THE THING ABOUT BEING A REDWOOD? You're going to take some time, in how you approach life, and that is that. In fact, you're going to take a whole lot of time, in the growing-big, getting-tall department. Minutes are blips to you, and, for that matter, weeks and months pass quickly, too. For centuries can fly by in your long and august lifetime, making you the sort of specimen that isn't going to hurry things. Keeping that in mind, that the redwood trees are the sort of beings that might take a vaster view, there is a new map to consider, one that was posted on the Redwood National and State Parks social media pages on May 21. And the visual? It details what...
IS NOW OPEN AND WHAT IS NOT... around the Northern California, coast-close destination. This is an early step, following the parks' pandemic closures, so you'll need to check in with the National Park Service to see what further developments may roll out as summer grows near. But a number of scenic drives, including Bald Hills Road and the ever-ethereal Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway, are again saying hello. Parking lots and trailheads, except for Tall Trees Trailhead, are also open, but campgrounds? Those remain closed. There are some new policies to know about, too, when you do eventually visit, detailing social distancing and face coverings. So please read all, and study the map, as you look to any down-the-road plans when the stay-at-home period has wrapped.
FUTURE DAYDREAMING: We're staying close to home these days, and thinking about hiking in areas near where we live. But we can daydream about where we might like to visit one day, further on, as people begin to venture into new places again. And daydreaming about future forays into the old forests of California? Always uplifting. For more on the National Park Service's coronavirus advisories, and what is permitted, please review the NPS Public Health Update page.
