"The redwoods, once seen, leave a mark or create a vision that stays with you always. No one has ever successfully painted or photographed a redwood tree. The feeling they produce is not transferable. From them comes silence and awe. It's not only their unbelievable stature, nor the color which seems to shift and vary under your eyes, no, they are not like any trees we know, they are ambassadors from another time. " - John Steinbeck
I couldn't have put my experience among the redwoods into words more eloquently than Mr. Steinbeck. This trip to Crescent City was memorable and filled me with many emotions. I experienced a life-changing shift in myself here and incredible healing. Let's start at the beginning.
The drive from Klamath Falls to Crescent City filled me with anxiety. To get there, we had to travel over numerous mountain passes. One in particular... Grants Pass. I was worried about this one with Fern, but I knew it was unavoidable because all roads lead to Grants Pass. There was no way around it. I was still determining what to expect, but I knew from talking to some people in Snoqualmie that it was already a travel issue they were trying to avoid on their way back to Oregon.
As my anxiety increased, I stayed in touch with my friend Becky. She is the best at talking me off the ledge when I'm anxious and fills me with nothing but humor, encouragement, and confidence.
We faced our mountains.. again and conquered them! Grants Pass was intense but not as tricky as I had built up in my mind. I was starting to feel more confident and courageous, but throw a giant mountain in my path, and I begin to question that all over again. lol
On the drive, I started listening to a book called... ironically... Nowhere for Very Long by Brianna Madia. It is a memoir about a young woman who writes about her travels across deserts in an old van named Bertha. She tells her story of the desire to live authentically and pursue her life's intentions even though they go against the norm. She gets lost but so beautifully finds herself again. I related so much to her story.
Like me, she had some complicated relationships in her past, and I saw myself in her story. She talked about feeling abandoned as a child by someone very close to her and how it was worse than death. "At least you can mourn a death; disappearing feels hollow and unsettling." I felt that. Thankfully, both of us reconnected with those special people in our lives.
She, like myself, didn't grow up in a time when risk was encouraged and fear was celebrated. It felt unnatural initially, but life on the road is becoming normal. It is complicated but simple. It is freeing and liberating.
We made it to our campground at the Redwoods KOA Holiday after an almost 5-hour drive. It was only a 190-mile drive, but we had to take the mountains slow and steady with Fern. As if the day had not ignited all my senses driving through the mountains and over Grants Pass, I ended the trip driving through the redwood forest. I was trying to keep Fern on the road and not be completely overwhelmed with awe by the redwoods as we drove through the forest.
This campground was legit! It sat in the middle of the forest! I couldn't believe it. I walked around the campsite the following day because it was already dark once we settled in. These pictures don't even begin to capture the essence of these majestic redwoods.
This tree stump was giant! I felt I was in for a special day; I just had no idea how special.
This was the beautiful drive to Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. It covers over 10,000 acres and was named after Jedediah Strong Smith, who became the first white man to explore the interior of northern California in the 1820s.
Wow! This was a big one. I found a lady in the parking lot and asked if she would take my picture. I told her she did such a great job that she should follow me around all day. lol She kindly informed me that she had a busy schedule and wasn't available. I guess she didn't get my humor. lol She's not the first.
Since moving to Minnesota, I have become a tree hugger, literally. I highly recommend it! lol I was fascinated by the tree in the middle picture.
The Smith River runs through the park. It's the longest free-flowing river in California. I read that you can snorkel, fish and Kayak in the river. I'm assuming there are places much deeper than where I was. It's so clear. If you zoom in, you can see the rocks in the middle of the river.
This path followed the river. It was so peaceful and tranquil. It was a much-needed respite from the stress of the previous travel day. I was the only one on the path. I never encountered another person once I left the camping area. I discovered a couple of fallen trees along the way.
I decided to leave the river and go deeper into the forest.
Walking among these giants was a humbling and exciting experience. They have forever left their mark on me.
The root system of these redwoods is enormous.
Toward the end of my walk, I encountered this area. It drew me in, and I spent a while on that bench. I'll never know how I had the entire place to myself, but it was a gift.
I knew when I began my trip that I would write four letters. It was the last part of reconciling with my past and finally finding my voice. Of these four letters, the final would be a letter to myself. I would then find a place to read them out loud as many times as I needed to feel at peace and that my voice was heard. At the end of my trip, I plan to burn each letter in a campfire, completing my healing journey.
I didn't know where I would write each these letters, but I knew it would come to me at the appropriate time. This was one of those places. I was moved to tears as I composed the first one. I wrote my heart out on this bench surrounded by the redwoods.
I could have explored this forest for days. I didn't want to leave, but I knew I had much more to see in Crescent City. I was off to the beach.
This is Pebble Beach and also the place I wrote my second letter. I was sitting on the edge of a cliff, and this was my view. This one was more difficult to write, but the continuous motion of the waves propelled me to continue.
This beach was just gorgeous. I'm still overwhelmed by the force of the ocean, but at the same time, in awe of its beauty.
I treated myself to a late lunch at The SeaQuake Brewery. I wanted fresh fish but nothing too heavy, so I landed on fish tacos. They were incredible!
I ended the day at Crescent Beach. I wanted to find an ideal place to have a drink and watch the sunset. Mission accomplished!
When you live out of your car, you always have what you need on the spur of the moment. Luckily, I found a chair and a bottle of wine in my car.
These birds all flew in to watch the sunset. They just kept coming until they were all lined up along the shore. It reminded me of the movie City of Angels, where Nicholas Cage and the other angels from LA would gather on the beach to watch the sunrise each evening. Each was deprived of human touch but could hear the rising sun's vibrations. I get that.
There were so many treasures to find on this beach: so many sand dollars and crab shells.
I was intrigued by the molting process, so I researched it. It can take 4 to 6 weeks for a crab to complete the molting process. While they are in this stage, they stay buried in the sand. They remove their legs, eyestalks, antennae, mouth parts, and gills during this time. They leave behind the old shell, esophagus, entire stomach lining, and an inch of their intestine. The most dangerous time for them is between molting and their new shell hardening. They are vulnerable and unprotected. They molt because they outgrow their shells.
There was a lot of molting happening on this beach. 🦀
Just before sunset, the birds flew away.
This sunset was just breathtaking. I don't take for granted how lucky I am to be experiencing this. Watching people walking hand in hand on the beach was one of the first times on my trip that I was a little sad I wasn't sharing this moment with someone.
It was the perfect ending to the perfect day. 🌅
I have encountered so many incredible people on this trip. Before I left this campground, I met my sweet new friend Peggy. She was traveling toward southern California with her husband to a memorial service. We chatted for some time and she later brought me her KOA book to search for campsites to stay in in the future. Her dogs were the sweetest, and it made me miss my girls. Peggy was so kind and even invited me to stay at her home the next time I'm in Idaho! I am grateful for the ray of sunshine she brought into my life.
Next stop... Mendocino, CA (A suggestion from Peggy)
Stay Wild 🌿
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