Mad River Rapids RV Park, Arcata, CA

Sunday, May 21 - We left Sonoma County Fairgrounds at 8:00 AM to travel 230 miles to Arcata, CA. Took us about 5 hours. Along the way on Hwy. 101, from Cloverdale, we passed numerous vineyards; Asti was one I recognized. Lush green hills at an elevation of 333 ft. The road was very rough in some places. We reached the redwood country after Leggett. At 730 ft. elevation, you would think we were in the high Sierras. Thick forest of many conifers including the ponderosas, Sitka spruce, Douglas Fir, and Grand fir are all there, but mostly redwoods so large and they are right on the edge of the road. We passed areas where the sign was” rock slide area” and we saw the massive granite cliffs covered with wire mesh to keep rooks from sliding down to the highway.
Ray had to use pull-offs many times to let faster traffic pass us. We started seeing Eel River, it is a beautiful emerald green in places and deep gorges and thick forests. We love the new park, Mad River Rapids RV Park, Arcata, CA. The Mad River empties into the Pacific Ocean along a mile-long picturesque beach just north of Arcata. The park has a lot of full timers and there are a lot of very small trailers, but neatly kept up outside without a lot of clutter. Located six miles north of Eureka on Highway 101, Arcata has long enjoyed a reputation as an eclectic combination of traditional and alternative lifestyles. The city center — known to everyone as the Plaza — hosts innumerable festivals, fund raisers, races and artistic events year round. The Plaza is home to one of California’s longest running Farmer’s Markets, which is held on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. from April through October.


Humboldt Bay was finally "discovered" in 1806. Today, the Port of Humboldt Bay (Arcata) has positioned itself to greatly expand its worldwide shipping connections. The completion of a recent harbor deepening project gives the port the potential for becoming an oasis of international commerce, linking Northern California with the rest of the world. Humboldt County's first residents hailed from the Yurok, Karuk, Wiyot, Chilula, Whilkut and Hupa tribes, among others. They settled on the coast and along the banks of the Trinity and Klamath rivers.
Driving down Main Street Ferndale is like taking a step back in time when life and times were simpler. Colorful Victorians coupled with an old-fashioned sense of charm makes this small dairy town an enchanting getaway. Used as the main set for several Hollywood movies and a past winner of the Prettiest Painted Places in America contest, the city has had its fair share of national coverage. Whether you hike Ferndale’s Russ Park, venture 5 miles west to the coast, tour historic Fern Cottage or stroll down Main Street, you will most likely agree that there is plenty to do in the Victorian Village.
The town’s authenticity and its determination to protect its unique character and sense of place are at the heart of its appeal. That’s why the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2002 designated it one of its Dozen Distinctive Destinations.
The sister communities of Garberville and Redway are the population center of a breathtaking region encompassing hundreds of square miles of steep terrain, deep river valleys, large Redwood State Parks, coastal mountain ranges and a coastal fishing community. The climate of the area compares favorably with that in the Mediterranean. Rainfall averages 65 inches a year, and with elevations ranging from sea level to the 4,087-foot King Peak, snow is recorded in the winter at 400 feet and higher.
Tuesday, May 22 - The weather was perfect. We drove over an hour to reach our destination of Humboldt Redwoods State Park in Weott CA. The Avenue of the Giants Scenic Byway was awesome. Park headquarters and the Visitor Center are located on the Avenue of the Giants, State Route 254, between the towns of Weott and Myers Flat. This is 45 miles south of Eureka and 20 miles north of Garberville off of Highway 101. Weott is 228 miles north of San Francisco. We exit at the sign for the Avenue of the Giants and immediately leave the well-worn path area and enter this deep and very dark forested environment. It's really hard to describe what the bottom of a three-hundred-foot canopy is like without being there.
There were many other trees such as 60-foot Douglas firs that were dwarfed by the Giant Redwood. The average height is 300 feet but many are much taller than a skyscraper. Due to a recent mudslide, we were not able to see the world's tallest tree, a 360-foot redwood. All of the straight-edge straight trees are redwood, with huge ferns filling the space between the trunks.
A short drive south of downtown lays the 154-acre Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary. You'd never guess, strolling past tidal areas filled with shorebirds, that this was once an abandoned landfill site. In the 1980s, using locally developed technologies, a coalition of scientists and community leaders brought these wetlands back to life. Arcata's treated wastewater now flows through these restored marshes into the bay. It's a bird-watcher's paradise, with more than 200 resident and seasonal species, including ospreys, red-tailed hawks, American coots, and black-crowned night herons.

We drove past or through small towns. Small town of Scotia created by the Pacific Lumber Company (PALCO) founded in 1863. It is the last company town in America. In 1992 the earthquake damaged the shopping center along the Eel River and resulted in fossils founded that are 5-15 million years old.
Rays Reflections: May 23 - Marsha had read about a route SR 36 between Fortuna and Red Bluff. It was said to have a lot of roller coaster elevations and an equal amount of twists and turns. Known as the best motorcycle ride in the country. We would be leaving the coast in the RV on our next move heading East on Rt. 299 toward Redding, Ca. Therefore I decided to ride a loop east on Hwy. 299 and back west on Hwy. 36. Wanting to check out Hwy. 299 for the RV drive ahead of us, this covered the next move and a great bike ride in one day. At 8AM, fog had lifted and headed east on Hwy. 299. The road was newly paved with a lot of four lane and passing lanes spaced every 3-5 miles on the two-lane areas.
This highway crossed over two different mountain ranges, one at 4,600 foot elevation and the other 6,400 feet. This road would definitely pass for a suitable RV road with several 6-7% grades several miles long. I’ll just drop to low gear in the RV and play like a loaded truck. Aquamarine color of the Trinity River was full of running rapids almost the full length of Hwy. 299, swapping from the north to the south side with many vista points. I almost always ride with my trusty camera over my neck and tucked into my jacket to eliminate time and effort at photo stops. I took advantage of many overlooks. This entire region is covered with a carpet of large pine and fir trees. Just beautiful to behold. I understand why this country is referred to as Big Foot country. About 2.5 hours into my ride a small community offered a Saquaska museum. (see photo) and there are many sightings in this area. Umm? There is so much wooded area, one could literally step off the road and disappear in the thick forest and never be seen or heard of again. Due to the many stops I took, it was three hours and still not to my half-way point. I decided not to continue the loop, but returned on Hwy. 299. I know there are steeper and longer grades than this road offers, especially in Colorado and West Virginia. But, some of these proved to be a challenge for loaded trucks and RVs. While riding the cycle, you enjoy every smell the outdoors has to offer, especially, but not limited to, cow pastures, horse ranches, flowers, freshly mowed grass, wood smoke, coffee brewing, and the forrests. Today, I picked up on something hard to describe. A skunk with a sweet odor - yuck! I have NO idea. There are also smells of 18-wheelers doing 70 mph down grades 200 ft. in front of me. They are smoking and dust and debree, wow, closer would not be good. This was a GREAT RIDE!








We made a brief stop at The Trees of Mystery, in Klamath, and saw Paul Bunyan and Babe, the Blue Ox, (Paul is 49 ft. tall, has a 24 ft. long ax, and 10 ft. high boots). The original Bunyan, constructed in 1946, lasted only one year. Paul's head, made of paper mache, melted in the winter rains and caved in. It is purely a tourist attraction and we didn’t take the time to walk back into the woods to see the the unusual trees located up into a giant, hollow, redwood log, and then back to the actual mystery trees, the ones shaped like pretzels and DNA strandoids.




















Through the town of Orick we saw many Burl carving shops and stopped at one to see what they had. There were plenty but all way too heavy to add to our weight in the motorhome.


We took a side road to see the secluded, sandy beaches at Trinidad Bay, a fishing village 20 miles north of Eureka along a shoreline graced with a natural arch and weirdly shaped rocks. Trinidad Bay is located in Trinity County and was created in 1850. History is sordid with a big business of mining in full swing at that time. We understand why the locals call Trinity County “God’s” country, as it is so beautiful words fail me.




























Friday, May 25 - Went over to Eureka to do a little shopping and was able to see the Historic downtown district. We saw one of the most written about and photographed Victorian houses in California, and perhaps in the United States. William Carson, a timber wholesaler and one of the richest citizens of Eureka, had this Victorian house built, mainly of redwood. The William Carson Mansion epitomizes the range of possibilities for eclectic design expression that created a peculiarly American style of architecture. Derived from many sources, but unique enough to represent none predominately, this much discussed and debated property stands today in virtually the same condition as when first constructed. The designers, Samuel and Joseph Newsom, were well respected San Francisco architects who heartily embraced the concept of the "picturesque", a quality that continues to fascinate all who see the Carson Mansion's intricately composed interiors and exteriors. The Carson Mansion was owned by the descendents of William Carson until 1950, when it was sold to the Ingomar Club. We stopped at a shoe store along the Boardwalk in the old town section, very pricy. Since the sun wasn’t shining and the fog was thick, we made it a short walk.
We are always noting the structure of new homes being built in each new area we visit, and there are many differences from what is built in Florida.b:if cond='data:blog.pageType !="item"> >