Posted by Kent Staubus on June 20, 2008 at 1:01 AM
Wife & I are trying to find the hotspots for a late July vacation. I wanted to go to Iceland; wife wanted to go to Alaska. The kids howled about both spots. So, the compromise is Northern Californy. Landing in San Jose, I want to see some big trees. What about the patch of redwoods on the OR border? I've seen Yosemite; it's OK. Haven't been to the biggest sequoia patch there yet. What about the Lassen Volcano deal, and Mt. Shasta? What's in the middle of the state? Was thinking of driving up the coast and then loop back down. I like trees and waterfalls. And trains in spectacular setings. Will check locations for that last one on another board. Might do one overnight backpack in Yosemite if that puts us on big trees. Trying to avoid San Francisco or Berkely. So, what's up there?
Kent in SD
Posted by Richard Wong on June 20, 2008 at 3:25 AM
Hey Kent. I just got back from SF and Humboldt County. Near San Jose is the Big Basin Redwoods SP. It is in the Santa Cruz Mountains. They aren't nearly as impressive as the old-growth up in the Avenue of the Giants or Redwood NP areas. Since it is foggy often times in the summer, I'd say this would be an ideal season to photograph them. For the railroad stuff, there is the Skunk Train that runs from Willits to Fort Bragg.
Mount Shasta is awesome too but super hot during the summer. I believe there is the Mt. Shasta dinner train that you could probably catch in that area. The middle of the state is nice if you like dry heat and agriculture...
Posted by Kent Staubus on June 20, 2008 at 9:04 AM
Hmmm. Dry heat and agriculture. Just like home! The Avenue of Giants sounds promising--I like being impressed. So does the foggy forest. Thanks!
Used to live there, but long ago. That's just scratching the surface of the redwoods. Avenue of the Giants is south of Eureka, but there's bunches more around and north of Eureka. I'd recommend the park brushing up against the city of Arcata (I don't recall for sure, but it may even be a city park). Lots of really neat trails with easy access to Arcata. My office in grad school was actually a house, and the yard butted right up against the park. Really cool, and you never hear about it in the shadow of the publicity for the bigger parks.
North of there you have Prairie Creek Redwood State Park around Orick. Lots of elk. Patrick's Point State Park has some terrific craggy coastal cliffs and great small beaches. Nearby is the national park too, but get off Highway 101 and head west the beach. That's where Fern Canyon is, and it's simply dandy for photos. Keep going north on 101 and you Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park along with more of the National Park. Lots of redwoods up the Smith River, too.
Just south of Eureka near Fernbridge you'll see signs pointing to Ferndale. Kind of a cool place for "period" photos of restored Victorian homes (lots of them) dating from the era of timber barrens. If you and your family are interested, there are some great art galleries down there. Keep going beyond and the country road loops over to the coast. Neat country, but mostly posted private.
Hopefully someone who lives there now (and isn't dragging up 30-year-old memories) can sign on with more current details. I've just scratched the surface, but Avenue of the Giants is just the gateway to a whole bunch more neat country.
Posted by Kent Staubus on June 20, 2008 at 12:01 PM
How about some cool tide pools, and places I can rent sea kayaks to paddle around?
There are great tide pools at Patrick's Point and between there and Trinidad on old Hwy 1.
Haven't been there in forever, but by now I'm betting there are sea kayak rentals all over the place. First place I would check is the boat harbor at Trinidad.
BTW- Due to collapse of the salmon runs in Northern California, the sport and commercial salmon seasons have been closed this year- with devastating affects on that sector of the economy there and into southern Oregon, I'm sure. I bet you have a lot easier time finding hotel rooms and such, maybe even some discounts.
Crescent Beach in Redwood NP near Crescent City has some nice tidepools. There is also a nice waterfall along with big trees on the Boy Scout Trail in the northern portion of the park. The Damnation Creek trail is a beaut if you hit it at the right time - sunset worked best for me when the fog rolls for the best light of the day.
David M. Cobb
Posted by Richard Wong on June 20, 2008 at 1:38 PM
There are kayak rentals at Woodley Island which is next to Eureka, you can kayak the bay there. There is a wildlife reserve in the bay so it would be kinda cool I think.
I don't have much time right now, but I live in southern OR, near Ashland/Medford. Prarie Creek Redwoods Park is nice, Crescent City has seals, sea lions, a nice harbor, lighthouse and is close to Stout Grove - incredible redwoods area. If you go a bit north toward the OR coast, you'll find Harris Beach SP, Whaleshead Beach and lots of cool rocky coastal spots. Inland, Mt Shasta is always a sight to see, but it is getting hot there this time of year. A bit north of there is Lower Klamath NWR and Tule Lake NWR. This time of year there's lots of spooky waterfowl and other stuff. Lassen is an awesome place.
In my neck of the woods(Ashland/Medford area) there is plenty to see and do too. Mt Ashlnad's wildflowers will be going off soon and Mt McLoughlin just northeast of here is quite an impressive peak that isn't overphotographed. I could go on!
If you want to shoot me an email w/ some specific stuff you'd like to go after, I could try and be a bit more specific for you.
In short, there is a ton to see and do here. I moved here about three years ago and I think it's about greatest, most scenic place on earth.
Best of luck Ken. You and your wife ought to have a terrific time. Those trees are so majestic and the lush green world beneath is wonderful. Another bonus in July is it would have to be one of the coolest destinations you could choose.
We went to work with our view cameras up there recently, June 3 thru 10, during the later part of the rhododendron bloom. My first ever trip up north of Eureka along the coast as it is over 400 miles north of where I live. Very enjoyable time though we had hoped for more fog and cloud for good light than we got. Will be receiving my film back from development next week. In the mean time I put together a slideshow of 46 little Coolpix images that shows a mix of the areas including a number of wildflower closeups:
Personally, I would avoid the entire NorCal bay area in July - and the central valley and Yosemite for that matter. I think traveling up the coast is a good idea and even though it's typically foggy in the summer, you won't be roasting on the coast. Plenty of Redwood parks and "big trees" to see along the coast. I would also second the Skunk Train from Willits to Fort Bragg (I think,) Not much of interest around Mt. Shasta - unless you like house boating, then Shasta Lake is a popular spot.
If you don't yet have your airfare, how about flying in to Portland and driving down the coast? You could hit Bandon and Crater Lake could be an option.
I wouldn't even bother with an overnight backpack in Yosemite. You probably couldn't even get a permit at this point. A little known area which would be included in the Willits area is the Trinity Alps. Beautiful area and not far from the coast either.
You can't go wrong driving the CA coast on highway 1 starting around Jenner.
I'll second Lon's thoughts. It is a smidge over 100 degrees in the Sierra Foothills today--very hot and dry. Interior NorCal is best avoided during the summer unless you wander up very high into the Sierra.
I have been in the Shasta/Trinity Alps area in July and August. Since both these areas see little or no benefit from marine air, they just cook!
Given these observations, the actual coast will be your best bet, I think. So, go and enjoy the cool fog!
-PB
Posted by John W. Wall on June 25, 2008 at 5:23 PM
From San Jose, head up to Giant Sequoia National Park for a few days. Do a trip up to Mineral King to have your mind blown by the High Sierra (assuming you can see it through the smoke). Then head up to Yosemite but skip the valley and proceed straight up to Tuolumne Meadows. Get a room in Lee Vining and do a day hike down the Tuolumne River. Check out Mono Lake and Mammoth Lakes. Look for waterfalls with the aid of http://www.waterfallswest.com/ and check out his blog which has recent entries about that area. Visit the "ghost town" of Bodie.
From the sounds of things, I don't think I'd plan on going inland anywhere in California right now. That last lightning storm set hundreds of fires, and there's another, potentially worse one on the way. To see how extensively the fires are spread over California, check out this site. It's my standard reference when traveling down there in the summer. From the looks of it, you probably won't be able to get away from the inland smoke, and you just might have a hard time navigating the road closures.
Posted by Richard Wong on June 26, 2008 at 12:53 AM
From what I read, Mendocino County has fires too, so it's not just inland that is on fire.
Discussion
14 repliesKent in SD
Mount Shasta is awesome too but super hot during the summer. I believe there is the Mt. Shasta dinner train that you could probably catch in that area. The middle of the state is nice if you like dry heat and agriculture...
Kent in SD
Used to live there, but long ago. That's just scratching the surface of the redwoods. Avenue of the Giants is south of Eureka, but there's bunches more around and north of Eureka. I'd recommend the park brushing up against the city of Arcata (I don't recall for sure, but it may even be a city park). Lots of really neat trails with easy access to Arcata. My office in grad school was actually a house, and the yard butted right up against the park. Really cool, and you never hear about it in the shadow of the publicity for the bigger parks.
North of there you have Prairie Creek Redwood State Park around Orick. Lots of elk. Patrick's Point State Park has some terrific craggy coastal cliffs and great small beaches. Nearby is the national park too, but get off Highway 101 and head west the beach. That's where Fern Canyon is, and it's simply dandy for photos. Keep going north on 101 and you Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park along with more of the National Park. Lots of redwoods up the Smith River, too.
Just south of Eureka near Fernbridge you'll see signs pointing to Ferndale. Kind of a cool place for "period" photos of restored Victorian homes (lots of them) dating from the era of timber barrens. If you and your family are interested, there are some great art galleries down there. Keep going beyond and the country road loops over to the coast. Neat country, but mostly posted private.
Hopefully someone who lives there now (and isn't dragging up 30-year-old memories) can sign on with more current details. I've just scratched the surface, but Avenue of the Giants is just the gateway to a whole bunch more neat country.
Kent in SD
Haven't been there in forever, but by now I'm betting there are sea kayak rentals all over the place. First place I would check is the boat harbor at Trinidad.
BTW- Due to collapse of the salmon runs in Northern California, the sport and commercial salmon seasons have been closed this year- with devastating affects on that sector of the economy there and into southern Oregon, I'm sure. I bet you have a lot easier time finding hotel rooms and such, maybe even some discounts.
David M. Cobb
In my neck of the woods(Ashland/Medford area) there is plenty to see and do too. Mt Ashlnad's wildflowers will be going off soon and Mt McLoughlin just northeast of here is quite an impressive peak that isn't overphotographed. I could go on!
If you want to shoot me an email w/ some specific stuff you'd like to go after, I could try and be a bit more specific for you.
In short, there is a ton to see and do here. I moved here about three years ago and I think it's about greatest, most scenic place on earth.
We went to work with our view cameras up there recently, June 3 thru 10, during the later part of the rhododendron bloom. My first ever trip up north of Eureka along the coast as it is over 400 miles north of where I live. Very enjoyable time though we had hoped for more fog and cloud for good light than we got. Will be receiving my film back from development next week. In the mean time I put together a slideshow of 46 little Coolpix images that shows a mix of the areas including a number of wildflower closeups:
http://www.davidsenesac.com/Del_Norte__6-08/redwoods08_slidesh.html
Personally, I would avoid the entire NorCal bay area in July - and the central valley and Yosemite for that matter. I think traveling up the coast is a good idea and even though it's typically foggy in the summer, you won't be roasting on the coast. Plenty of Redwood parks and "big trees" to see along the coast. I would also second the Skunk Train from Willits to Fort Bragg (I think,) Not much of interest around Mt. Shasta - unless you like house boating, then Shasta Lake is a popular spot.
If you don't yet have your airfare, how about flying in to Portland and driving down the coast? You could hit Bandon and Crater Lake could be an option.
I wouldn't even bother with an overnight backpack in Yosemite. You probably couldn't even get a permit at this point. A little known area which would be included in the Willits area is the Trinity Alps. Beautiful area and not far from the coast either.
You can't go wrong driving the CA coast on highway 1 starting around Jenner.
Lon
I have been in the Shasta/Trinity Alps area in July and August. Since both these areas see little or no benefit from marine air, they just cook!
Given these observations, the actual coast will be your best bet, I think. So, go and enjoy the cool fog!
-PB