Mittelstaedt vacation 2011

Mittelstaedt family
Vacation 2011 N

Thursday - - 21 July 2011

Northern California - Redwoods - Hwy 101 - Hwy 1 - Golden Gate Bridge

We got a fairly early start from our campsite at Brookings - Harbor View, OR
Very shortly after leaving we crossed over into California and immediately encountered
a Fruit Inspection Station and welcome station. We declared we had no fresh fruit and
they gave us a tourist map of California. Later upon inspection we found it of very limited use,
as it had very little detail.

Entering California

Rocks off the coast - waves breaking over those just at the waterline

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The road turned away from the immediate coast and we were in among the Redwoods.

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Driving through an area of Redwoods in northernmost California on Hwy 101

We stopped at the Redwood National Park office and visitor center in Crescent City CA.
Got information, maps and a book on Indian Basketry.

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The Trees of Mystery tourist site had been recommended to us by friends as a place to see Redwoods and other trees up close
Their collection of American Indian artifacts, espicially basketry was recommended by the National Park folks.

a very large Redwood

Said to be the worlds largest Family tree
Twelve living trees in one tree with only one trunk

one that fell - 320 feet long (was tall)

Sitka Spruce - grow to 180 ft. tall (over 60 meters)

Cathedral Redwood

the bottom of one of those rings of Redwoods

Looking up from the bottom of one of those rings of Redwoods

The wooden platform protects the tender roots and allows people to get close to the tree

fallen but not broken trees have branches which grow straight up

The cable lift - bottom station - it is electric and makes a SciFi hum when it runs

top stration

view from half-way up

How long this one had lived.

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The American Indian artifacts museum part of Trees of Mystery

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Hwy 101 between Trees of Mystery and Willits CA
warning of a very twisty road

Hwy 101

more Hwy 101

We camped for the night at the KOA campground in Willits, CA
We arrived just as the light failed and set up in the early evening darkness.

(photo taken Thursday morning when we departed from the KOA)
They were set up to service families with young children.
They had a miniture western town street and even a tipi.

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Thursday - - 21 July 2011
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We drove south on Hwy 101 and it became a fast 4 lane divided highway.
In order not to arrive too early at our friends house, and to see some of the coastal scenery on Hwy 1.
Just S. of Ukiah CA we cut West on State Hwy 253 to Boonville CA

From Boonville we jogged N less than a mile and headed west
to connect with California Hwy 1 on a very narrow and steep road... which in places narrowed to a single lane.
The map we had showed the road, but did not give it a number or name. Later on a much more detailed map we found
that it is called Mountain View Road and so it was. At 2 points there were signs that the grade was 14%.
Previously the steepist grades I had ever encountered on roads was half that.
It was an exciting 23 miles, especially pulling a trailer.
It was worth it. Hwy 1, the coast road, was spectacular and curvey as a snake with a bellyache.

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Mountain View Road - where one mostly sees the heavy forrest and where one watches the road.

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Half a mile before it joins Hwy 1 it levels out.

Off Mountain View Road on to California Hwy 1

the main street in Point Arena

on the main street of Point Arena - Druids Hall - Senior Center

out of town heading for the Pacific Coast

Looking back at the Point of Pt.Arena
where we stopped at a hwy pull-out for a sandwich lunch

Pt.Arena wave activity

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Roadside flowers where we stopped for lunch on Hwy 1

Kelp (seaweed) beds a quarter of a mile off the shore

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A short stop in a State Park

Russian Fort (re-built)

over a ridge and a long way down into the fog

The mouth of the Russian River in California, where we turned back East on Hwy 116 and
wandered through Sevastapol CA to find the faster Hwy 101 to the Golden Gate Bridge.