Day 75 of 117 on our “Go West, Young Man” Two Lane Adventure – Sunday 9/09/18

We departed Sunset Harbor RV Park, it was a nice small park. The perfect place for an overnight and to see some of the sights in the area.

It is located right across from the Crescent City Harbor District. This harbor has seen its fair share of bad luck. The Inner Boat Basin at the Crescent City Harbor District was damaged by a 2006 tsunami, but was totally destroyed by the tsunami that struck the harbor on March 11, 2011.  The damage from both events required three years to rebuild. 

The word tsunami in Japanese translates literally as “harbor wave.” Prior to the tsunami, seafood landings in Crescent City were second only to San Francisco in Northern California. Currently there are around eighty commercial fishing vessels berthed at the marina. Dungeness crab, rockfish, and shrimp are major fisheries for the Crescent City fleet. Tuna are landed in Crescent City in the season when the schools venture closer to shore.

We caught some scenic views along the Enderts Beach today, as we traveled.

Also, the rocky coast popped its head up again … along with a little fog!

Klamath, California sits at the mouth of the Klamath River, which stretches 263 miles through Oregon into California and empties into the Pacific Ocean making it the second largest river in California. The Yurok Tribe were the first resident’s in Klamath. In the mid 1800’s hopeful gold seekers attempted to use the Klamath River as an access point to inland mines. When it proved fruitless and dangerous, Klamath was quiet for some time. A second boom happened thanks to the completion of the Douglas Memorial Bridge in 1926 which connected Klamath to the Redwood Highway. Industries of timber and salmon fishing sparked a heyday of tourism which has evolved over decades.

In 1955, a flood washed much of the town down the Klamath River and out to the ocean, the hardy people of Klamath rebuilt, only to have the 1964 Thousand-Year flood hit the area, obliterating the town. This time fewer people stayed to rebuild. In 1968, the Redwood National Park was established with the promise of a new wave of tourism. What was once a booming timber and fishing community has reinvented itself as a natural destination town in the heart of the Redwood National and State Parks.

The Klamath Golden Bears greeted us, as we crossed the Klamath River. The Golden Bears on the Klamath River Bridge weren't always golden. Sometime in the late 50's or early 60's mysteriously the cement bears on the old bridge would turn golden overnight. Despite efforts of the State Highway Department with buckets of turpentine swabbing off that golden color, overnight the bears would be returned to their golden hue. It all started one evening in old Klamath, the town was starting to look awful tired. A group of local businessmen were having a cocktail at one of the local pubs discussing things, when someone announced it was time for Klamath's main street to have a face lift. So with brooms, mops, trash containers and general cleaning apparatus the group set out that night to rejuvenate the downtown area. The streets were swept, the litter removed, the windows washed and all the dust and cob webs were swept away.

One voice in the group muttered there needs to be one final touch. One voice said" I've got some gold paint in the shed at home", another said" I've got some brushes". "Let's paint those Bears Gold" And so they did. Periodically the Highway Department would restore the bears to their natural state. "The Golden Bear Club" again would meet at a local pub armed with cleaning supplies, they'd spruce up the downtown area and of course left their trademark "The Golden Bears" on the Klamath Bridge. It didn't take too long before the Highway Department realized Klamath liked those Bears golden. To this day, Cal- Trans maintains the spirit of the "Golden Bear Club." The new Memorial Bridge completed in 1965 greets visitors from around the world with its landmark California Golden Bears.

The Ranger we met yesterday told us about the Newton B Drury Scenic Parkway. It is a 10-mile scenic drive that was part of the original Redwood Highway. It passes through Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, giving you one of the parks’ most scenic drives through old-growth redwood forest. Old growth is a forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance.

The parkway ends at Elk Meadow, where he said we could see elk. Not just any elk, but Roosevelt Elk. Roosevelt elk are a major conservation success story. Hunted nearly to extinction by North Coast settlers, there were only a few hundred animals left when conservation efforts began.

Now the elk number in the thousands and they are being reintroduced to many areas of their original range. Roosevelt elk favor prairie and other open lands but seek forests for cover and shade. The park’s largest mammals, elk, can exceed 1,000 pounds. Their much bigger antlers distinguish them from the black-tailed deer. However, at the Elk Viewing Area … there were no Elk!

We turned to AM 1610 for elk information. They said to try driving down Davidson Road, for another opportunity to see elk. They broadcast, even said that there were turn around for oversized vehicles. Ok, we are heady that way! Just as we got to Davidson Road, there were four male elk right in the road! The adult males, also called bulls, can weigh between 750 and 1,000 pounds. They have a dark head, neck and legs, with a light brown body and a cream-colored rump.

Mature males boast large multi-branched antlers, while the shorter antlers of young males (called spikes) usually are unbranched. It is unusual to see this many males together, because their rutting period is from late August to mid-October. Wow, no need to drive down the road! There was a large herd laying on the left side of the road, but we could not capture a picture.

Humboldt Lagoons State Park is part of the largest lagoon system in the US. Lagoons are shallow, enclosed bodies of water along the coast, separated from the ocean by coastal strands or spits of land. Water flows in and out of these lagoons when water breeches these spits. Humboldt Lagoons State Park 4 lagoons. Big Lagoon, Dry Lagoon, Freshwater Lagoon and Stone Lagoon.

Dry Lagoon was once the fourth body of water. Farmers drained it, but their attempts to grow crops failed. Dry Lagoon’s wetland now attracts elk and scores of migrant birds. However, it is at Stone Lagoon where we had the opportunity to see a few more elk along the beach, behind the Stone Lagoon visitor’s center. “Eagle eye Charlie” is normally who spots the wildlife … but this time, it was me that saw some brown by the blue water. We were able to pull all three coaches off safely and get a glimpse or two of the elk. We also were able to get some for information from the visitor’s center.

As we pulled out, there was another group of elk on the other side of the visitor’s center, in front of a small cabin. Not the best picture background, but you get the idea … they are everywhere!

As we came out of the higher elevations and got closer to the coast, we came into the fog again. We dropped Paul & Rosann at Cedarwood RV Park and we continued on to our home for the next 2 nights, Shoreline RV Resort.

After we got set up, Rosann and Paul were going to chill … so Charlie, Nancy , my Charlie and I took a tour of Eureka. Charlie & Nancy have been here before. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Historic Old Town Eureka is home to more than 100 Victorian buildings, and it is one of the most meticulously preserved and restored commercial districts in the West. 

Located along the historic waterfront industrial area on California’s far northwest coast, Historic Old Town Eureka is packed with things to see and do. Founded in 1850, Eureka’s rich history of logging and fishing gave rise to the Old Town, which arose as the town developed and still retains much of the flavor of its Victorian architecture today. Perched on the edge of Humboldt Bay in the heart of the ancient Redwood belt, Eureka’s classic Old Town is a must for history buffs, architecture-lovers, or simply those who love to shop for something a little different.

Our first stop was the Carson Mansion. The Carson Mansion, constructed in 1884-1885, is a three story, eighteen room structure with a tower and basement. The house was designed by the Newsom Brothers of San Francisco, well-known architects throughout California.

Perfectly situated to the south of his lumber mill, the Carson Mansion has become a local landmark. There are many interesting architectural points of view regarding the Mansion. It is adorned with Stick-Eastlake characteristics, and there has been much written about its Queen Anne qualities. There is reference to Gothic, Italian and French influence. The wide porches with large ornamental pillars make for a grand entrance. A complex combination of gables, turrets, cupolas, and pillars constitutes the exterior of the Mansion.

The Carson Mansion is one of the most photographed structures in the world. The Carson Mansion is a fairy tale like structure, with gables, turrets, cupolas, complex windows, porches and pillars. The second story balcony has wrought iron framework with the Masonic Order insignia, of which Carson was a member, combined with his initials, W.C. William Carson came to Humboldt County to discover gold. He found his fortune in Redwood! In 1855 he shipped the first cargo of redwood lumber from Humboldt Bay to San Francisco, where previously only spruce and fir timber had been shipped. Over the next decade he was involved in numerous business activities including his partnership with John Dolbeer.

Across the street is a pink mansion, also known as “The Pink Lady”, a Classic Victorian Mansion. Originally built by William Carson, the infamous lumber baron who erected the world famous Carson Mansion across the street. The Pink Lady was a wedding gift for his son Milton Carson. This late 1800's hundreds Queen Anne/Eastlake Victorian Mansion is perched right along the Humboldt Bay offer gorgeous views of the Carson Mansion and the Eureka Harbor. This ornate Victorian era home was designed by the Newsom brothers, the same respected architects that constructed the iconic Carson Mansion which is directly across from the Pink Lady.

We enjoyed our last group dinner at Rosann & Paul’s! Good comfort food, meatloaf, mashed potatoes, corn and tossed salad. Yum, yum, yum!