California - Out Of The Forests And Into The Vineyards

Upon waking on our first morning in California we were greeted with blue skies, exactly what we were hoping for. We spent the morning in the RV park preparing the RV and ourselves for the next few days on the road. Bad tanks were emptied, good tanks were filled and a batch of bolognese was cooked. We then put Ita into drive and headed for the Redwood forests for some hiking.

At the northern end we went to the information centre which was closed until the season starts. Thankfully there was a couple of park officials who recommended a couple of hikes for us. We started out on the short, flat Simpson-Reed grove to test out the boots and our willingness to do it. All went well and we were treated to some awe inspiring trees. Again, plenty of photos were taken so have a look here and here. With this short loop under our belts we took on the much more challenging Damnation Creek trail.

This trail began at 1,500ft elevation and dropped the whole way to sea level over 2.3 miles. To say it was steep in places would be generous to it. Going down was the easy part and the view of unspoilt Californian coastline when we emerged from the forest made the return uphill trek worth it, but only just. There was an immense sense of satisfaction upon making it back to the RV but we vowed to take an easier trail the next day. So we drove off towards the south of the forest and parked up in a small village called Klamath along the way.

We woke the next moring having not been interuppted from our slumber to weather we have been used to over the last few days - cool, overcast days. We had breakfast and headed south the few miles to Prairie Creek Visitor Centre. The new boots and steep trail had taken it's toll on our feet and ankles so we started off on the easy Revelation Trail. Again, this went well so we took on the 9-mile round trip of the Miners Ridge Trail. Again this made it's way out to the coast but upon arriving there the view wasn't half as impressive as the previous day. We had a quick snack on a picnic bench and psyched ourselves up for the 4.5 mile return.

Again, making it back to the RV provided us with relief and satisfaction but the trail had taken it's toll on both our ankles. Where the trail was easier in terms of elevation difference it made up for in distance. The boots are packed away now for a few days and hopefully they will be sufficiently broke in for their next airing. We stopped off at Corkscrew Tree and Giant tree but these were right by the road so they were visited in flip flops. We had a large meal and hit the road south towards the Avenue of the Giants. It was getting dark as we passed through a town called Eureka so we parked up and had a well earned sleep. But not before spotting a herd of wild elk on the way.

We rose on Easter Sunday, had breakfast and hit the road nice and early. We drove the Avenue of the Giants which is a scenic alternative that runs parallel to Highway 101. It is amazing to be driving along the road and have these massive trees all around you. We stopped at the drive thru tree tourist attraction but unfortunately our Ita was too big to fit through. Another few miles we bid farewell to the Redwood Forests of Northern California and hello to the wine valleys of Central California. The sun had come out and it became noticeably warmer. Although the road has left the coast, the scenery is continuing to impress and the road follows through the sweeping valleys, sometimes up high to allow the soaring eagles come into view and other times staying low following the meandering rivers along the base of the valleys. The less strenuous driving conditions has also enabled us to get our fuel economy up to 8 miles to the gallon! 10 here we come!!!

We chose an RV park about 50 miles north of San Francisco in a place called Sonoma County Fair. The plan is to spend the day visiting wineries and then heading into San Francisco for a few days tomorrow. We haven't decided who is going to be the designated driver yet though.....