, but I gave it my best.

We planned two activities during our visit. First, a friend recommended we hike to Cascade Falls, which sounded like something we could handle. Second, Helen’s former boss at The Webb School now lived in nearby Reno, Nevada, and we hoped to meet up with him and his wife. If we accomplished both, we planned to try our luck in the Casino.

The trail to Cascade Falls, rated as moderate, was anything but that. I don’t know who ranks hiking trails, but this trail needs a reassessment. Cascade Falls Trail presented quite a challenge to two high-mileage septuagenarians sporting replaced body parts. Large boulders and steep inclines made for some strenuous walking, especially for Helen.  At one point, she needed the help of two other hikers and me to climb over a big rock in our path.  Determined to drive on, she met the challenge and maintained that ever-present smile to the Falls and back.

The scenery along the trail more than made up for any difficulties we encountered. The streams, the birds, and the snow-capped peaks in the distance rewarded us handsomely for our efforts. The round-trip covered about four miles.  We slept well that night.

Jay and Wendy agreed to meet us the next day at Sand Harbor State Park for some sightseeing and the opportunity to catch up after several years of separation. It was good to see them again, and happy to hear that they are returning to Tennessee at the end of the school year. Helen and I understand the desire to return, but we’re biased.

Sand Harbor offered a different view of Lake Tahoe, and I took a lot of pictures.  The weather was perfect–probably the best on our trip so far. Jay and Wendy walked with us to some observation points to give us several different views.

On our last full day, we decided to drive the 75-mile shoreline around Lake Tahoe.  Tahoe Valley Campground is in South Lake Tahoe, and we wanted to visit North Lake Tahoe while we had the opportunity.  The drive took over an hour, and we ended the trip at Emerald Bay. Stunning is the word I use to describe the scene in front of us. 

Lake Tahoe, the largest Alpine Lake in North America, is 1,645 feet deep and 22 miles long.  Only Crater Lake is deeper. In some places, objects are visible at depths of over 70 feet because the water is so clear. That blue water is cold also, hardly ever rising above 60 degrees. Despite the cold, I observed swimmers, boaters, and para-sailers on the water.

Eventually, we got around to visiting the Casino.  I’ll leave it at that.  It’s time to be Easin’ Along. Please join us next week when we return to the California coast.