We're finding ourselves less satisfied with our KOA experience ... It is certainly a reliable "product" with easy to use reservation system and predictable features (electricity, water, sewer ... And laundry, showers, picnic tables), but it lacks the natural environment and sense of seclusion that we have valued in camping. Our preferred campgrounds on this trip have been US Forest Service campgrounds ... We need to "dry camp" at these sites, but the experience is so much preferable. (Note to self: Use KOA campgrounds for re-fueling and dumping and then head "for the hills".)
We decided rather than taking a long drive down Highway 101 to other sections of Redwoods National and State Parks that we'd head to the ocean just west of our current campground to the Tolowa Dunes State Park and take a short hike to the ocean and walk along the California Coastal Trail (basically walking along the coastline beach).
It was a pleasant change of pace (although hiking on sandy trails has its own unique challenge ... Even for relatively short distances). The coastline was fogged in ... Temperatures were quite cool ... Winds stiff (certainly easier walking with the wind to our back rather than facing into the wind).
The coastal beach was ours. The beach contained darker, almost volcanic black coarse grains of sand with almost no signs of shells ... A few remains of crabs, but not much else. Some long strands of kelp lay on the shore ... But a fairly desolate swatch of beach.
The story of the indigenous peoples did not reflect positively on the Anglo settlers ... Apparently the official policy of the California government during the time of the California gold rush was extermination of native peoples. During a period from 1851 to 1855, several massacres occur leading to the deaths of thousands of native peoples and the elimination of their two largest villages on the coast ... Death from disease and starvation largely completed the "job". Although Native Americans still remain in this area (largely running small casinos), the abandoned coastline reflects their sad story.
No comments:
Post a Comment