The Redwood Highway

US 101 is the coast highway on the west coast of the United States. It stretches from Mexico to Canada, running nearer or farther from the coast (mostly nearer) and, if you are not in too much of a hurry, is a beautiful drive through wondrous scenery. As a US route, the original National Highway system, it passes through many towns and is "Main Street" in many of them, just like US 1, the east coast’s counterpart.

Several years ago, I drove down Interstate 5 into California to Redding, to see my father’s side of the family, his brother and his family, whom I had not known the whereabouts of for 32 years. (another story in itself). Redding is – by my car’s odometer – 447 miles from my home, and is a straight shot down Interstate-5, which runs east of the coast itself on the inland side of the coast ranges of mountains. It’s about a seven hour drive. I drove down there myself in 2010 and stayed a few days before driving back north to my home. While I was there and thinking about the return trip ( I really like that section of I-5 that runs from Redding to Medford, Oregon – it’s is outstandingly beautiful, for an Interstate) I looked at my map and saw that US 101 was "only" a few hours west of Redding. That northern California stretch of US 101 is known as The Redwood Highway because it runs through forests of Redwood trees, giants hundreds of years old. CA 299 runs through Redding to the coast. going through Humbolt county and the Trinity National Forest. Northern California is very different than southern California. For one thing, it is not as heavily populated and retains some of California’s great beauty and natural charm.

Driving back home would not be, and was not, a seven hour drive, if I drove to the coast and then north to Oregon, but I was in no particular hurry, and the Redwoods were "right over there" on the map. I had to go see them.

US 101:

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No, I wasn’t in any great hurry and could afford the time to stop here and there:

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101 here processes a kind of charm that the highway does not have in other areas, and while the coast is not one of California’s most developed places – in fact, it is economically depressed – that makes it a better drive, in my opinion:

Just make sure you get gas when you can.

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Not all the stations still have gas to sell:

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I didn’t drive this way for the convenience.

I went north on 101 because it is on the coast:

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And because it runs through Redwood forests:

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The Redwood Highway departs from US 101 in Crescent City, California and turns inland on US 199 to Grants Pass, Oregon and never loses it’s beauty:

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Driving this way north, instead of straight north on I-5, added five hours to the trip but it was worth it to see the gr

eat beauty of northern California and the Redwoods.

 

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