There are three ways to get Mendocino from Point Reyes National Seashore. 1. Take CA 1 (not a good idea with the trailer). 2. Go back to US 101 (via Sir Francis Drake Blvd) and exit at CA 20 to Fort Bragg, (will take that CA 20 out) and 3. Drive Sir F. Drake to US 101 and go west on CA 128, which is the route we took.
It is about 30 miles longer , but I am happy we took it. Again , it was about 20 miles of very winding road, up and down the hills through the vineyard country. NOtive there were ni phtos on these routes as Ruth was watching the cliff edges and I was watching the road. (Many wineries and "tasting" invites along the way. BUT... the 'icing on the cake' was driving along the Navarro River and seeing the Navarro Redwoods for 11 miles. Unbelievable that they were there . It was very unexpected. These are second growth as the first were cut in the early 1900's., but there is a stand of the virgin Redwoods remaining if you know where to look along the road. ( it is in 'Hendy Woods' State Park.)
The road follows the river. The road was built in 1929 as there were lumbering camps along the way and a RR to the sea some 30 miles away. There the lumber/logs was shipped. Today we met a logging truck on tat two lane highway about every 4 minutes.
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| One of the Redwoods at Navarro State Park |
Navarro River Redwoods State Park is a state park in Mendocino County, California, consisting of 660 acres (2.7 km2) of second-growth redwood forest in a narrow stretch 11 miles (18 km) long on both banks of the Navarro River, from the town of Navarro to the river's confluence with the Pacific Ocean.
The river supports coho salmon, steelhead trout, and river otters; great blue herons, kingfishers, loons, and osprey nest along its banks. Raccoons and black-tailed deer live in the forest, and gray whales and harbor seals may sometimes be seen from the beach on the Pacific Ocean at the mouth of the river.
The park may be reached via State Route 128, which winds through the park along the north bank of the river and has many turnouts, allowing travelers to stop for day use activities such as picnics and short walks through the forest. Fishing, swimming, kayaking, and canoeing are also possible.
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| A stump from a redwoood |
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| The drive was like this for 11 miles. |
When we stopped at the junction of US 101 and CA 128 in Cloverdale we turned the corner and puled over in a wide spot for lunch. A fortuitous stop! For there on the pull out was a very large (50 acres) grape vineyard , in which a worker was cutivating between the rows with a small "cat" and harrow. Across the street was a huge logging operation with a forklift working on the piles of logs right by the road. (Hopefully the video works). From then on there were miles and miles of vineyards and wine tasting signs at the many vineyards. (no other crops) . I could not find the name of the Mill in Cloverdale but here are a few photos.
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| Got a video of the logs being moved.First time video. Let me know if it works. (I don't thinkt did. Anyone?) |
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| The main conveyor and burners. |
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| More of the logs from the road. |
When I worked for the Forest Service in Idaho in the 1950's I remember the stacks burning the wood end pieces and bark.Today that is monitored and the pile of bark in this place is about 60 feet high. You may get some of this Redwood as mulch in your garden.
Finally we arrived at the campground on the Pacific Ocean. The valley we are in is surrounded by Douglas Fir and other pine and large trees (See). It is just across the street from the RV beach in a cove of the Ocean, where the waves are splashing against the rocks all day .
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| One of the dozens of vineyards seen along CA 128 |
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| Two of the many flowers at the RV Park (Rhodies and daisies) |
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| The entry to the Park is filled with flowers and flowering shrubs |
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| A few hundred yards from the trailer is this scene from the RV Park beach. |
Tomorrow we will explore the Botanical Garden in Fort Bragg. Then we will start to scope out as many birding sites as we can.There is a "Glass Beach" here and I would be interested to see that.
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