Day 30: From the beach to the Sierras

This morning we drove up the coast from Fortuna, CA (I can now say "But I've stayed in a Holiday Inn Express") and did some touring of the beach at Trinidad. Again, the ruggedness of this coastline makes for some awesome sights. The sand up here is dark; I guess it's volcanic in origin. On the beach we found some interesting driftwood - redwood stumps and logs washed out to see in the rivers that flow from the mountains - and some jade (at least that's what we think it is) - and even a few pieces of beach glass.

The town of Ferndale is very interesting. Real quaint, with lots of Victorian style homes called "Butterfat Mansions". It's a dairy farming town. Northern California is very different from the south part of the state that I'm so familiar with. For one thing, the air is clean! Lots of farms right on the coast. Cows grazing on oceanfront pastures. Perhaps most amazing to me was that the "low rent" district of town is ocean front. I don't get it. Some wealthy developer is missing a great opportunity.

Eureka was built on wealth from the gold rush. Today its an artist community. It has a harbor and a downtown that makes you think of the old west.

Just up the road from Eureka begins the Redwood National Park. We got out and took a mile hike today in a grove dedicated to Ladybird Johnson. I've seen pictures and TV documentaries on National Geographic about these trees before, but you really have to walk among them to fully appreciate the grandeur. I'm no tree hugger (and no one could hug these bohemoths), but I can understand the effort to save them.

And Gail was thrilled that we saw a herd of elk in the park.
We took LOTS of pictures that I'll post tomorrow.

After an early dinner in McKinleyville (I think that's the name of the place) at a great Chinese buffet we headed east on CA Hwy 288 to Redding. The Trinity Highway (as its called) runs parallel most of the way with the Trinity River, which looked to me to be an awesome whitewater kayak or rafting river. It's a mountain highway of two lanes weaving back and forward, up and down. The trip was almost 4 hours. I gotta be honest: Gail's mountain driving scares me. But she drives because she gets car sick if she isn't behind the wheel. But once it got dark she turned the wheel over to me.

So now were in Redding at the home of Gordon and Dottie Luff, where we'll be through the weekend. Gordon established the first youth ministries major in a Christian college at a tiny school we attended in Lynchburg, VA back in the 70's. So he was my teacher and mentor and a true pioneer. Those NHCers who refer to me as "The Chair Nazi" should know that Gordon taught me "If you're setting chairs up for 7th graders set them up right!"

Tomorrow I get to go up the mountain to see the youth camp he runs with his son, Scott. There's a foot of new snow up there. And then Scott says he's taking me on a plan ride. Can't wait!

It was dark when we arrived so in the morning I'm excited to get outside and see the snow covered mountains that surround Redding on three sides, including Shasta and Lassen.