The Redwood National and State Parks along California's Pacific West Coast offered more adventure than I expected. It is home of the world's tallest trees - many are more than 370 feet tall and the tallest (The Big Tree) is estimated to be 1,500 years old. Also interesting, biologist and scientist believe the trees can only grow to no more than 420 feet because they can't draw water up any higher than that. There are more than 200 miles of hiking trails in the park system and I think I may have covered half of those but there are even more nice things to do and see while visiting the area. But first, the BEST place to eat (take out - only) is Chester's Chicken located in Klamath inside Pem-Mey Express (a fuel, casino and eatery- all in one). It is not what the name indicates; although they do offer chicken, you can't go wrong with their Goritos. It is owned and operated by a Yurok Indian family. Crescent City, about 25 miles north of Klamath offers cheaper fuel so we started our tour there. The first stop was to visit the Battery Point Lighthouse (closed for renovations). As we were crossing the parking lot, the high-tide alarm began to sound so we knew we only had a few minutes to get to the top, look around and return before the tide covered the only path leading to the lighthouse; we were able to walk around the grounds and take some awesome pictures of the seascape before we made our way down and across the (now) small mound of rocks still above water. We continued to be in awe of the beauty that surrounded us. The crashing waves against the massive rocks were mesmerizing; the blue ocean was like a beautiful carpet laid beneath the mist-filled skies; and the large boulders jutting from the ocean floor was a heavenly masterpiece from every angle. We noticed that the beaches had very few people enjoying their own playground - very different than the beaches in Florida but there were a few dedicated souls out riding the waves (all in full wet suits). As we made our way south, we couldn't resist the tour of the Trees of Mystery Park; you can't miss it on hwy 101 or rather the huge statues of Paul Bunyon and his ox, Babe out front. We rode the gondala to the top of Ted's Ridge and after admiring the vista from both sides of the mountain, we opted to make the 1.5 mile hike down. It was definitely a steep decline with lots of twists and turns but with each one, another photo moment appeared; I was glad we chose to use one of their (recommended) walking sticks since it had previously rained and the trail was splattered with muddy and slick areas...but neither fell and it was worth the effort. Continuing with our schedule of things to see and do, we drove to the Klamath Overlook on Requa Drive to see the vista and possibly see ocean life. There were a couple of marine biologist making notes on a whale they spotted way off shore. The whales are more often seen September through April but an ocassional straggler appears along the coastline. There were sea lions, dolphins, waterbirds and seals playing along the coastline where the Klamath River met the ocean. A closer look was definitely in the plans. We wanted to see the tunnel tree (that one you could drive through) but we already knew that our truck wouldn't fit and I couldn't justify paying the entry fee just to drive by it so we continued with our plans to see more of the Pacific coastline and the Redwood Forest. From Klamath Beach Road (where our base camp was located), we continued our adventure by making a short 1/2 mile drive beyond our camp to visit a Yoruk Indian Spiritual area. Only foot traffic only was allowed to cross the area so we parked and hiked along the trail across a beautifully flowering field. The structures were unique but unfortunately there were no signs to indicate any of their uses and some were very unusual. The spiitual area was next to Klamath Beach where we had previously seen the sea creatures playing so we made our way to the oceanside and tried to catch as many in pictures as we could - darn those things were quick. Once again, the tide was coming in so we had to quickly get back to higher grounds (I just barely made it). We watched the waves crash, the birds dance and the sea lions dodge our camera's for a while before setting sights on driving the scenic route along Coastal Drive then the Drury Scenic Parkway, stopping all along the way to admire yet another of God's beautiful creations. When we reached the Prairie Creek State Park we found the the trail that led to "The World's Tallest Tree". As our luck had it, a ranger was there and was very forthcoming with lots of information about the trees, the area, and some history about the parks. Making our way around a short loop trail, admiring the giant beauties, it was incredible knowing that these trees were a thousand, plus years old. We also learned that 99% of the oldest Redwood trees were inside the parks - protected; and, most of the redwoods being harvested for furniture and such are from young forests outside of the parks. The last stop on our list of things to do and see was Elk Meadow. When we first arrived in Klamath and drove by the meadow, we saw lots of elk grazing and even more people elk watching; we knew this was going to be a nice ending to our time in the Redwood Parks. Just a few miles further south we took Davidson Road to the meadow area...not one single elk to be seen. We knew if they weren't in the meadows, they were in the mountains so off we went hiking the Davidson Trail (3mi) and Trillium Waterfall Trail (1mi) searching for the hidden beast. As we crossed the Trillium Waterfall, we could hear elk bugling through the trees; we couldn't tell which direction their sharp whistles were coming from but they bounced between the hills and valleys as we continued our hike. We did see a couple of large (cat-like) tracks and smaller hoof prints along the way but no sight of wildlife until the trails' end; then just ahead on the trail was a cute little bunny and just beyond the bunny, a small garter snake...no elk or bears just a beautiful hike through the temperate rain forest. When we realized it was nearing 5:00 PM, we began our new search - for food. On our way back north, just around the curve from Elk Meadow, there was a small herd of young elk so we pulled over to snap a few pictures then back to our mission of finding dinner...which we did and once again, we recommend Chester's Chicken in Klamath. Our stay at Kamp Klamath was quiet enjoyable. It's off the main road (hwy 101) on the Klamath River and the owners/managers are great. The park has it's own hiking trails and who couldn't resist hiking the Big Foot Trail. We were told that Big Foot wasn't that smart so if he chased after you, to "duck" under the low-lying trees and he won't know to duck and you can make your escape...not saying that Big Foot was chasing me, but I did want to know if I could run and duck at just the right time (just in case). Our time in the Redwood National Park was one that will bring smiles to our faces for many years. It is on our "A" list.