North Coast Explorations: Heading for the Border

One more day in Trinidad. It's a tiny town and we've seen pretty much all we came to see. We've not been north of the Trees of Mystery so today we've picked a point on the map...the first town in Oregon, Brookings...and are headed there to see what's up there.

At the sleepy little town of Orick, we stop at the general store to grab a few sodas and keep going. Stretches of highway 101 go down to a narrow two lanes with giant redwoods pushing into the tarmac.

The giant Paul Bunyan and his blue ox, Babe, let us know we've reached the Trees of Mystery. Everything beyond here is virgin territory for us.

We drive through Crescent City, the county seat of Del Norte County. This is the farthest northwest county in the state. The city is named for the shape of it's beach and bay. This geographic anomaly also means it's susceptible to tsunami damage and has been hit a few times, most recently in 2011 when numerous docks and boats were damaged or destroyed when 8 foot waves originating from Japan from the earthquake that destroyed the Fukushima nuclear plant.

The city looks like a miniature version of Eureka and we'll make a quick stop here on the way back.

Next is the small town of Smith River and then the border which welcomes us with a big cannabis shop and hardware store.

Not long after that, we arrive in Brookings which is full of traffic and what seems to be more cannibis shop on each corner.

We can't really find anywhere we want to eat and the gas prices were actually cheaper at an Indian casino we passed back in Smith River.

I walk out to Chetco Point while we stop for a bathroom break. The scenery is very similar to Trinidad with rocks scattered about the bay except for the giant sewage plant taking up the space on top of the bluff.

Nothing's calling to us here so we head back. We stop for a rest at the friendly bar at the Lucky 7 Indian casino in Smith River and gas up with their cheap gas.

We look for a place to eat in Crescent City and end up at a hot dog truck, Shruggie's, in downtown. The food, while basic, is very good. 

A transient is sleeping on a nearby picnic bench. He soon rolls over and falls to the ground. EMT's show up to check on him. He yells at them to leave them alone. They shrug it off and join in by getting some hot dogs of their own.

I buy a few baked goods at a local Hmong club's bake sale then we get back in the van to go.

It's been a so-so day and drive to Brookings. We did enjoy the food in Crescent City and the little time at the casino.

One last thrill, though, was the traffic jam caused by a herd of Roosevelt elk crossing the road a few miles north of Orick. After that, it wasn't much longer back to the cabin where we spent one more night watching the wifi TV in our room.

Darryl Musick
Copyright 2022 - All Rights Reserved

North Coast Explorations: The Lighthouse Walk of Trinidad

Trinidad is very compact. As the crow flies, it's less than a mile from Trinidad Head Lighthouse to the freeway exit for the town. This will come in handy as we can just park and see everything we want today without a lot of driving.

Next to the foot of the town's pier are about a half dozen handicapped parking spots. We take the one closest to the pier, which is also the widest one, allowing us to deploy the lift to unload Tim.

There's a highly regarded seafood restaurant here, owned by the local Yuroc tribe. We'll come back and try that later. First, we're going for a hike.

Back at the entrance of this lot, there are accessible restrooms and what looks like the top of a lighthouse. This is actually a replica lighthouse, built in 1949, and now is a memorial to locals who were lost at sea.

A plaque with their names is attached to the back.

Next to this faux lighthouse is the trailhead for today's walk. We'll be heading out to the real lighthouse. The trail is about a mile and a half, each way.

A house sits here, overlooking the pier and the pretty bay. We find out it's a vacation rental. Not accessible, though, but you can see the details about it at this link. There's probably not a more picturesque place to stay in the area.

A few feet further on, a chain across the road blocks access. It's not locked, though, so I just unlatch it and let Tim through.

We stop for a minute to take in the view below.

Just a bit further up is an overlook to the beach on the other side of the point. Here is where the trail forks. A dirt path to the right and the paved (accessible) path to the left. They both meet up again later.

I should also mention that a lot of the trail (maybe a quarter mile) up to this point is rather steep. Tim had no trouble with his power chair but I can see manual chair users or their pushers having quite a go of it here.

We continue up the paved side, stopping now and again to take in the spectacular views of Trinidad Bay.

We're almost to the end, where the lighthouse is, and the last 50 feet or so of trail is loose gravel. Tim finds it easier to roll on the adjacent lawn.

The lighthouse is only open to the public for a few hours one Saturday a month, which is not today. It's rather small by lighthouse standards, only about 20 feet tall, so we take a few pictures and take in the view.

Going down is much easier than going up. We build up a bit more appetite by walking out to the end of the pier, waving goodbye to some fishermen as they head out on an afternoon party boat.

The Seascape restaurant sits right at the edge of the beach and we get a great window table in the patio.

I'm not much of a seafood lover so I get by with a bacon grilled cheese sandwich.

Tim ops for the fish 'n chips...

...and my wife goes for the crab salad and clam chowder.

It's all very good, satisfying, and relaxing.

Afterwards, we go back to the cabin, pop open some wine, and enjoy heaps of junk food while watching stand-up comedy on the inn's Tubi channel.

Tomorrow, we'll take a little drive up to Oregon. We'll see you then.

Darryl Musick
Copyright 2022 - All Rights Reserved

North Coast Explorations: Trinidad, California

I've been exploring this state for over 6 decades and, yet, there are still wide swaths I have yet to see. I may have been up this way when I was a child but, if I was, I don't remember. As far as I know, Trees of Mystery...near Klamath...is the farthest I've been up the northern California coast.

At the request of my wife, we're going to be spending three nights in Trinidad, about 30 miles north of Eureka, and seeing what this area is like.

It's a six and a half hour drive from our home. We'll stop along the way in the Colusa County town of Williams to have lunch at Granzella's and gas up the Love's truck stop here to get the cheapest gas before heading over to the coast where the fuel costs will increase considerably.

I was told they close the office at our inn at 6pm so I push as hard as I legally can and arrive at 5:59. They actually go home around 7:30 so I could have taken it a little easier.

The View Crest Lodge is actually five miles north of downtown Trinidad...a small city of just a bit over 300 souls...and sits just across the street from the beaches of the Pacific.

We have a nice, clean, and a bit spartan two room cabin. A queen size (my wife calls BS and says it's full size) bed sit's in its own small room. This room is not really considered wheelchair accessible.

The living room, however, is much roomier and has another queen size bed (this one does meet my wife's approval). A ramp leads to the deck and the back door of the cabin, giving access from the assigned parking spot. 

There's a large bathroom with a bathtub with bars. It'll be a bit of a challenge but I can get Tim on the fold down bench for a wash.

The room also includes a full kitchen with utensils. I'll make use of this to cook breakfast which will help with this trip's finances.

A cozy living area completes the setup with a large TV that is limited to whatever we can get with the Tubi channel on the hotel's sometimes spotty wifi.

There is no dresser so we'll have to live out of the suitcase. We drop it in the bedroom and head into town for dinner.

In the morning, I get into the groceries I'd brought along for cooking breakfast. I had planned on making chorizo and eggs but packed some Italian sausage instead by mistake. Oh well, improvise...I cook it the same way and we have sausage and egg breakfast burritos instead.

It's a cool morning but devoid of the fog that usually hugs this coast in the mornings. It makes for a nice time to sit on the deck, hot cup of coffee in hand, and listen to the sea lions bark on the ocean rocks across the street.

I take a little walk around the property and the area surrounding to just soak up the views, reveling in the cool air, while my wife and Tim get ready for a day out.

We're going to spend the day in downtown Trinidad and go for a little hike there. That's coming up in the next report.

Darryl Musick
Copyright 2022 - All Rights Reserved