Trees! Big ones, old ones, red ones

Good evening everyone!

I've had another full day in California! Was up at 7:30 this morning and headed out to the redwood forests! I spent about 4 hours this morning hiking through the many trails that are in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. It was a little rainy and muddy but beautiful nonetheless.

I don't think the pictures can really show how big and tall these trees are. Some reach heights of 350 feet. Unfortunately due to logging, pollution and fires, these trees are becoming endangered. Much of the redwoods in California have already disappeared. Also, side note, the trees aren't actually red.

I actually lost track of time during my hike and had to turn back a bit earlier than I wanted so I could make it to my next stop in time. it was very peaceful on the trails and I think my neck was a bit sore from looking up so much...
I'm just kidding. That was a lame joke.

I'm in Ukiah, California tonight. It is a nice little town off highway 101. I'm still about 5 hours away from Yosemite which is where I will be heading tomorrow afternoon.

I'm staying in the house of a very nice lady named Katherine tonight. On my flight over, I was talking to the guy next to me and he hold me about this website called airbnb. It's very similar to couchsurfing.org. People create a profile and list their house or a room in their house for travellers to stay in. its much cheaper than a hotel. And because I am paying to stay in a host's house, it means they can't kill me.

I stayed with a nice couple last night in Crescent City and tonight when I arrived in Ukiah I was greeted with a plate full of food!
I had sweet potato hashbrowns, breakfast quinoa, frittata, and chai seed tapioca pudding. She was hosting a cooking lesson party with some friends that was vegan themed and I got all the leftovers. It was delicious! (That is not sarcasm)

I've got my own bathroom and bedroom and Katherine provided some great company tonight. We got to talking and she even reviewed my résumé and gave me some helpful tips!

It is nice staying with locals because they are able to give you the inside scoop on what to do in the area. All the trails I hiked in the redwoods today, I found out about from Julie and Chris last night.

I'm quickly realizing that 2 weeks might not be enough! I could have stayed longer in Crescent City and would like more time to explore the Mendocino County. I'll have to start planning California 2.0.

My scenic drive has changed a bit from the Oregon coast. I drove through a lot of redwood forests today as well was tons of mountains. It is really beautiful but I'm looking forward to getting back to the coast after Yosemite.
I'll be in Yosemite for the next 3 nights and will be in a hostel just outside the park. Looking forward to some more scenic hikes and with some company this time!




A family of elk caused a traffic jam on the highway this afternoon.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone