Crescent City and south . . .

Sunset at Oceanfront Lodge, Crescent City (Camp 2013)

Made it to the ocean. We're here in Crescent City, and it seems we're following a trail of mermaids along the way. The ocean is that calm inviting blue of northern California that invites us to walk along the beach, but 'tis far too cold to swim.

Crescent City has that look of recovering from some dreadful economic disaster. I didn't realize the impact of the tsunami from 2011. We're seeing boarded store fronts and closed shops, not much road traffic. This small coastal town stretches out into the ocean and is most vulnerable to tsunamis, suffering millions of dollars of damage when the waves came last time.

Construction crews are rehabbing our hotel even as we enjoy the views. Last night we had an amazingly fresh fish (salmon, swordfish, and hallibut) for dinner at the Chart Room perched out on a spit by the bay. We found one pier crowded with honking, smelly sea lions who somehow had made their way over the rocks and up on the pier. Below, on a second, floating pier,  Harbour seals chummed next to the sea lions at the end of the day. Next stop, the redwoods!

Harbour Seals (Camp 2013)

I almost forgot about the mermaids. I'm guessing if you live near the sea, this siren is never far away. We found three mermaids here: one outside, a large wooden carving with the mermaid riding on a shark with very large teeth, and two inside, both guarding the small bar.