A Day in Trinidad, 5/29/2016

The park where we are staying, Azalea Glen RV Park, is about 5 miles north of the small coastal town of Trinidad (population 367 in 2010 census). We drove south on CA 101 to the beach where we were able to find free public parking.

It was surprisingly chilly on the beach (we came prepared), but we spent a couple of hours exploring area with our doggy, Sadie. As with other beaches we have visited here, the rocky shoreline is so enchanting (but dangerous for boating). 

The tide pools here are full of sea life. It takes some patience to scramble over the rocks and a sharp a eye to find some of the wonders here, but that's what makes it so much fun! 

There were lots of anemones and starfish of various shapes and colors. 

And mollusks thrive on many of the rocks here. 

The pounding surf and wind have created many interesting rock formations. We all (including Sadie) had fun exploring them!

From the beach we climbed the hill to the loop Trinidad Head Trail. There are spectacular views of the beach, Pacific Ocean, and Trinidad Bay from the trail. The ship in the lower right corner of the second photo gives you an idea of the size of the rocks along the coast here.

This cross replaces a wooden one that was originally placed here in 1775 when the Spanish Navy first visited Trinidad. The inscription on the cross is "in the name of King Carlos of Spain." 

There are both commercial and recreational boats in the Trinidad Harbor. 

A quick stop at the Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse was the last place we wanted to see today. There was a Memorial Day service being conducted at the lighthouse including a reading of the names of the individuals from the area lost at sea that was well attended by the local townspeople. 

The view of the bay from the lighthouse is just amazing. What a picturesque setting!

Website: www.trinidadcalif.com

Prairie Creek (Redwood NP) and Big Lagoon, 5/28/2016

On our second day at Redwood National Park, we started at the Prairie Creek Visitor Center located along the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway (exit 573 from CA 101 north). 

Behind the Visitor Center is Revelation Trail, a short .3 mile loop trail through an ancient forest grove. 

The root systems of the coast redwoods are surprisingly shallow (only 12 feet deep). The roots of a single tree. though, grow far and wide intertwining with other trees' roots creating a much stronger anchor. While redwoods can grow from a seed, they more frequently grow clone trees from a burl of an injured tree. This is why there are so many "fairy circles" (circles of trees) in the groves of ancient redwoods.

When a huge redwood falls, it becomes a new habitat for lots of forest animals as well as a nursery for plants and even other trees. 

A short distance north on the Drury Scenic Parkway, we parked in the lot near Big Tree.  This tree and others of a similar size were targeted for logging operations in the late 1800s. A homesteader reportedly wanted to cut down Big Tree is create a dance floor atop the stump! Public interest (sparked by the construction of the Redwood Highway through this and other groves) brought concerned citizens together to preserve these ancient forests.

Big Tree is estimated to be 1,500 years old. It is 304' tall; diameter of the base is 21.6'; and, the circumference is 68'.  

We hiked a couple of miles along Circle Trail and then Rhododendron Trail to continue our exploration of this area of the park. Needless to say, it was serene, peaceful, and gorgeous!

The exposed root system when one of these giant trees falls is amazing. Can you see John standing in the middle of this one? And he is 6'4" tall! These trees are massive in size that is just hard to show in photographs.

Another landmark tree, the Corkscrew Tree, is just a short distance north of Big Tree (on the left). You can park along the road and follow the trail next to the sign. Corkscrew Tree is an example of two redwoods that have become intertwined as they have grown.  

We stopped at a shop, California Native Wood, in Orick and loved the redwood pieces they had on display in their showroom. After purchasing a sign engraved with our names for the RV and a beautiful table, we thought we better get out of there before we spent more!

On our return trip to Trinidad, we stopped at Big Lagoon to give Sadie some off-leash fun. 

The beach is beautiful here and was pretty darn cold, but we still saw some folks playing in the surf. I love the interesting rock formations along the Northern California coast.

For additional information about Redwoods National Park, go to their website. There is no admission fee to the park, but there are some day use fees in several locations that are California State Parks within the national park.

Website: www.nps.gov/redwood

RV Repair Update Two - The Bad News, 5/31/2016

Parts are needed to repair the air conditioner of our Monaco Monarch. The air conditioning was installed by the RV company (Monaco) aftermarket not by Ford Motor Company (the manufacturer of the engine), even though the air conditioner caused the engine not to start.

So, the repair shop is having some difficulty locating all the parts to fix it. The compressor is from Ford, but the rest of the stuff needed is not. So while we were starting to think we would be on our way by by Wednesday or Thursday, that will not be happening. The shop is awaiting call backs from several places. Meanwhile, John has done some research on-line and is working with the shop to locate the parts that are needed to repair it. 

Patience is not one of my virtues! But, of course, we are retired and our schedule is flexible. Deep breaths...

RV Repair Update One - The Good News, 5/27/2016

The good news is that the problem with our RV (that was towed on Thursday to a shop in Eureka, CA, because the engine would not start, even after a mobile mechanic replaced the starter and verified that the battery was fine) is related to the air conditioner! {Okay, I know that is a run-on sentence! My high school English teacher would give me an automatic F for that...) 

What the heck??

We heard from Leon's Car Care Friday night that they had cut the belt for the air conditioner and the engineer cranked. They were able to pull into a bay in their garage. Yay!! The work to repair the air conditioning (and anything else they may find) will not begin until Tuesday or Wednesday due to the holiday weekend. 

We were very happy to hear that there is not an engine problem (but then again, how could there be on an engine with only 18,000 miles that had routine maintenance?)

Nonetheless, we are enjoying the northern coast of California and the incredible Redwoods National Park. The rental unit we are staying in at Azalea Glen RV Park is working out very nicely for us. Tomorrow we hope to learn more details. 

Thanks for the sympathetic comments from fellow full-timers!