Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor & Harris Beach State Park

This map shows you where I took my photos. This is located on Coastal Highway 101 between the towns of Port Oxford and Gold City, Oregon.

This is called Natural Bridge.

 

 A closer look at the Natural Bridge.

I am looking down at Secret Beach.

Between Natural Bridge and Secret Beach is the narrow peninsula. I'm looking to the right, which would be in a Northwest direction.

Katie is enjoying a little rest, using a pine trunk as a headrest. She was 15 months old in this picture.

 

Another view from that peninsula looking Southwest. There is nothing but pure cliff on each side of this cape. The views were majestic.

This final photo, I can't really remember where it is located, but beautiful nevertheless. 

My first experience of a sunset over the Pacific Ocean. 

Redwood National Park

The biggest redwood in the park, appropriately named "Big Tree."

The next 8 pictures are of trees and the forest. No selfies, only big redwood trees, either along the Cal-Barrel Road or on the Cathedral Trees Trail.

 

I camped at the Elk Prairie Campground, named for the elk that often visit the area, but none were seen here.

While headed to Gold Bluffs Beach, this large bull elk crossed Gold Bluffs Rd. It was very unexpected to come across an elk here, but I was overjoyed to have seen one.

 A huge arching rainbow that I couldn't fit into a single picture.

Finally, this is our camping spot. There is a bear-resistant food locker where I stored my cooler and stove that might have had a food scent from cooking.

This picture was taken as we were entering the national park. This tree was a double-trunk tree. The average age of the trees at Redwood National Park is 500-700 years old. This tree has been here sometime between 1300 and 1500. The Mongol Empire was still going strong in the 1300s. Martin Luther and Shakespeare were alive in the 1500s.

This was on the Cal-Barrel Road. Other than in the campground and on this road, dogs are not allowed on any of the trails. Katie stayed in the truck while I took an hour-long hike on the Cathedral Trail. It was mid-September and not hot, and the windows were open a little less than halfway, enough for a 75-pound dog not to jump out. I wasn't unhappy with parts of the park I didn't see. After a while, one large redwood looks just like another. 

Appalachian Trail - Three Bald Hike

 The parking lot is just over the North Carolina border on the Tennessee side.

The trailhead.

The trail is mostly open. It's somewhat a mystery how a "bald" (barren area) came to be in an otherwise lush landscape. There were little oases where you could find shade and rest.

The trail straddled the border of NC and Tennessee. This was a spot where you could look to the right and view NC and to the left, Tennessee.

On this day, the National Guard was doing some training  

Wilson Creek - Thorps Creek Trail

 You drive or walk to the end (very back) of Mortimer Campground and that where you'll find the trailhead.

A little waterfall about .25 miles in from trail head.

This final picture was the end of our hike. Katie could neither go over or under this large fallen tree. This was a very challenging hike due to a lot of fallen trees and no bridges over streams and creeks. 

Craggy Gardens

There was really not a lot to photograph at Craggy Gardens in the Summer. Flowers that would otherwise  be in the meadow were not in bloom. 

The excitement came on the way to and leaving Craggy Gardens. I came across 4 bears total and this last picture was a mama bear with two cubs. Unfortunately I was unable to get any pictures of the cups. It's great seeing a black bear in your car; not so much on a hiking trail, which I never have has to date.

 

Linville Gorge Wilderness

Our first glimpse of the river was as we descended down the gorge.

Katie having some fun and refreshment in the Linville River.

We took the Pine Gap trail down into the gorge and came back out the Bynum Bluff.

 

Umstead State Park - Company Mill Trail

With the trail leading into the circle it became a 7.5 mile hike.

One of the preserved millstones. Hence the name of the trail.

Katie, my Great Pyrenees mix. She is very enduring even in the heat. She is like a camel and doesn't drink much water. I try to force her to drink more.

A plaque that gives the history of the park.