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Top of California

Monday we went to Lava Beds National Monument

We checked out one of the caves, really they are lava tubes and there are TONS all over the monument


Inside the lava tube--this is the only one in the monument that is paved and lighted, the rest you need to make sure you have your headlamps, flashlights, etc. They even have some to borrow for free at the visitor center!


Can you see how this cave wall surface "pulled off?"

Beautiful sunset on our way home

And back at camp

Tuesday we saw Camp Tulelake, a WWII Japanese Internment Camp, and Petroglyph Point (part of Lava Bed National Monument)

Some of these buildings are original to the camp, which was first a Civilian Conservation Corps camp, then an internment camp, then a segregation camp (for the Japanese Americans deemed "dangerous"), and finally a German and Italian POW camp


There were two sections of the camp, this marker was by the other one.  One section functioned as an internment camp, the other as a segregation camp

The second section of the camp was over near Petroglyph Point, so we stopped by there to see some of the petroglyphs


Look closely, there were a LOT!

Wednesday we stopped at Lassen Volcanic National Park.  The road was closed due to ice, the visitor center power was out, the wind through the trees and the views were spectacular though!


We also learned that there are geothermal features in this park, just like Yellowstone. We saw Sulfur Springs and it sure lives up to its name. SO stinky!

Thursday we went to Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. It was still very burnt over from the 2018 Carr Fire.  Cool historical area besides the reservoir, hiking trails, and campgrounds, they even panned for gold there!

This is literally the drain for the reservoir, when it gets too high

See all the burnt hillside in the background?

Friday we went to Redwood National and State Parks--this was the forest in the morning near the visitor center

We ate lunch out behind the visitor center, on the beach

We drove through Orick, California and saw a small herd of elk, just hanging out and eating!

We drove up to Lady Bird Johnson Grove to hike around, when this was dedicated, the area had been logged extensively and was pretty barren

When the trees are burned, they still survive, even though the middle might be burned out. This tree was big enough to have at least a half dozen people stand inside at the bottom 

It was a beautiful hike

Saturday we drove through the Avenue of the Giants



We went to see the Charles M. Schulz museum, Charlie Brown greeted us at the entrance to the museum!

This entire wall is made up of Peanuts comic strips

Shulz's office, recreated in the museum

Lots of fun Peanuts statues outside around the buildings and this:

Today we attended the Bennett Ward, Santa Rosa Stake

We headed down toward San Francisco, walked across the Golden Gate Bridge and saw Fort Point, a Civil War-era fort below it.  We also saw lots of kayakers, seals, and sailboats in the bay.

We went over to the Marin Headlands too. We lucked out with a sunny, clear day!
 

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