GREENWOOD STATE BEACH: Trip #53 of 70

Ho hum. Yet another breath taking, gorgeous Northern California beach. Just the usual rock formations, crashing waves, blue sky, seagulls, driftwood and brightly colored succulents. Oh yes, and a few caves tossed in for good measure.

It's a tough job I know, but somebody has to visit these state parks.

Patty and I drove past the Greenwood State Beach parking lot three times before finding it. It was hidden in plain sight, a small parking lot right on Highway 1 in the tiny town of Elk, about twenty miles south of Mendocino. The lot was not much bigger than a roadside turn-out, and it was only the familiar shape of the information stand, set back from the road a bit, that finally caught my eye. There was no state beach sign anywhere on the highway.

With closure date approach-ing, the race is on to get a reprieve for Greenwood State Beach. News on this should be soon. Mendocino Area Parks Association has committed to operating the museum (which was closed when we visited.) The community and parks are working together to encourage partners to step forward to help keep this beach open. Money is also being received from the California State Parks Foundation and the Olmsted Park Fund.

Perhaps folks took seriously a plea written last September on Greenwood's outhouse wall, urging folks to write to their legislative represent-atives about keeping the beach open.

Here's keeping our fingers crossed with fifteen days and counting.


A walkway that is about a quarter mile long leads down to the beach from the parking lot. On this walkway is every shade plant I have every tried to grow (with modest to no success) at my hotter, more inland home in the mountains.



Fuschias, ground morning glories, bleeding hearts, asters, forget-me-nots, columbine and a host of wildflowers accompanied me down to the beach.

Nasturtium leaves were bigger than my hand! Sigh. I always have "flower envy" whenever I visit the California coast.

Once down at the beach, the plant life wasn't too shabby either. What an eyeful of color! The foliage at this park easily gets equal billing with the ocean and her inhabitants.



There was driftwood aplenty on this small stretch of sand, probably not more than a quarter mile in length. Most of the wood was messily strewn about.

Perhaps Neptune uses this beach for his scrap-wood pile. Here and there more organized and industrious human types had gathered some of the wood for an impromptu shelter and protection from the wind.

I plopped onto the sand behind one such structure, and allowed the wind and waves to lull me into thing about absolutely nothing.

A stroll to the northern end of the beach revealed a number of small caves in the cliff rocks, although one would be wise to keep an eye on the changing tide when exploring this area.



A side bonus of this excursion was discovering the town of Elk. It is only a few blocks long, yet has a half dozen or so lodging facilities.

It felt quieter and less industrious than Fort Bragg, and less pretentious than Mendocino. I think I might like to spend a week in Elk the next time I visit the area.

And lest you have any doubts, the buildings across the street from the beach assure you that you are indeed still in California.

The clock is ticking for this beach to stay open, so please feel free to visit the above websites if you are so inclined.

I hope to see you at the state parks.

Lucy


This blog is dedicated to the memory of my Father, who loved reading maps, exploring alternate routes, and taking the road less traveled.

Alvin David Dick, April 28, 1926 - May 20, 2012

PIO PICO STATE HISTORIC PARK: Trip #52 of 70

The weather was gray and over-cast the day I visited Pio Pico State Historic Park, yet from the moment I set foot on the property I could almost hear the Mariachi trumpets, see the colorful ballgowns and hear the laughter and gaiety of the grand fiestas of the past.

As it turns out there is reason to once again celebrate. Just two days ago, June 12, 2012, the City of Whittier came forward to help save this park. The city will be signing an agreement with the state and contributing $30,000 to keep Pio Pico open for the next year, giving them another six months to raise the additional $40,000 to keep the park from closing. Contributions can be made at the Save Pio Pico website.

Pío Pico was the governor of California in 1832 and again in 1846, before and during the Mexican-American War. Born at the San Gabriel Mission in 1801, he lived in a time when the Spanish, Mexican and American flags consecutively flew over California. He began to build his ranchito here in about 1853. Today it is surround-ed by the towns of Whittier and Pico Rivera east of Los Angeles.

I roamed the outdoors of the estate first. Only five of the original 9000 acres of the ranch remain. Governor Pico once owned more land than any other individual in Southern California, being in possession of over half a million acres in the 1850s.

I was drawn to a large open lawn with a stage-like terrace at one end. I was certain this area accommodated many lively parties in its prime time, and I could almost envision dancers on the lawn for the starlight balls, with the musi-cians playing their tunes on the terrace. And indeed that's how it was. The parties, customs and hospitality of Old California were legend-ary throughout the 19th Century.

Governor Pico lived larger than life. He was renowned for his extravagant lifestyle, as well as for his gambling. He spent lavishly although he was often land rich but cash poor. Entertaining in a grand style, funerals, wedding s and religious festivals were opportunities to invite family and friends for week long celebrations complete with music, dancing, feasts and the wearing of elaborate gowns and other finery.

Guests often stayed for weeks, with their every need provided, including coins throughout the house so they would not have to spend their own money.



From his home, Pio Pico could look westward across the plain to the old San Gabriel River one mile away. The adobe was surrounded by beautiful gardens with rare and imported flowering plants. Citrus groves, a vineyard and a kitchen garden were within steps of the mansion
Or he could sit on his north veranda, where a historic bell marker indicates the original El Camino Real, and watch horses and buggies pass by on the old road.

His grain fields and the mountains were his western view when he dined on the patio.


The mansion is typical of the type of adobes that wealthy Californios built for themselves. Originally twice as large, it was considered to be quite impressive for the 1850s - 1860s.

Festivities at the Pico Adobe centered around the parlor, and the adjoining patio. Pico Americanized his parlor by way of furnishings, wall coverings and modern conveniences but the hospitality was purely Californio.



Like most Californios, Pio Pico had much difficulty proving legal title to his land once California became part of the United States. Court cases were expensive and lengthy. After decades of legal battles, he eventually lost everything and was forced off of his property in 1892. He died in his daughter's home in 1894.

The city of Whittier bought the land for water wells in 1905. The building was in ruins.

Mrs. Harriet Russell Strong - a friend of Pio Pico since 1867 - purchased the adobe and began restoration under the newly formed Governor Pico Mansion Society and Museum Association. The building was stabilized and repaired. Unfortunately many inauthentic changes were made to the original structure in the process. Mrs. Strong donated the property to State for safekeeping in 1927.

Like many historic California structures, it was damaged by the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Repairs are still in process.

But today - thanks to the City of Whittier - we can celebrate that there is still life left in this grand old adobe where once the wine flowed freely from its vineyards.

Perhaps I'll have a glass myself in celebration. I'm certain Governor Pico would approve.

I hope to see you at the state parks.

Lucy

This blog is dedicated to the memory of my Father, who loved reading maps, exploring alternate routes, and taking the road less traveled.

Alvin David Dick, April 28, 1926 - May 20, 2012

GRIZZLY CREEK REDWOODS STATE PARK: Trip # 51 of 70

For the first time in my state park travels, I was caught off guard by a park being closed upon my arrival. The gates were locked, the orange cones up and the closed signs were clearly displayed at the campground of Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park.

The hiking trail across the street was still accessible, so it was just a matter of finding a place to park. We found a turnout about a quarter mile up the road, parked and walked onto the campground.

As it turns out, on May 23 - the day after Patty and I visited Grizzly Creek Red-woods - the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors voted to take on this State Park for at least one year. The county's public works department has a plan to operate the park in partnership with the California Department of Parks and Recreation and the Save the Redwoods League.

State parks' staff will retain some responsibilities, but county staff will conduct day-to-day operations like trail maintenance and fee collection. The county will chip in an estimated $95,000. Save the Redwoods is tossing in $20,000, plus $40,000 in settlement funds with the county to develop a plan for keeping the park open beyond 12 months.

There are several short trails. We took the one and a half mile nature walk directly across the highway from the campgrounds. Signposts describe the various plant life along the path. On this day I chose to photograph the informa-tion rather than read it on site. With increasing frequency I sometimes find that too much "information" distracts from my enjoyment of the environment, especially at the outdoor parks. Photo-graphing allows me to go back and read at a later time if I so choose.

Aside from the enjoyment of my sur-roundings, two things caught my atten-tion about this hike. First, while many Redwood trails are soft and easy on the feet, this one was particularly like walk-ing on nature's most plush carpeting. It was heavenly.

Second, although a short trail, benches and stairways throughout made the walk even easier, making it family friendly for both the little ones and the elderly. Wherever there was a bit of an elevation gain, a stairway was offered. At least half a dozen benches were placed under these gentle Redwood giants to rest - or on a quiet day like this one - to sit and listen to their secrets.



It is a bit off the beaten path and furthest inland (30 miles) of California’s Coastal Redwood parks. Grizzly Creek may be a bit remote, but filmmaker George Lucas found the park’s 460 acres of virgin redwood groves so appealing he used the location in his film Return of the Jedi.

During summer, the low water level permits installation of a footbridge across the Van Duzen River, giving access to 1.25 mile long Memorial Trail which loops through the forest. It's a drought year in California and to my eyes it looked like the river was already quite low.

Back at the campgrounds, the Visitor Center was closed, but the picnic tables and a few small educational displays of local minerals and history were available to view once we walked onto the site.

Being inland, the plant life, such as Redwood Sorrel and Sword Fern, was a little dryer and not quite as abundant as it would be in a true coastal environment. Nonetheless, a few small clumps of the colorful Horsetail Fern Stalks were displaying them-selves for our close-up photograph-ing pleasure.



I took the obligatory overhead shot of the Redwoods. Every Redwood grove demands it! I love the way that even dead Redwood stumps offer a place where other new life forms can begin.



The redwoods in the Grizzly Creek area were what inspired Owen R. Cheatham, founder of Georgia-Pacific Corporation - a lumber, pulp and paper company - to preserve this site in perpetuity. As someone who prospered from products made from the trees, he too found something intangibly grand about the old Redwoods. The virgin Cheatham Grove is three miles up the road from the camp.

The expression "a day late and a dollar short" didn't apply on the day of our visit.

Rather, we were a day early and as always, willing to deposit our day-use money into the self-registration box. Soon the empty "Camp-ground Host" chair will be filled again.


It's fun to imagine that maybe our magical presence the day before Humboldt County voted to keep the park open, affected the positive outcome.

Just as likely though, it was the spirit of the silhouetted man in a hat, living in the burned out trunk of a giant Redwood, that is the forest's guardian, keeping his precious home safe.

I hope to see you at the state parks.

Lucy

This blog is dedicated to the memory of my Father, who loved reading maps, exploring alternate routes, and taking the road less traveled.

Alvin David Dick, April 28, 1926 - May 20, 2012