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slgwv

slgwv club

Posted: 25 Mar 2021

Taken: 26 Apr 2019

6 favorites     9 comments    116 visits

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Pictures for Pam Pictures for Pam

Silver Surfers Silver Surfers

Tolerance Tolerance

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California California

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California •
USA •
Trees of Mystery •
20190426 094424 001 •
coastal •
redwoods •

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116 visits

Trees of Mystery

Trees of Mystery
A famous tourist t/r/a/p/ stop on US 101 in the coast redwood country of far northern California, about 35 miles from the Oregon line. It features gigantic statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox (leftmost inset), a copy of "End of the Trail" (next inset to right), a Trail of Tall Tales (middle inset) featuring chainsaw sculptures (rightmost insets), and (of course!) a gigantic gift shop filled with all manner of kitsch (straight ahead). There's also a motel and restaurant.
In fairness, it's not _all_ kitsch--there's a nice interpretive trail among the tall coast redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens), as well as a short tramway to the ridge above the site, from which you can hike down if you want (I did). I'll post on them Real Soon Now.

Funny, this trip was in spring 2019, but already seems much longer ago--what The Year of Covid has done!

Janet Brien, Jean-louis Thiaudiere, Berny, Pam J and 2 other people have particularly liked this photo

9 comments - The latest ones
 Andy Rodker
Andy Rodker club
The references are lost on me I'm afraid but the Redwood Trail would be good!
3 years ago.
 William Sutherland
William Sutherland club
Marvelous shots! Stay well!

Admired in:
www.ipernity.com/group/tolerance
3 years ago.
 Pam J
Pam J club
IF IT GIVES FOLK A CHANCE TO SEE THESE INCREDIBLE TREES.... THEN I WOULD BE THERE TOO.
3 years ago.
slgwv club has replied to Pam J club
KEEP THE KIDS ENTERTAINED AND MAYBE THEY'LL ACCIDENTALLY LEARN SOMETHING! ;)
3 years ago.
 Berny
Berny club
Nice series. I remember the sculptures very well from my 1996 trip!
3 years ago.
 polytropos
polytropos club
Oh yes! I remember it! We also stopped there on our trip up to Oregon and Washington in the late 90's. I don't think everything you mention here was there then.
3 years ago.
 Janet Brien
Janet Brien club
I remember this place! Steve and I joined a friend on a motorcycle trip that took us down Hwy 1 as far south as Santa Cruz, then across to Yosemite and up through eastern CA before heading back to Medford again. We stopped here on our way out and I got a few pictures too! www.supermoto.photo/gallery-paul-bunyan-babe-blue-ox
We didn't have time to walk the trail, sadly, but maybe we'll get the chance again some day...

Boy do I agree with your feelings of MEH! when it comes to the idiotic tourism garbage that spews forth from places like this. But still, if you take it for what it is and ignore the money-grubbing businesses, there is fun to be had and an enjoyable time is exactly what we had for our brief 15 minutes there. Was there a lively discussion from Paul to the others when you visited? Couldn't get over that one, totally hilarious! The fellow talking for Paul was actually talking to a child who couldn't figure out how he was being singled out but was bouncing up and down with the fun of it! LOL, still remember him turning round and round, looking for the person speaking for Paul! The secret was never exposed and the three of us were grinning as we hopped on our motorcycles and rode away!
3 years ago.
slgwv club has replied to Janet Brien club
No, no conversations with Paul!
3 years ago.
 slgwv
slgwv club
Thanks, everyone! I wasn't going to stop just because it's such a notorious tourist trap, but then I decided, well -- my concession to pop culture! And the walk thru the actual redwoods was nice.
3 years ago.

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