Florence, OR to Eureka, CA

Good morning to a very foggy Oregon Coast. I was up and on the road by 9:15 a.m., excited to see what the road would bring me today. Hopefully I would be able to see through the fog.

 

 

 I knew there were some lighthouses I wanted to see today, truly just depending on the fog and how far off of Highway 101 I had to drive. I have a book called Western Lighthouses - Olympic Peninsula to San Diego, and it kept it next to me in the front seat. After I would find one, I just turned the page and head towards the next one. It was fun! First up, Umpqua River Light in Winchester Bay, Oregon.

The original lighthouse was built in 1857, but it collapsed after a storm weakened its foundation. This tower was built in 1894.

 

The view of the Pacific Ocean from the Umpqua River Light.

Love these trees!

 

The next lighthouse listed in the book is the Cape Arago Light in Charleston, Oregon. It's really close to the town of Coos Bay, but fog was so thick that I could not see it. What good is a lighthouse if you can't see it in the fog?? Maybe I was looking in the wrong place. I'm not quite sure I've ever seen this one . . . maybe next time.

 

Next one down the road was the Coquille River Light. Not only could I see this one, but it was open to the public. Unfortunately, I had on flip flops and you had to be wearing closed toe shoes to climb to the top. Darn! Oh well, it was still nice to see it.

Coquille River Light - Completed in 1895

 



A really awesome view of the jetty from the base of the Coquille River Light.

 

I was smiling when I turned the page to the next lighthouse down the road. I remember my first visit to this lighthouse several years ago. This time I was lucky enough to see it (barely) through the fog, I got to climb the tower and see the beautiful second order Fresnel light at the top!



Cape Blanco Light - Port Orford, Oregon - 1870

Begin the ascent.

This was closest I've been to a working Fresnel light. There is only one size larger, a first order Fresnel. This one was so cool. Quite small light inside put off a ton of heat and light through the lens. Gorgeous! Made in Paris and brought here to be installed in this lighthouse. Seven feet high and five feet in diameter. These pictures don't do it justice. I saw light bend and rainbows form.

Begin the descent.

A view of a small part of the beautiful southern Oregon coastline.

A playful little guy on the side of the parking lot.

 

Next up, enter California and the first light of the Redwood Coast, and one of my favorite. I knew that it closed to the public at 5:00 p.m. and I pulled into Crescent City about 3:30 p.m. all excited. Doggone tide! The tide was in and, as you can see in the pictures, there is no access to the little lighthouse island when the tide is high. Bummer. But I'm glad I got to see it anyway.

 



Battery Point Lighthouse - Crescent City, California - 1856

 

 

A grandpa and his grandson feeding the WILD animals - emphasis on wild!

A gorgeous view of the northern California Coast in Trinidad, CA.

 

If you would have asked me if there was a town called Trinidad in California I would said, "I have no idea." Well, I learned today that this is not only a town but this town has a lighthouse (or two) and very limited parking near it!

 

Off Highway 101 about 20 miles north of Eureka, the town of Trinidad has two almost identical lighthouses, the original one on Trinidad Head, and another, a tourist attraction, built nearer to the road for the benefit of visitors such as myself. I accidently came across this one - the tourist one - and never did get to find the other one because a state patrolman drove by and asked me if I knew who was driving the red KIA that was halfway parked in the road. That was me! I had my camera in my hand and had just taken my last picture and said, "I'm going to my car right now!" He gave me a smile and said, "Good idea. Thank you."

 

Trinidad Head Light - Trinidad, CA. - 1871

This "second" lighthouse contains the Fresnel lens that once graced the old light tower on the head.



A whole lot of fishing boats below the Trinidad Light,

fishing in the fog.

 

Well, I made it to Eureka safe and sound. Drove through some beautiful redwoods. In one short section of 101 going through the Del Norte Redwoods Park the fog was creeping through the spaces between the lush trees and the sun was trying to slice through the fog, and shone in ethereal streaks on the highway. It was so cool. I had no idea that as soon as you leave Crescent City you climb immediately into the forest. Every curve of the road would surprise me with either sun or fog, and sometimes I was below the fog, other times in the middle of it, and at times I was above it. Fun drive!