Redwood N.P., CA
19 Oct, 1998
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Redwood N.P., CA19 Oct, 1998 |
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The ancient forests in the Jurassic period were mostly of conifers. Conifers were giant trees not unlike todays huge redwoods. We stopped at Redwood National Park for a look at what the environment of the dinosaurs may have been like. Do you know the tallest tree in the world? How old do California Redwoods grow? What is a "goose-pen tree?" We learned about these and other interesting things at Redwood National and State Park. |
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We went for a walk in Ladybird Johnson Grove. It was an easy 1 mi. walk. This is a picture of one of the largest trees in the grove. The giant California Redwoods are the tallest trees in the world, reaching over 300 feet tall. There are no branches in the lower part of the tree, because the forest canopy shades it too much. The lower branches fall off after a few years. The trees grow tall trying to reach the top to catch the sunlight. Can you imagine a huge Brachiosaurus stretching its neck trying to eat these trees? Maybe the dinosaurs were so successful at eating the Jurassic conifers, that only the tallest conifers could survive? |
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Amanda is standing inside a hollow tree. It is still alive! The redwoods are very tough. They don't have much sap in the bark, so they don't burn as easily as other pine trees. But the the heart-wood is still soft and tender. Sometimes the inside is exposed, and gets burned out. Often, the redwood can survive this hollowing-out. A hundred years ago mountain men would use these hollows as pens for farm birds, like chickens or geese. That's how these got the nick-name "goose-pens." |
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Susan and Amanda standing between two huge trunks. The California Redwood is not as "large" as the giant sequoia in Sequoia National Park, but they are taller. These are very similar to the huge fossil trunks we saw at Flourissant Fossil Beds National Monument in Colorado. |
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The Redwood National and State Parks didn't have any campsites large enough for our big Learning Vehicle, so we had to find something else. There is a great place just south of the park, right on HWY 101 at the beach, called Freshwater Lagoon Skip. There is a stretch about 1/3 of a mile long where you can park overnight. It was pretty popular.This picture is of the southern Oregon coast, but is like the place where we camped. We played National Park Monopoly with the sound of the surf. It was fun to relax for a day. |
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The author of this legendary classic was a native of Northern California, and loved to spend time among the giant redwoods. Look for more great books by or about John Steinbeck at Amazon.com |
Look for more great books about the Giant Redwoods at Amazon.com |
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