Blog text and images by Patricia Banks©
The Smith River is our constant companion as we cut diagonally across southern Oregon to Crescent Beach in northern California. It is considered one of the crown jewels of the US National Wild and Scenic River program. We stopped to take photos often and were spell bound by the incredible variations of deep blue and deep green turquoise colours of the water. The Smith River originates in the high Siskiyou and Klamath mountains and is joined by several forks along the way to the ocean.
We thought you might like to see a little more of the Redwood Forest – it is so enchanting! It beckons you with delight to explore what’s around each bend on the trail - a stunning shaft of light illuminating an ancient world, the trickle of a brook, the cascades of a stream, the multitude of tender ferns and flowers beside giant trees and all put to the background music of a variety of sweet singing birds! The clean air and peaceful energy is totally renewing.
Moving south and inland to a dryer climate, we stayed at Clear Lake in northern California. It is the largest of California’s natural lakes (five miles wide by nine long) and for all reasons it could have been the beautiful Okanagan Valley in B.C. It was rural, tranquil and quiet in the off season, but judging by the local tourism infrastructure, a vacation beehive of activity in the summer season. In this area, the towns have names like Nice and Lucerne, and by the look of many of the huge and spectacular waterfront Mediterranean style villas, you might think you are actually in one of those beautiful European vacation spots.
Lots of hot country lizards happily sunning themselves too!
The Smith River is our constant companion as we cut diagonally across southern Oregon to Crescent Beach in northern California. It is considered one of the crown jewels of the US National Wild and Scenic River program. We stopped to take photos often and were spell bound by the incredible variations of deep blue and deep green turquoise colours of the water. The Smith River originates in the high Siskiyou and Klamath mountains and is joined by several forks along the way to the ocean.
We thought you might like to see a little more of the Redwood Forest – it is so enchanting! It beckons you with delight to explore what’s around each bend on the trail - a stunning shaft of light illuminating an ancient world, the trickle of a brook, the cascades of a stream, the multitude of tender ferns and flowers beside giant trees and all put to the background music of a variety of sweet singing birds! The clean air and peaceful energy is totally renewing.
Moving south and inland to a dryer climate, we stayed at Clear Lake in northern California. It is the largest of California’s natural lakes (five miles wide by nine long) and for all reasons it could have been the beautiful Okanagan Valley in B.C. It was rural, tranquil and quiet in the off season, but judging by the local tourism infrastructure, a vacation beehive of activity in the summer season. In this area, the towns have names like Nice and Lucerne, and by the look of many of the huge and spectacular waterfront Mediterranean style villas, you might think you are actually in one of those beautiful European vacation spots.
Lots of hot country lizards happily sunning themselves too!
