Hong Kong Calling

Mad Dash

Olympic Training Center

Glenwood Springs to Denver

The Canyon Parks

Sedona
Grand Canyon
Bryce Canyon
Zion
Arches

Morro Bay to LA to Phoenix

Coos Bay to Redwoods

My morning began in the 1960's.  At the gas station I enquired for a place to get a good breakfast in Coos Bay.  "Oh, just around the corner...they have a bit of everything."  Not only did they have a bit of everything but they also were in a time warp.

The diner was straight out of the 1960's: Naugahyde bench and stool seats, vinyl wall covering, plastic amber and clear crystal hanging lights. It could have been designed for the 1964 NY World's Fair.  The stools wobbled...but they didn't fall down.  I don't think there had been any facelift to the place in 50 yrs.  Even the servers looked like most of them had begun working there in the 60's, too.  The food was good, however.

After breakfast as I was walking back the car, I noticed that in the lot I had parked was a farmers' market.  I figured I could pick up some things to munch on in the car and went over.  Only two farmers were there by then.  This one guy had mostly apples.

I thought it would be the usual varieties: Macintosh, Cortland, Delicious, Fuji, Macoun...but I was astounded...he had none of those.  He did have Lady, Liberty, Coos River, Braeburn, Esopus Spitzbergen, Winter Banana, and that old time favorite...Olive Barber Power Station.  The farmer was so engaging and wanted to share all his knowledge about his orchards.  He has some 50 varieties of apples and does a lot of grafting in order to get varieties he doesn't have.  The grafting however sometimes produces apples that are a blend of the root tree and the graft.  Some are sweet, some tart, some taste like banana, some like citrus, some are great pie apples, some eating...he has them all.  I couldn't to wrong with the price either 8 for $1....so I got $2 worth.

Heading south I came to Port Orford.  The main road (US 101) turned left but on the hill straight ahead painted on the pavement was a huge arrow with "Ocean View" written above it.  Not one to pass up a great view I took the road less traveled and went up the hill.  This was what I saw:

After seeing this opening view of the ocean, my trip was rather one stop after another.  Around each bend in the very twisty coastal highway was another view I wanted to see, if not photograph.

My distance to the Redwoods was only 150 miles but it took me nearly six hours to get there.  Along the way, I stopped at one beach to practice my kelp swinging.  I am hoping to be next international kelp chucker champion.

My goal today was to reach the Giant Redwoods in northern California.  The Redwood National Park was closed but the California state parks were open...thankfully.  The Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park had some incredible trees.  Driving along you see the immense trunks...you stop and get out of the car.  What strikes you at first is not the huge trees but the incredible quiet.  It is like being in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris...the soaring pillars all around you and the incredible quiet brought on by the vaulted ceiling and the reverence paid by those around you.  In this case there was no one around...just me and these fantastic natural creations.

I frolicked with the giants for a while then drove on to see the "Big Tree" 304' tall, 21.6' diameter, 68' circumference, 1500 years old.

With still some daylight available I drove to the top of the Redwood National Park and looked out across the park to the Pacific and the setting sun, which I was able to watch set at sea level.  On the way to the beach I stumbled upon a field of elk grazing for their evening meal...there must have been 75 or 80 of them.