Trinidad, CA

6/24/21-6/27/21

On our drive south from Gold Beach, Oregon, we started searching for places to stop. All National and State campgrounds were full, so we picked out a couple of regional parks around the Trinidad, Ca area. They were first come first serve, so we figured our chances wouldn’t be too bad since it was a Thursday. Just south of Crescent City, Highway 101 is under major reconstruction due to a slide. Between the hours for 9am and 5pm the highway is only open for two hours, 11am-12pm and 2pm-3pm. If you miss your window, you have to wait 2 to 3 hours for your next chance. We made the 2pm window, but still had to wait nearly 30 minutes because it is still a single lane. Fortunately, we were in the middle of a giant redwood grove, and we got out to admire them. By the time we got to the campgrounds we had picked out, they were already full. There are several private RV sites near Trinidad, but they are kind of pricey. We ended up staying at the Cher-Ae Casino, on the Trinidad Rancheria. For $20, you can stay up to three nights. They have an overflow parking lot that they changed into RV parking. It’s actually quite nice. When we arrived, there was only one other RV, and the lot is on a bluff that overlooks redwoods and the ocean. It turns out that the other RV, was a couple from Utah traveling with their four children, ages 9 to 2, and two Australian shepherds. Mia immediately made fast friends with all of them and played all night.

Mia got up early on Friday, excited to play with our new neighbors. They played all morning, but by 12pm they were starting to pack up to leave. Mia was sad. We drove to Trinidad, and parked in the beach parking lot. We played on the beach (no leash law for dogs!! Oreo loved it). Then we hiked the trail to the Trinidad Lighthouse. Unbelievable views from the rocky outcrop where the lighthouse used to stand. That’s right, USED to stand. You would think they would tell you that at the start of the hike. It turns out that the cliffs stared to crumble and the light house was in eminent danger, so it was removed. The “replica” we took pictures of in the beach parking lot, is the actual lighthouse. I love the town of Trinidad. It reminds me of Mendocino, except it has a great beach and harbor.

On Saturday, we all rose early and headed north to the National Redwood Forest. We stopped at the visitor center and picked up Mia’s free National Parks pass, since she will be in 4th grade. For the next year all of the entry fees into every National Park are free because of this. We also grabbed a park map and chose to hike the Trillium Falls trail, which is about 3 miles long. There was a herd of Elk grazing in a field along Hwy 101 as we drove to the trail head. The trees were spectacular! Some local kids were having a bake sale in Orick, so we bought a strawberry rhubarb pie. Delicious!!

We are eating breakfast at the casino this morning, and then heading to our next destination.