Avenue of the Giants - California Redwoods | California Travel Tips

California travel guide Veronica Hill tours the Avenue of the Giants highway in the Northern California Redwoods in this episode of "California Travel Tips."

Stretching 32 miles between Garberville and Fortuna, Avenue of the Giants is one of California's best scenic drives. The road, which travels along Higway 101 on Route 254, is named for our state's magnificent coastal California redwoods. They happen to be the tallest trees on earth — some reaching up to 380 feet tall and 26 feet wide.

Avenue of the Giants is one of the best places in the state to view these magnificent towering trees, and its easy to feel dwarfed as you travel down the shaded 2-lane highway.

When you enter the park, pick up a map that highlights the route and its attractions. If you want to make a weekend of it, you can camp at Burlington or Hidden Springs Campgrounds, or enjoy more modern comforts at the Myers Inn B&B.

Our first stop is at the Immortal Tree, which is 250 tall and more than 950 years old. Inside the gift shop, you can pick up a map of Bigfoot hunting locations. Apparently more than 200 encounters have been reported in these parts, especially during the summer and fall. They say Bigfoot can get as tall as 14 feet, is a good swimmer, and sounds like a mountain lion — if you believe in that sorta thing.

After checking out Founder's Grove in Weott, we head to Myers Flat to squeeze our SUV through the world-famous Shrine Drive-Thru Tree. There are three drive-through trees along the route, and each will set you back about $6.

Kids can explore the two-story tree houses, or get lost in the walk-through stump. Yes, it's touristy — but loads of fun.

LIKE ME ON FACEBOOK http://tinyurl.com/nqx9osq
FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER https://twitter.com/Californiatips
FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM http://instagram.com/californiatraveltips