Photos


Miranda is on a work trip to Pacific islands for a few weeks, so I'm doing my own trip. During this trip, I'll be living out of my car, a RAV4 Prime. During the weekdays, I'll be working during the day using a mini desk in the car and then hiking in the evenings. At night, I'll find a residential neighborhood, park on the street, cover my windows, and sleep on a wooden platform that I've built in the car.

While staying in Eureka, I spent time in the south portions of Redwoods National and State Parks. The state parks predate the national park and some conservation groups originally opposed the idea of establishing a national park because they felt that the National Park Service would turn the area into a public playground. Eventually in the 1960's a national park was established. Unlike other national parks, there is no entrance gate or fee to be paid, just signs saying that you're entering the park.

Coastal redwoods only exist naturally in the Fog Belt which runs along the California coast from Big Sur all the way to the Oregon border. This is because coastal redwoods absorb water directly from the fog rather than having to wait for rain. The fog belt lived up to its name while I was there and created an ethereal feeling by forming a white blanket across the treetops.

I saw several banana slugs, which get their name from their yellow color, not any association with the fruit. If you lick a banana slug, your tongue will turn numb because they secrete mucus to thwart predators by making the mouth of the predator numb. It doesn't seem to me like that would be enough of a deterence for a hungry predator, but I guess it is.