Escaping the Heat: Crescent City and the Redwood Forest
It was one of those days we just don’t want to suffer through. Being from Virginia, I’m used to heat waves into the 90s, but I wasn’t in Virginia anymore.
Back in May, I decided to move out west to southern Oregon. My job, to help manage a medical cannabis farm. As time progressed, summer brought with it “heat domes” that swept in, raising temperatures past record levels. There was no air conditioning on the farm!
After listening to the dogs and myself panting for a while, I decided it was just too much. I hopped in the truck, dogs with me, and headed to the coast. Boy was I in for a surprise that day.
Siskiyou National Forest and the Smith River
The trip started off from Glendale Oregon, and I headed south toward Grants Pass. From there, I took the “Redwood Highway’ toward the coast. The road became winding and narrow as I entered the Rogue River — Siskiyou National Forest. From there I continued on for about an hour, stopping several times to photograph the beautiful Smith river. Running from Klammoth Falls Oregon into Northern California, it is the longest river in California that hasn’t had any dams built on it. For the most part, it has been left in its natural state and is famous for trout and steel-head fishing.
The Redwood Forest
I had always heard about the great Redwood forests in California and wanted to see them myself for quite some time. How exciting to come across this sign on the way to the coast. Welcome to Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park.
Reaching heights of over 325 feet, many of the trees here are over 2,000 years old.
Of course, I stopped for photos, and even found a stranger nice enough to take one of me with the dogs.
But aside from the trees, I noticed something else. The temperature was dropping.
Crescent City
Leaving the redwood forest, there were signs pointing toward the coast, Crescent City California. What a cute little town, quite sparsely populated compared to some of the beachfront cities I had been to elsewhere. Traveling along, I came across Highway 1, which runs directly through Crescent City. A coastal highway popular with tourists, it runs nearly the entire length of the western US seaboard.
After circling around a few times, I stopped at the local fishing pier. I got the dogs out, and we decided to go for a walk.
The water was gorgeous and I certainly wasn’t hot anymore. But there was one big problem — I was freezing!
From 108 degrees earlier that day, it was now 59 degrees. I was shocked at the difference, and realized I hadn’t planned for this. Wearing shorts and a short sleeve shirt, it didn’t take long before I was ready to hop back in the truck. So we continued on.
Overlooks to the Pacific
Driving just a few miles south from Crescent City, I followed Highway 1 until I came upon signs for overlooks. The dogs weren’t impressed at all, and wanted to stay in the vehicle. So I got out and snapped some photos.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve seen a fair share of beaches in my life, including the white sand beaches of the Caribbean and Southeast Asia. This place, however, has its own unique beauty. The rocky shoreline is backed by towering cliffs overlooking a blue ocean. The overlooks along Highway 1 near Crescent City were breathtaking.
If you ever find yourself in a heatwave out on the West Coast, the secret is out of the bag. Crescent City, and the Redwood forest that backs up to it, enjoys year-round breezes from the northern Pacific Ocean. The air, sweeping down from cooler climates, provides a perfect environment for the ancient redwoods to thrive, and a reprieve from the heat of summer.
