MAJESTIC, MAGICAL & MYSTICAL

Crescent City, CA - Oct. 11 & 12
REDWOODS
Leaving Oregon, we drove southwest to Redwood National and State Park.  As Hwy. 199 brought us closer to Crescent City, CA, majestic redwood trees lined the sides of the highway and formed a canopy above us.  We camped 2 nights at the Village Inn RV Park underneath a towering redwood tree.

I'd hug this big boy but I can't get my arms around him.

Saturday we drove south on Hwy. 101 going in and out of the redwood forest and along the coast to Trees of Mystery.  This privately owned tourist area (trap) has trails through the forest with interpretive stops along the way.  Some of the trees are estimated to be 3,000 years old and some as high as 600 feet.  We took the gondola to the observation deck at the top of the ridge.  The views of the back country to the east, and the Pacific to the west were spectacular.

After Paul and Babe left Minnesota they moved to California to log the Redwoods.

Sky Ride over the tops of the trees.

Another enterprising land owner made a tunnel through this tree and charges $5 to drive through.

Because the Redwood National and State Park is owned by  both the state and fed, it wasn't shut down so we took a primitive one-lane road through the park, stopping from time to time to walk around and marvel at the massive size of these ancient trees.  The air in the forest smells so clean and pure, I wish I could bottle it.

 

Majestic and Magnificent

PLAN B - Oct. 13 - 16
Our original plan was to visit Yosemite National Park after seeing the Redwoods, but Yosemite is shut-down so we need to have a Plan B.  Jim suggested we head east to Mount Shasta.  Sunday we left the Pacific coast and drove east on the winding and twisty mountain Highway through the Trinity National Forest.  Our average speed was about 35 mph and it took us 3 hours longer than we had planned to reach Mount Shasta City.  By the time we got to our campsite at Lake Abrams RV Park, it was cocktail hour and we both were ready for a Manhattan.

MAGICAL AND MYSTICAL
We soon met other campers and long-term residents at the campground.  Many had come to the area to experience the spiritual, metaphysical, and energetic aspects of the mountain and surrounding area.  We had some interesting conversations with some of our fellow campers about the powerful energy and spiritual nature of Mount Shasta, the hot springs, lakes, and vortex sites surrounding the mountain.

The view of Mount Shasta from Lake Siskiyou.

WERE HEAVEN MEETS EARTH
Mount Shasta is over 14,000 feet high, and is said to be one of the 7 sacred mountains of the world.  On a clear day Mount Shasta can be seen from Crater lake which is 150 miles away.

Monday we drove up over 7,000 feet on the southwest side of the mountain.  There are several places to park at trailheads and hike on the many trails through the forest.  Apparently, the Shasta-Trinity U.S. Forest Service Employees are a little rebellious and didn't quite buy into the whole shutdown thing, as the gate was open, as well as the bathrooms unlocked.  The road ends at the Old Snow Bowl and is a popular starting point for those adventurous souls who attempt to climb to the summit.  Only 1 in 3 climbers succeed in reaching the top.

Map of routes to the summit.

The Old Snow Bowl

Labyrinth at the Old Snow Bowl area.

Labyrinth in the foreground, Old Snow Bowl in the background. 

We spent some time shopping and exploring the free spirited town of Mount Shasta City and couldn't help but notice how everyone we met was smiling, friendly, respectful, and just plain happy to be there.  The loving and peaceful energy here is almost palpable.  I noticed that all my senses seemed more alive; colors more vibrant, sounds clearer, sense of smell more distinct, and even the taste of food burst with more flavor .

As annoyed as I've been with the government shut-down, and disappointed with their closing national parks and monuments we wanted to see, I'm now grateful that we had to go to Plan B and took the detour to Mount Shasta.  This was a truly memorable and unexpected experience.