We resisted the theme park and drove on, spending the day passing through
several redwood groves. These were the coast redwoods, the tallest trees in
the world, as opposed to the giant sequoias - which are bigger in terms of
volume, but shorter....but then, is size really everything? Coast redwoods can
live up to 2200 years, and reach heights of 367 feet (which makes it extremely
hard to take photographs of a whole tree in one shot!)
The scenery was very different from that which we had seen the
previous day but equally impressive in its vastness and natural beauty. When
we reached the Avenue of the Giants, which really does what it says on the tin
and is a scenic detour from the main road, we stopped for a closer look at the
massive trees. The visitor centre was closed because it was Thanksgiving
but we went on several short hikes into the woods.
Stepping into the redwood groves was like walking into a cathedral.
Our eyes were drawn upwards by the massive trees, and the canopy
overhead gave the impression of a vaulted ceiling. The woods were also very
peaceful and quiet as there were few people visiting them, partly due to the
weather - it was a drizzly day - but mainly because of the national holiday.
We found ourselves naturally talking in low voices as we walked among the
ancient woods, as you might do when visiting a church. In fact, we did not
speak very much, merely reading from a leaflet guiding us through the forest
and exchanging the occasional comment on our surroundings - generally 'awe
inspiring'. Actually most of the time we just said 'wow!', but awe-inspiring
sounds so much more intellectual.
Returning to the main road we pushed on towards Klamath, a town that had