I woke to the amazing sight out of my window of the ocean. I did not realise how close I was, which shows why I try not to drive at night. The first picture from today is a shot out of my bedroom window. Today was spent seeing the Redwood National and State parks, which are adjacent Federal- and State-operated parks that exposition the Coastal Sequoia (Sequoia Sempervirens). These trees are taller but narrower than their Giant cousins, and can grow right on the coast. I sought the world`s tallest tree, but it is in an "undisclosed location" to protect its rootball from footsteps. The forest is beautiful, and very different from Giant Sequoia. The climate is much wetter, being right on the coast, and so the vegetation is much more dense and lush. Almost every limb is draped in thick green moss.
I saw wild elk, including a herd of females in a meadow just around the corner from a herd of males. The males were hiding in long grass, and one could see only their antlers until they stood up, at which point their true majesty could be appreciated. Such handsome fellows, no wonder they feature so much in folk-art.
Also in this neck of the woods are several other State Parks, including Humboldt Lagoons, a string of three freshwater lagoons separated from the sea by a narrow fleet of sand, over which an ethereal mist floated landwards. See the video.
My dinner tonight was locally-smoked salmon (I resisted the offer of salmon jerky and candied salmon); delicious. After dinner I crossed the road to the beach to mess around with the camera.