We spent some time in Ferndale talking to Judy and Bill who turned out to be the best things about Ferndale. We drove to "the city" Eureka. Eureka seemed filled with sown and out characters and dilapidated buildings for home and business. We did pass a fancy private club so I guess everyone is not down and out.
Outside of Eureka is Fort Humboldt. You see the Humboldt name a lot up here and the county is Humboldt but apparently Humboldt was just a guy who was able to see Lake Humboldt through the incessant fog so they named it after him. The fort was another one of these army forts set up to control the Indians.
Lumber was a big business around here and early pioneers could see the value in the lumber of the redwoods but had not technology to cut the trees. In the fort they displayed the equipment created by resourceful entrepeneurs to cut the trees to move them with pulley system and steam engines developed to power the pulleys.
A little further along we visited a Redwood state park which provided a beautiul trail up through abundant trees and ferns.
We stopped for the night in Crescent City (shaped like a crescent in the middle of a bay and the ocean. This is the home of the biggest American Tsunami in the US and half of its town was destroyed. There are still tsunami warnings in this area.
We stopped at the Best Western again because it had 3 diamonds in triple A but the available rooms had higher prices so we went to a lower rated Lighthouse next door and it quite a bit nicer tahn the triple diamond Best Western that se stayed in our first night.
Showing posts with label Northern CA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Northern CA. Show all posts
Friday, August 7, 2009
Thursday, August 6, 2009
On the Road-Northern CA
Wed. August 5. After a wonderful breakfast at the Benbow Inn, we drove North along the touted "Avenue of the giants" of Redwood Trees. The trees are big but on the whole, we would not missed much if we just stayed on 101. We made our way to the "Victorian Town" of Ferndale, which we found quite boring. David and I kept checking our watches in anticipation of the wine and cheese hour and the time kept being the same time. They do have a Memorial Day Weekend race in which local sculptors solder together vehicles that look like some animal or dragon and put some bicycle type thing inside to allow the pedal power to drive the vehicle. They have a museum of some of the winners.
The wine and cheese hour finally did come and we people from our home town, i.e. Philadelphia and some Family Law attorney who had stories to tell.
The wine and cheese hour finally did come and we people from our home town, i.e. Philadelphia and some Family Law attorney who had stories to tell.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Ontheroad-Northern CA
Tuesday August 4-
It is quite difficult to pick out a hotel if you have never been to the area. We picked the Best Western that had an ocean view. It did but the building was across the highway from the ocean. The beachcomber was in the same price range and theie ocean views were actually on the beach.
There is glass beach in Fort Bragg. It used to be the town dump but the only relics from that period are pieces from the glass bottles which have been "sanded" smooth.
We walked around the artsie town of Mendocino. Lunch was the best food we have had since we started out. We went there because there is a guy walking around Sharon Heights wearing a tee shirt advertising Pattersons. The only thing that went wrong at that restaurant was daddy came out of the bathroom unbeknowst to me and then after a really long time myself and two men who were helping me kept banging on the men's room door. We made a quick exit when we discovered so we not have to meet the man from the toilet.
We took a windy(curvy) road(pretty at first but boring after the first half hour). Our destinatioln was the chandelier tree which you drive your car through a hole in the trunk. The woman in the SUV in front of got stuck but our Civic made if just fine.
There is beautiful Inn in this area that the Dinwiddie's had recommended that we see but probably would not want to stay in because it is expensive. David wanted me to have a room I could feel good about(one that has glass and china in the room instead of paper/plastic and thick towels. They had a special mini garret room which was not much more than a comfort Inn. We are he)ar in this wooded setting with flowered wallpaper, matching curtains and colonial repro furnitue.
It is quite difficult to pick out a hotel if you have never been to the area. We picked the Best Western that had an ocean view. It did but the building was across the highway from the ocean. The beachcomber was in the same price range and theie ocean views were actually on the beach.
There is glass beach in Fort Bragg. It used to be the town dump but the only relics from that period are pieces from the glass bottles which have been "sanded" smooth.
We walked around the artsie town of Mendocino. Lunch was the best food we have had since we started out. We went there because there is a guy walking around Sharon Heights wearing a tee shirt advertising Pattersons. The only thing that went wrong at that restaurant was daddy came out of the bathroom unbeknowst to me and then after a really long time myself and two men who were helping me kept banging on the men's room door. We made a quick exit when we discovered so we not have to meet the man from the toilet.
We took a windy(curvy) road(pretty at first but boring after the first half hour). Our destinatioln was the chandelier tree which you drive your car through a hole in the trunk. The woman in the SUV in front of got stuck but our Civic made if just fine.
There is beautiful Inn in this area that the Dinwiddie's had recommended that we see but probably would not want to stay in because it is expensive. David wanted me to have a room I could feel good about(one that has glass and china in the room instead of paper/plastic and thick towels. They had a special mini garret room which was not much more than a comfort Inn. We are he)ar in this wooded setting with flowered wallpaper, matching curtains and colonial repro furnitue.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Ontheroad-Northern CA
David and I left Redwood City, CA yesterday August 3. We took 280 thru San Fran and got over to coastal Rte when we could. We met cousin Janet in Jenner for a few minutes in a town called Jenner on the Russian River. I knew this river to have wineries connected with it but I did not know where it got its name.
The Russians who had colonies in Alaska came down to Sonoma county to set up an outpost in effort to grow crops to feed their Alaskan people and to hunt the rich pelts of the river otter. They brought `14 cannons and some Aleuts(mixed race native and Caucasian were called Creoles)and with other native peoples built a very impressive early 19th century fortress (fort for short). At caddy-corner ends were lookout towers so that attackers by land or sea cdould be easily spotted. I believe that neither the Spanish or the Indians tried tdo attack them. They did well with furs but could not make a go of agriculture.
We stopped for lunch at Timber Cove Inn which is on the water and pretty but the food is mediocre. Amzingly we met friends Sue and Ken as we pulled into the parking lot so our lunch was made special by their company.
In our Silicon Valley area this place called Sea Ranch is known as a big vacation spot so I wanted to stop and see it alon rat1. We did not see all that much. There are private roads off of rte 1 that lead down to homes on the water. Occassionally, tahere is a road down to a public access beach. For miles and miles this is it--houses on the beach and nothing else. At last we came to a town where one could buy something.
By now it was getting late so we skipped seeing Mendocino yesterday and came straight to our Best Western in Fort Bragg. This Fort Bragg was an army fort that was set here to keep an eye on the Indian reserfvation. The commanding officer named it after his former commander whose name was Bragg. They have a redwood tree slice. The tree was felled in 1942 and germinated in 190(the sign said) so it is quite big. The rest of the town looks poorish with lots of biker types. We ate in the leading Pizza bar--piachis, a place that is mobbed with drinkers and served us some poor pizzas.
The Russians who had colonies in Alaska came down to Sonoma county to set up an outpost in effort to grow crops to feed their Alaskan people and to hunt the rich pelts of the river otter. They brought `14 cannons and some Aleuts(mixed race native and Caucasian were called Creoles)and with other native peoples built a very impressive early 19th century fortress (fort for short). At caddy-corner ends were lookout towers so that attackers by land or sea cdould be easily spotted. I believe that neither the Spanish or the Indians tried tdo attack them. They did well with furs but could not make a go of agriculture.
We stopped for lunch at Timber Cove Inn which is on the water and pretty but the food is mediocre. Amzingly we met friends Sue and Ken as we pulled into the parking lot so our lunch was made special by their company.
In our Silicon Valley area this place called Sea Ranch is known as a big vacation spot so I wanted to stop and see it alon rat1. We did not see all that much. There are private roads off of rte 1 that lead down to homes on the water. Occassionally, tahere is a road down to a public access beach. For miles and miles this is it--houses on the beach and nothing else. At last we came to a town where one could buy something.
By now it was getting late so we skipped seeing Mendocino yesterday and came straight to our Best Western in Fort Bragg. This Fort Bragg was an army fort that was set here to keep an eye on the Indian reserfvation. The commanding officer named it after his former commander whose name was Bragg. They have a redwood tree slice. The tree was felled in 1942 and germinated in 190(the sign said) so it is quite big. The rest of the town looks poorish with lots of biker types. We ate in the leading Pizza bar--piachis, a place that is mobbed with drinkers and served us some poor pizzas.
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