A Walk Through the Redwoods

The last vacation of the summer got under way for my family recently. My parents served their church missions in Northern California, so they decided to take the time and take us back where they served, as well as a little bit south of the area.

So with that we took a drive along the U.S. Highway 101 from the southern Oregon border down through the northern part of California.

We were able to stop at the at several locations such as the Trees of Mystery and the Founder’s Grove. It is amazing sight to see the size of the California Redwoods, especially through the Avenue of the Giants. The Trees of Mystery is just off of the highway located in Klamath, California. It features several scenic trails (although there are many to try in the area), has a large gift shop, and looks like it can be the gathering place for some large events. They also feature a sky car that takes you through the treetops for an even larger breathtaking view. We didn’t actually ride it because of time and its cost, but we did go through the Indian museum that was there. It featured artifacts from different tribes and areas of North America.

Finally there were two large statues of Paul Bunyan and his trusty ox Abe. Paul is interactive too, meaning that he will answer in questions you might have, or just talk to you if your in the mood.  

After driving for almost a whole day we stopped for the night in Arcata/Eureka, two towns that my parents served in for awhile. Eureka is a town that is somewhat similar to Astoria in that the logging industry is prevalent and the weather is often times overcast. It is also a town right next ocean. One restaurant that is renowned the area is called the Samoa Cookhouse. Despite its name, they do not serve Samoan food there. The Cookhouse is claims to be the last logger style restaurant.

The food there is home style cooking, with enough for the appetite of the logger. There is no menu but rather a three-course meal, with the dishes served changing each day. We had fresh bread, salad, and beef soup to begin with. That was delicious as it was, but then we got the main meal which consisted of roast beef, pork steak, baked potatoes, and peas. The pork was slightly dry, but everything was delicious. Although the price is slightly high, it is worth it. I also forgot to mention that it is all you can eat.

On our way through we drove the Avenue of the Giants, an alternate highway that takes drivers into the heart of the Redwoods. Looking up into the canopy really shows the height and size of the trees.

  The last stop we had was through the legendary, world-famous Chandelier Drive-Thru Tree. There are several other drive-thru trees, but none are as good as the original. My family was able to get several pictures of the tree with us, including a few with our van in it. It was a tighter squeeze than we expected. I think it is also important to note that the tree is alive and well, and looks just as big and green as the rest of trees in the forest, if not bigger.

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