Cross Country (Part Nine)
There is nothing quite like visiting an area with a local as your tour guide, especially when the guide is Cousin Donna who likes to go hiking and camping and likes adventures. She lived in Brookings, Oregon. I’ve already told you about Cousin Donna in a previous post. Her story actually goes right here in the Cross Country series.
Brookings is just north of the California Oregon border. We backtracked with Cousin Donna into Northern California and explored more of the Redwoods and coastline from Pamplin Grove near Fortuna to Cape Sebastian. Sis and I had previously stopped at a roadside Bigfoot shop somewhere in that part of the country. The redwood forest would definitely be a good place for Bigfoot to hide, though I think the rain forest of Washington is a more favorable location. Regardless, the Redwoods were the perfect place to camp. We met up with several cousins – Dixie’s family & the Leepers – at the campground which made it extra special. (We had already spent time with Cousin Diane & family). We started our campfire to take off the chill of the evening and to cook our supper. The three of us crawled into our two-man tent for the night’s sleep. That was probably the softest forest mattress I’ve every slept on. I didn’t have to dodge a single rock during the night. The sounds of the deep forest were soothing. Birds and sounds from other forest animals mingled with the dancing music of the Smith River. Very little moisture settled on the tent under the thick canopy of branches and needles. After a bite of breakfast and packing stuff away, it was time to do more exploring. That included the beaches of the area.
Do you see Cousin Donna?
We were prone to stop wherever there was a pull off or just an inviting spot beside the road. We stopped at Pebble Beach near Crescent City. There were occasional windblown trees hanging on the sides of cliffs or a lone cypress bowed in the breeze braving the weather on top of an eroded island just offshore.
Cousin Donna wrapped up in her jacket and scarf when we walked the beach along Cape Sebastian. We walked through an opening in the rock as we walked through the sand and pebbles. The tide started coming in, so we hurried back to the same opening before it got swallowed up by the ocean. There were interesting formations of rocks and cliffs weathered by time, wind and water. The erosion process certainly produces character.
As the sun descended in the sky, we made our way to Harris Beach. Piles of driftwood lay on the beach, some pieces on top of the other and some scattered around. Whole trees were uprooted and thrown onto the beach. Smaller roots, logs and limbs rested in strange positions. Some had holes worn all the way through. We sat silent, watched the mesmerizing waves, and were amazed by the blazing evening colors that settled briefly above the ocean that looked like it fell off the face of the earth. The contorted limbs and sticks looked eerie in the growing shadows. Soon the color faded, and darkness consumed the last glimmer of light.
Though our time with Cousin Donna came to an end, our adventure was far from over. Catch up with us as we travel the Pacific Northwest.
Cape Sebastian
such special memories