Summer Vacation Trip - Day 6

We woke up at 0615 and ate breakfast at the hotel before checking out (0645). We were on the road by 0700, trying to escape the 100+ degree temps that were expected. As we had the previous evening, we followed CA-299 to the west and made our first stop at the Whiskeytown NRA in the hills near Reading. Mollie wanted to get a stamp for her passport but the Visitors Center didn't open until 1000. While waiting, we explored all the beaches and marinas along the pretty lake. I was happy that we had enough time to hike a majority of the Davis Gulch Trail, especially since the heat came early. The Visitors Center ended up opening "early" (0930) and, once we had our stamp, we drove to the north of the reservoir and headed into the mountains, bound for the Pacific! Mollie posted on Facebook: "After driving through the mountains that follow the Trinity River for a while, we decided to stop for lunch in the town of Willow Creek (which, for anyone who was wondering, is full of Bigfoot enthusiasts). The place had Bigfoot signs, sculptures, etc. We found a nice little restaurant for lunch (Pizza Factory), and took a relaxing break, planning for the next few days of our trip." Just after noon, we got back on the road. We made one stop (bathroom break) and avoided most of the worst construction zones. After several hours in the mountains, we finally reached US-101 near Arcata. This road will be the focal point of much of our trip so we were happy to finally see the Pacific Ocean waves! We drove north until we came to the Redwood National Park (merged with the California State Parks in the area). We stopped at a nice Visitors Center on the beach to get information and learned about a Ranger Program called "Appreciating the Trees" that was going to start at 1500. After filling up the tank at an ancient pump in Orick (1345), we stopped by the nearby State Park so Mollie could get an NPS Stamp and buy souvenirs (1430). We also wanted to learn about the amazing red giants that surrounded us during the drive. The NPS Ranger talk/walk took about 60 minutes and we received an amazing crash course in the history of these rare trees and steps that have been taken to preserve them over the last 100 years. After the "official" hike was done, we walked the rest of the forest loop trail (around 2.5 miles total). The weather was so great - sunny and 65 degrees in the afternoon. We next drove (via gravel road) to visit Gold Bluff Beach and walked close to the waves. A heavy fog rolled into the area so we backtracked towards US-101. Before leaving the park we were treated to a whole herd of elk, right next to the road. Mollie told me this was a "great day" and I agree! We ate dinner (snacks) in the car and then went back to Arcata and checked into our hotel (Super 8). Mollie caught up on her journal notes and wrote more post cards. After a bit of TV and reading, we went to bed (2230).