West Coast Pit Stop

 We are in Crescent City, CA. Most restaurants close by 8pm (even Denny’s). The businesses (mostly chains) are inadequately staffed—the city has a population of about 6,600 and the labor pool just got smaller with the stimulus checks. The girl at Jack-in-the-box (in highly suspicious dark shades) apologized for a rather long wait at the drive-through and asked us to let her know if anyone wanted a job there. The business cards at our inn’s front desk says “Cannabis Retail & Delivery”. All this is to say, there isn’t much going on here, except the reason we came, and probably the reason this city exists—the Redwoods, the world’s tallest trees. They are gigantic and magnificent.

We chose a moderate 5.5 mile round-trip hike—the Boy Scout Tree trail leading to a 2500 year-old tree. Ferns cover the forest floor, and from there the Redwoods shoot up until it hurts to crane my neck. Their roots vein through the earth—and tripping over them is the only real hazard along the way. Otherwise, the paths are clearly marked out, and it makes for a hardy, enjoyable hike.

We have a garbage bag full of dirty clothes we have accumulated since Seattle, so today its laundry day. Afterwards, we will take a drive through another part of the forest, and tomorrow we make our second pit stop at Mendocino.