June 5, 2015. Dwarfed by the gigantic redwoods!

CAMPGROUND: Del Norte State Oark inside Redwoods National Park. Old campground.  Very woodsy.  Tall trees.  Ferns and green everywhere. Private sites. Ok flush toilets with coin showers.  No hook-ups. Dump station. $17/night with senior discount.  3 stars

LOCATION: Redwood National Park near Crescent City, California, near the Oregon border.

WEATHER:  Nice. Highs in 60s

We took advantage of all the amenities at the Eureka RV park, getting ourselves cleaned up in anticipation of "roughing it" in the national parks, and filling up our water tank.

We had a short 100-mile drive up the coast so we took our time.  We stopped in beautiful Trinidad with a cute lighthouse and magnificent view.

All along the coast, the flowers have been in full bloom.  Rhododendrons grow wild.  I especially like California poppies.

 

We had a bowl of delicious chowder in the Trinity Eatery, which was highly recommended as a must-do stop.

We also stopped at a prairie where elf (corrected to elk after Keith's comment below) usually roam, but they were hiding today.

Our campground is at the end of a 2- mile road descending into a lush redwood forest.  We got set up, then went on a scenic drive.  This is an old-growth redwood forest, with trees thousands  of years old, and taller than 350 feet.  The road was very narrow, with trees dictating the width.

The trees make you feel so small!

We drove into Crescent City to shop.  

DINNER:  I made a cioppini soup using fish stock I had made and frozen at the house-sit.  I added shrimp and canned clams, onions and garlic.  It was outstanding!  We ate it with garlic toast.  It was fun cooking over a campfire again.

We went to a ranger-led talk about the redwoods in the amphitheater.