Today we said goodbye to Crescent City, a place we thought to pass through and ended up staying for a while. If you only you drive through Crescent City on 101, you see a depressed town who’s main industries have moved on. But, if you venture down the side roads off 101 you find history, redwoods, beaches, bluffs, rocky overlooks, 2 amazing lighthouses, and seals and sea lions, oh my. We thoroughly enjoyed our time and recommend this gem to everyone.
The top of rocky Whaler Island in the middle of the outer harbor was our go to place to enjoy our afternoon coffee and tea.Battery Point LighthouseAll hail! These noisy, smelly utterly adorable creatures have stolen my heart.The disaster of the Brother Jonathan.Redwoods in the Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park. Lunch breaks with ocean views on St. George Point.St. George Reef LighthouseAnd we made new friends!
Tidbit: Visit the previous posts for more on our adventures around Crescent city.
Howland Hill Road in the Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park is 6 miles of pure redwood bliss. The gravel, sometimes muddy and sometimes dusty, road is not for RVs or trailers. The sharp turns and narrow passages around potholes and trees is not for the faint of heart, but a must for anyone who wants to really experience redwoods. It takes you into the heart of the Jedediah Smith Park linking you with hiking trails like the Boy Scout Trail and the Mill River Trail that take you upclose and personal with redwoods that have witnessed hundreds of years of history. We highly recommend adding it to your “Bucket List”
The other day, while exploring the Jedediah Smith Redwoods, we stopped at tiny pullout and began, again, oohhing & aahhing over the grandeur of the trees. At the back of the pull out, we found a tiny trail heading down into the trees towards the Mill Creek below. There we found the most awesome little rocky beach tucked down in the grove. It was so nice we went back today armed with snacks, books, and something to sit on. I even gave a shot at the first swim of the season, but got turned back at knee level! While there, we noticed what we thought was a forest service boundary marker. Upon closer inspection, this is what we found. What a spot to spend eternity.
Crescent City, the wind is howling from the ocean, localized flooding predicted from the rain, sneaker waves coming over the breakwater! What to do on this wet, dreary afternoon after our Whaler Rock Adventure?
A scavenger hunt!
We had picked up a brochure at the Del Norte County Historical Society about The Redwood Mural Society, a group of artists who created murals and mosaics around Crescent City. They range in size from 7ft x 8ft to an entire side of a building and are meant to bring some history, color, and art to the community. The brochure included pictures of the murals and a very rough map of the their locations. We were off. The shipyard ice plant, the lobby of the stately old hotel, and the reservation casino were some of the places we discovered the murals!
What do we do on a rainy day when they are predicting 20mph winds, with gusts of 40mph, and 20ft waves? Why we hike out to the top of Whaler Island in the Crescent Bay Harbor!
A little overall view. The lighthouse is behind me.Those breakwaters are about 15ft tall. The jetty is doing its job, notice how calm the outer harbor is.Darrin’s hair likes to normally stand up straight, but this time it is the wind creating the Cupid Doll look.Brought back fond memories of our trip to Newfoundland where a ‘bit of wind’ means high winds. There was ‘a bit of wind’ today!A wee flower thriving on the edge.
Tidbit: Whaler island used to be 10 acres and home to a rendering facility (thus its name). Today it is just under 4 acres and home to the Coast Guard Station. What happened to the other 6 acres you ask? Why it was blasted and used to build the inner jetty.
The St. George Reef is the peak of a submerged volcanic mountain six miles off the northern coast of California. Rough weather with howling winds and crashing waves create a mist that obliterates the peaks and creates dangers for mariners.The St. George Lighthouse was built in response to the sinking of the Brother Jonathan. It took 11 years to complete and cost the US almost $705,000. The top of the lighthouse is almost 150 ft above the ocean.The only way to access the lighthouse is via a 60ft boom. A large hook would hoist small boats onto the rock.The winter of 1952 was the harshest in history at the reef. During one storm, 160-foot waves swept over the lighthouse, shattering a window in the lantern room. Model by Peter Cruttenden on display at the Del Norte County Historical Society. In 1937, the lightkeepers were cut off from the mainland for over a month because of harsh weather. The crew, who had worked together for years became so tense and stir crazy they stopped conversing and even ate meals facing away from each other. It was said to be unbearable. The weather finally broke after 59 days, a supply boat arrived and life at the lighthouse returned to normal. Poster on display at the Del Norte County Historical Society.St. George was decommissioned in 1975, replaced by a navigational buoy. The 6,000 pound Fresnel lens was removed by the Coast Guard in 1983 and is now on display at the Del Norte County Historical Society.
Tidbit: Living conditions at the lighthouse, 7 miles from shore, were rough. Of the 80 men who served, 37 resigned and 26 requested transfers to other stations.
July 30, 1865 was the last voyage of the Brother Jonathan. The paddle steamer departed Crescent City, California for Vancouver BC after dropping off cargo. Upon leaving the bay, she ran into a nasty storm near the new Oregon state border. The captain quickly decided to head back to the safety of Crescent City harbor. Within minutes of turning back the ship struck a shoal and began to sink. Although there were ample lifeboats, only one was able to clear the sinking ship. Of the 244 souls aboard only 19 individuals survived making it, at that time, the worse shipwreck in the US.
Artwork by Gene Olson Courtesy of Del Norte County Historical SocietyCourtesy of Del Norte County Historical SocietyArtwork by Gene Olson Courtesy of Del Norte County Historical SocietyPassenger list at the memorial cemetery.One of several remaining gravestones at the memorial cemetary.
Battery Point Lighthouse in Crescent City, was first lit December 10, 1856. A beautiful Cape Cod style lighthouse, it has provided safe passage in and out of the Crescent City harbor for over 150 years and is uniquely placed on a point that is only accessible at low tide.
Tidbit: In 1879 a large wave hit the kitchen shed side of the lighthouse toppling the chimney, and knocking the kitchen stove over which started a fire. The family quickly started pulling water out of the cistern to put out the fire when a second wave crashed ashore, swished down the remnants of the toppled chimney and extinguished the fire!
While in Whittier, Alaska we learned about the devastating 1964 earthquake that destroyed the town. Traveling south along the coast, we have been constantly aware of tsunami dangers via placards, handouts, signs, and warning sirens blasting the weekly test of the tsunami warning system. Today, after arriving in Crescent City, California, we discover that Crescent City is also known as Tsunami City USA. It got the name after having recorded 31 tsunami waves since 1933.
5 short hours after the 1964 earthquake in Alaska, a huge tsunami hit Crescent City in 4 waves. The first 3 resulted in minor flooding, giving most a chance to evacuate. The 4th wave hit shortly after killing 11, flattening 29 city blocks, and destroying over 290 homes & buildings.
Peggy & Roxey Coons, Batter Point Lighthouse Keepers Picture courtesy of Del Norte County Historical Society
Offshore from Crescent City, the Battery Point Lighthouse Keepers, Peggy & Roxey Coons, tells it : “The water withdrew as if someone had pulled the plug. It receded a distance of three-quarters of a mile from the shore. We were looking down, as though from a high mountain, into a black abyss. It was a mystic labyrinth of caves, canyons, basins, and pits, undreamed of in the wildest of fantasies. The basin was sucked dry. At Citizen’s Dock, the large lumber barge was sucked down to the ocean bottom. In the distance, a black wall of water was rapidly building up, evidenced by a flash of white as the edge of the boiling and seething seawater reflected the moonlight. The Coast Guard cutter and small crafts, that had been riding the waves a safe two- miles offshore, seemed to be riding high above the ‘wall’ of seawater. Then the mammoth wall of seawater came barreling towards us. It was a terrifying mass, stretching up from the ocean floor and looking much higher than the island. When the tsunami assaulted the shore, it was like a violent explosion. A thunderous roar mingled with all the confusion. Everywhere we looked, buildings, cars, lumber, and boats shifted around like crazy. The whole beachfront moved, changing before our very eyes.”
Unknown artist’s map of the tsunami. Courtesy of Del Norte County Historical Society
