As we were driving through the Avenue of the Giants, we noticed a tourist stop for a drive thru…read moretree. It became stop seven (10:38) on day 5 of our roadtrip. Since we had our own car with us, figured it would be a good opportunity to get some memorable pictures. The park is well organized, with clear signs from the road pointing you to the entrance. From there, you pay $15 to the attendant, and then drive a very short way to the tree. My wife drove through while I got out to take pictures from the front. It didn't take very long, but we got our picture (though the tree seems to have split more, not resembling the box shape that I've seen in other pictures).

This tourist attraction should post the "7ft x 7ft enter at your own risk " sign prior to paying…read more$15. We did not go through tree as we didn't not want to risk damaging our full size VW Atlas and the $15. Was not worth taking up any more of our time to ask for a refund. If you have a mid size SUV w no racks or a small car, it may be a pretty cool experience.

Avenue of the giants is a great way to drive along the freeway with a more scenic route. It was…read morebeautiful and gorgeous drive and they have stops that you can go to for view points. I suggest you go early to avoid crowds if you want to get to every site and not have toooo much traffic. Also Make sure to get the map at the first stop so you can read about each stop and decide which ones ha wanna go to.

Absolutely wonderful way to experience the Redwoods firsthand. No need to drive the whole avenue;…read moreyou can pop off the 101, drive up Avenue of the Giants for a bit, and then pop back on the 101 to resume your trip. That's exactly what I did and it worked out great. You can slow down and experience the Redwoods close up, rather than whizzing by on the highway. No fee! Don't miss it!

I relax in peace and quiet here! It's a beautiful old kept up cemetery. The only thing wandering…read morehere, could be deer! Settled in the mid 1800s. a charming little Victorian Village! Stay, eat visit quaint shops, get a cup of The Bean at Buttercup! Across Main Street from the Pizza Company! No franchises in Ferndale! It's designated a National Historic Monument! The whole bloody city!

Hillside cemetery steep as a ski slope. Observed one stone marker in the year 1799 from the hill,…read moregorgeous waves of Ferndale, with Staples, rising into the sky, old Victorian city.

While driving through Sundial Bridge Dr, I saw a sign that says "Monolith". I had no idea what it…read moreis. We made a stop to check it out. It is located next to Sheraton hotel. Remains of Shasta Dam that was converted into art pieces. Learned a bit about the history of Redding during this quick stop. Free to explore and browse. Free parking as well.

This is an amazing landmark and art piece that's on the grounds of the Sheraton Redding Hotel at…read morethe Sundial Bridge. It's basically an old aggregate plant that took stones from the Sacramento River and used a miles-long conveyor belt to send them to be used in the construction of the Shasta Dam. It's a very cool piece of history that easily flies under the radar.

If you are driving up Highway 101, this is a fun attraction to stop at…read more There is a $15 fee for automobiles and you can drive through the tree and take pictures. It's a spot that has lots of carved figures that makes it unique as well. Chandelier Tree is approximately 2400 years old, which is cool in and of itself. The grounds are impeccable and this place is always well kept. It's about three hours north of San Francisco so if you are driving through, it's a great place to stop, stretch your legs, and take in the beautiful views. In 1937, the first car drove thru this drive thru tree so it's cool to see pictures of this and that this has been preserved over all of these years. Everyone was really friendly here. There is a gift store that is open during certain hours that you can check out. You can also walk around or sit on a bench and relax for a bit. Please Note: If you have an extra large vehicle, you might not be able to drive thru it, although you can always walk through it if you want to visit the area.

You're going to be shocked here, but it's a big tree. That you can drive through…read more Kind of a cool side quest and just know that you're not driving anything big through (we were in a VW Atlas and had about 2" of clearance.)

Good walk to get out there from the parking lot all the way out to the light station…read more instructions- you're supposed to leave your car in the first parking lot, don't drive it all the way to the lighthouse because that road has a pedestrians only sign. lighthouse itself is very clean and well maintained, compared to others ive seen along the california coast. very much cared for. interesting free museum inside that building. you cant go up but you can look around the first floor

During weekends, the Cabrillo Light Station does full-on tours of the lighthouse all funded by…read morevolunteers. It entails walking about a flatish half mile (one way) on a paved road to the lighthouse, ending in panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, a couple of picnic tables, and even some cabins to rent, if staying a couple of days to unwind is part of the plan! On a Sunday morning after a canoe paddle down the Big River, we did the half-mile trek to the lighthouse. It was fairly busy, with 3 or 4 groups ahead of us. On the tour, volunteer guides on each of the four levels explain the need for the lighthouse, its inner workings, and how innovation and technology changed it over the years. There are four levels to climb: after the first flight with two handrails, there is only one handrail up the steps, making it a great core workout in addition to a historic and informational experience! After (or before) the tour, wander around the museum/gift shop, where there is a souvenir for every lighthouse aficionado to buy sprinkled with more historic information and pictures not only of the lighthouse, but also of the surrounding environment and wildlife. If lighthouses are your jam, the weekend is a great time to go with the tour, museum/gift shop, and even a place to stay if you want! Convenient to downtown Mendocino, after the tour, the charming downtown is a great place to grab a bite and do some shopping! Young and old alike, this is a great experience!

During this visit, we were given a tour that offered such a cool insight into the history of the…read morebuilding. And I have to say--the blueberry mojito was delicious!

Absolutely stunning private club. We happened to go by the town of Eureka and are members of a…read morereciprocal club so we stopped for a tour and lunch and it was certainly worth the stop. The building is a stunning historical space with gorgeous unique Stainglass in every room. The lunch was spectacular!

A guided tour of Lake Shasta Cavern. You can get tickets online or in person inside their gift…read moreshop. Tour included boat ride to the bus, bus ride to the cavern. Inside the cave, there are so many different rock formations. Each section, our tour guide gave many interesting facts and information. Be prepared to walked through hundreds and hundreds of stairs. Up and down. Some can be pretty steep and slippery. The ground inside were mostly wet and muddy. I will recommend wearing comfy shoes, hiking shoes, closed toes shoes or any shoes you don't mind getting tons of muds on it. It can get chilly inside the cave, so bring a jacket just in case. At the end of the tour, you get a chance to take pictures with the beautiful colorful formations. Once the tour is done, you will walk back to the bus stop to get a ride back to the boat. The boat will then take you back to the starting point. Plenty of parking. There are restrooms to use.

Dog-Friendly Adventure!…read more Lake Shasta Caverns was the perfect stop on our road trip from Portland to San Francisco! We were thrilled to discover it's dog-friendly and our pup loved every minute of it. The location is ideal for a midway break, and late May weather was absolutely beautiful. We arrived 30 minutes early and found parking easily. The gift shop kept us entertained while we waited, and the boat ride across the lake set the perfect tone for what was to come. But the real star? The caverns themselves. The natural beauty and the opportunity to explore with my dog made this feel truly special. Fair WARNING: you will get your steps in! The climb to the cathedral room is steep, and my partner and I, who are gym-goers with an active dog, definitely felt it. That said, the views (and the bats!) absolutely make it worth it. I noticed some older visitors and those recovering from knee surgery opted out, and a few families with small children were cautious on the descent, so know what you're signing up for. The walk back down requires careful footing so please take your time and watch your step. The tour guide wasn't as polished as I'd hoped and leaned a bit too playful for our taste, but honestly? You're paying for the scenery, not the commentary. And yes, it's pricey, but it genuinely feels like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Overall, worth every penny and every step. Highly recommend!

Monument for those buried at sea [Trinidad CA]…read more I wasn't sure if this Yelp page was for the concrete memorial lighthouse (or is it a replica) or of the one off of Edwards Street. Either way both are remembering those who perished at sea. The memorial on Edward's Street is a pyramid shaped marble slab engraved with sea gulls and the words "Lost At Sea," with names listed on the plaques. As more names were added through the years additional plaques were placed along the adjacent cement retaining wall. There were so many names it was sad to see and reminded me of the movie "the Perfect Storm" [2000] with George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg. The movie was based on a true story where the boat of the crew of six was caught in a storm and disappeared with no survivors. In 2012, we saw the memorial in Gloucester, Massachusetts inscribed with the names of those men. So sad. The memorials in Trinidad are free to visit. It looks like the lighthouse has moved a couple of times but it was at the harbor area where we saw the lighthouse and fog bell which served as a permanent location for the monument. Both memorial locations were adorned with wreaths during the Memorial Day weekend. The Axel Lindgren Memorial Trail on Edwards Street was currently not available due to erosion. Review #3777

This memorial that overlooks Trinidad Bay is a few steps down some stairs near the parking lot. It…read moreis a four-sided monument that has plaques with inscribed names of those that were lost or buried at sea. Additional plaques were placed along the adjacent wall as names soon outgrew the smaller monument. There used to be a replica of the 1871 Trinidad Head Lighthouse here. It housed the original Fresnel lens and the bronze fog bell from 1898. But it was moved to Trinidad Rancheria Harbor a few years ago due to erosion. I was moved by the memorial when I passed it on a walk one early morning. Each year on the last Sunday in May, this community gathers to remember the names of the people recorded on the plaques.

After exploring Lake Shasta Cavern, we stopped by to check out Shasta Dam. Free to park and visit…read more There is a visitor center. Inside the visitor center, there is a restroom :) You can see Mount Shasta from a distance. What a view! Looking down from the dam was really scary. Do so at your own risk. I had to hold my phone very steady to snap a photo from above. I am afraid of heights but the dam did look nice from the top center of the dam. A nice stroll from end to end.

The views are amazing and anxiety imposing!…read more You can walk out onto the dam and looking either way, the views are spectacular. To your one side, amazing anxiety driving views where even if you're not afraid of heights, you'll start breathing heavy. Then, on the other side, spectacular views of lake Shasta with imposing mountains in the backdrop. Connected to a cool visitor station, this is worth the drive to visit if you're around the area.