Thanks for watching all! If you’d like to see the first video from my new channel, it’s available for members to watch right now as an early preview by clicking here: ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxWRpS9qP8xLOL5LCMorV05kQhS8dp6VXZ
A quick FYI: most gas stations will have a squeegee/scrubber tool in a bucket thingy of soapy water right next to the gas pumps, for you to use to wash & squeegee your windshield/windscreen. One side has a rougher net fabric covering the sponge that takes the bug remains off really good. It’s free to use...just look for it at each stop (as someone from the PNW who’s lived up & down the west coast...they’re life savers..literally!
"Bear bells' are the greatest scam ever, for preventing a bear from attacking. Same goes for bear spray. They don't scare bears, and it certainly won't protect you. There's only one thing that might stop an attacking bear... A gun that fires big bullets, such as .357 Magnum, or 10mm.
Be careful for pick pockets in San Francisco especially on any form of public transportation. They also like to smash car windows and steal whatever is inside
@@jreyman Bear bells aren't to scare the bears... they're to keep you from accidentally sneaking up on the bear. Black Bears are cowards.... if they hear you coming, they'll just walk the other way. But, if you accidentally stumble on one? Particularly one with cubs? You're in trouble. If they know where you are, no problem. Now, the efficacy of the bells in real life? Probably not much...
Some years back, a park ranger in Muir Woods told me something mind-boggling about the coastal redwoods: they're too tall to pull the water they need to survive up through their roots, so they're depedent on the fog. They live for over a thousand years, and that means that there's been fog on that coast long enough for trees to evolve that require it to live. Talk about your total perspective vortex.
They're also enormous sequesters for carbon dioxide, capturing thousands of tons of carbon, more than the rainforest. They are also amazingly fire resistant, in fact they rely on fire to procreate.
Well it sounds like he’s starting to get an understanding of why Americans don’t think distances in the UK are long drives. I remember when my sister and I visited and told people what our plans were they looked at us like we had lost our minds. They thought the amount of driving we were doing was enormous and for us it was a simple afternoon drive that we would do on a whim here in the US.
@@lonniesharp9109 You never know how relative both time and distance are until you've got a good number of both under your belt. Five years now is next to no time at all for me, but I clearly remember when 5 years was a lifetime. Same regarding a 100 miles, a hundred miles of good road is a short trip, sometimes even pleasant, but a 100 miles of rough road can age you.
@@rtyria Time especially is very relative. Time flies when you're having fun, or slows to a crawl when you're suffering. And as a child, time is forever. To a child, a year is a long time, they have only been alive for 5 years. imagine having to wait a 5th of your lifetime for your birthday. (would be like asking someone 50 years old to just wait for 10 years) As we get older and start logging in more years, time starts to go by faster and faster. Wasn't it just July? How is it already Halloween? the concept of time is so very tricky.
I was working on assignment in the Lake Winnepasaki are of mid New Hampshire some years ago. One Friday afternoon I announced that I intended to drive to Boston for dinner. It was only about a hundred miles away, which was less than my normal daily commute at the time so it didn't seem such a big deal. One nice thirtyish lady in the factory's office looked at me funny and said in a hushed voice "I was in Boston once. For my honeymoon.". That was farther than most of the locals had ever gone unless they had served in the military. I'm from LA County, though at the time I was commuting from Simi Valley in Ventura County to the Long Beach area. Everybody has their perspectives. That area also has few Blacks, Latinos or Asians and is fairly liberal politically. Very liberal/Leftist Vermont wasn't far away.
@@lonniesharp9109 Here in Australia the longest stretch of straight road in the country is 147 kilometres (91.1 miles) long without a single bend or curve.The longest stretch of straight section of railway in Australia and the world is 478 kilometres (297 miles)without a bend along the Nullarbor plain.
The three varieties of Redwoods: Dawn, Giant, and Coastal. The redwoods in this video are mostly coastal redwoods. The giant, or Sequoia, redwoods are more inland and higher elevation, and there are some that are literally as big around as a house.
@@lairdcummings9092 with the Giant Sequoias not being as tall. I prefer the overall atmosphere of the coastal red woods. With the fog and mist and coastal towns.. Just a very mysterious magical place.
@@Killswitch1411 I've a preference for Dawn Redwoods, myself. Might be, though, because my mother has one on her property, as does one of her neighbors.
Otherwise a bunched up sheet of newspaper and vinegar water can help. Dead bugs on windshields used to be a common issue all over the US. Now its more rare.
Yep. That helps, but a self serve car wash with pressure washers works better. Also, high quality window washer fluid is helpful. Of course rental companies use the cheapest possible fluid and then water it down.
An old bear joke: When hiking through bear country, it is important to carry the proper gear. Bells for your shoes and bear/pepper spray are a good minimum. It also helps to know what kind of bears are around. Usually you can tell by the bear poo you find. Black bear poo has a lot of seeds and berries in it. Grizzly bear poo has a lot of bells and smells faintly of pepper.
Matt - Well said. I've only once walked up on a Grizzly, and not to mention, a family of them, and if it hadn't have been that they were peacefully swatting salmon from the river, me and my family, probably might have been toast, being as close as we were when we stumbled upon them.
That person that beeped twice after you pulled over was thanking you for getting out of their way. A reminder for visitors: if someone is up on your bumper, use a turnout to let faster traffic past on these roads. Heroes don't hold up local traffic.
@@SilentCriket It always mystifies me why someone would go to a national park, and then be impatient with someone who wants to drink in the view and enjoy it. Many people, (like Shaun and Rekka), have traveled thousands of miles just to see it. I went to Yellowstone with my sister, in my 50's, for the first time in my life, and even there, some people didn't even slow down to look. We pulled over, where we could, but didn't understand the hurry.
@@kimberlygabaldon3260 The only way to get from Medford Oregon to Eureka involves driving through a national park. Two lanes, mountains and not necessarily safe in the winter.
Glad you got to experience the Redwoods. It's too bad you weren't able to drive down the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway or the Avenue of the Giants. Absolutely spectacular. Your mind would have been even more blown.
In his drive from Crescent City to Eureka, Shaun would have passed Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. He could have parked and hike through a redwood forest to a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. In fall and spring, you can see whales migrating to or from the north.
@@stephenoshaughnessy2279 true but you can't see a whole lot from the 101. The Drury parkway is much better. From his vlog it looks like he did just the Jedidiah Smith Park since he was on a time crunch. Also for sure he'd have missed the Avenue of the Giants.
Chipmunks and their stripey ground squirrel cousins are all way smaller than tree squirrels or California ground squirrels, and are super friendly and curious. You can get most chipmunks to take food from your hand just by offering, without much coaxing at all. And if you show you aren't a threat, they'll raid your campsite and even your pockets if you fall asleep during the day. The jays are super smart and super brave. They'll steal food off your fire or off your fork, even. Heard of Stellar Jays taking whole steaks off the grill. But I have a soft spot for the innocence of chipmunks. Love the little critters.
@@shaunvlog Yeah, maybe don't get too friendly with the wildlife. There's a persistant strain of plague in the Sierras. Not too many people get it, mostly pets, and we can treat it, but you really don't want to get the literal plague. YMMV
@@LindaC616 - Hopefully they'll be coming back to you. I live on Long Island, NY and for years, I hardly saw any chipmunks, but in the last 10 years, they are once again, all over the place, just like when I was a kid. So are the fox, deer, rabbit and even toads and as well, the dolphins in the water. Go figure.
@@kennethpryde966 - I'd like to know more about the plague you refer to, but regardless, I agree, don't play with the wild life, just enjoy watching them (be wild). You never know what they might do, so don't mess, is a good strategy, even if it's not a bear, snake or shark.
To show the scale of the trees, people take pictures holding hands around the trunk. It takes about 10 people to get around some of those trees. I have been to the Muir Woods in California. The tree trunks (Giant Sequoias, the largest trees in the world) are so big you can drive a car through the trunk. These trees are 3,400 years old.
Ann Frost, you're right in saying that Muir Woods is beautiful. However, sequoias are inland (Yosemite), whereas along the coast (Muir Woods) what's found is redwoods.
Having lived close to the redwoods my whole life, I had forgotten how majestic they are when you see them for the first time! Thank you Shaun for sharing your adventure with us! 💕😊
Glad you and Teka enjoyed my home state!! Northern California is my home and we are very proud of our coastlines, redwoods, wine, and seafood!! Enjoy yourselves and never forget that feeling of driving with the windows down along a winding California road! Cheers!
Your wife is very pretty!🌟 Thank You for making this video Shaun! This is the one place that my 84 yr young mother💖wants to see! I told her I will take her there one day! Next time mom comes by,I'm definitely going to show her your video on big screen here at the house.She'll absolutely love it! Thank You! God Bless!
My family has a grove of redwoods in conservancy in our name; we collected a fair buttload of cash, and bought out several hectares of commercially-owned redwoods, and donated them to the Save the Redwoods League. It's a nice grove, with a small road nearby, and a wide spot where you can park; a short hike takes you to a bend on the Navarro River where there's a silty beach where you can swim. Yes, we picked the spot very deliberately; we wanted folks to come to love the spot, and take the redwoods into their hearts. Edit: The Jurassic Park comment is apt. The Redwood trees have been around about just that long, with little change.
"Produce" is those things you grow in your garden to eat. California is a huge agricultural producer, and is extremely worried about importing agricultural pests.
Reading is nice enough. But if that drive tested you, you should arrange to drive on some of the lesser roads in the Rockies sometime. THAT will give you a gut check!
Ha Ha That was me that sent you the Bear Bells!!! Glad you are getting some use out of them! But you’re supposed to be wearing them outside of your pocket!
So nice to see your appreciation for California’s beauty coming all the way from Scotland. It makes me happy to see you enjoying the redwoods and the CA coast. I hope you have a great rest of your trip!
Your travels have made me want to visit Oregon and Northern California. I have been all over the US and those places were not on my list until now. Sometimes it takes someone else's excitement and awe to make you see it differently. Thank you.
I can't believe that Oregon and Northern California were not on your list until now. They are both famous for their beauty. born in Northern California and raised in Oregon btw, so I gotta stick up for my Homeland. please visit and then please don't stay. Oregon has a famous border sign that reads "please enjoy your visit, but DO NOT STAY" lol... yeah that's how we feel.
@@shaunvlog Absolutely! When you are around the Monterey area, there is a very small coastal town called Moss Landing, it is off highway 1 just a little north of Monterey, there is a resturant there which you two MUST try called Phil's Fish Market. It's an experience legendary among the locals, some of the best seafood you can enjoy in that area. :)
@@shaunvlog And when you get to Central California, that region is famous for a type of BBQ known as Santa Maria Tri-Tip. I recommend you check out Jocko's in Nipomo for an excellent example of it in a unique dining setup that also has excellent drinks. 😃
Welcome to America! You guys look GOOOOOD in California! Thank you for loving her. It touches my heart. She’s an amazing country and in our blood. Happy Trails to you!
Born and spent almost my first 60 years in So California... I was blessed to visit Scotland for two weeks in May 1999... Loved the Scottish people and their beautiful country...🏴❤️ Now, I am 76...and I live on a mountaintop (8,500 ft elevation) in Wyoming...❤️
As a 4th generation Californian it's great to see you two enjoying our state, the huge redwoods which defy description, the winding roads and the coast. So much to see. There's a redwood so big that you can drive a car through it. And my dad knows where the biggest of them are, out of the way, never cut. It took 12 of us to put our arms around one, huge ferns, moss, and flowering rhododendrons in the mist. Pro tip, carry a staff or longish stick to keep the mountain lions and bear from coming too close. They're not dumb and know a human with a stick isn't worth the trouble. Haha We do that all the time. Never fails.
Enjoying watching your drive through the states. I lived a few years in the UK and I was stunned how fast I was able to drive from southern England to Scotland. Beautiful drive, I loved it, but it was over so quickly, so yeah, I get it, the distance thing is weird if your not used to it.
@@deborahdanhauer8525 And sometimes they vary from one region within states. There is a profound difference between Michigan's two peninsulas, and arguably Detroit is a creature unto itself.
Gorgeous forest...we have chipmunks hanging at our house all the time...they are fed well from our hand they are so cute. They seem to like our pool....we are in 🇨🇦....Ontario.... You guys are cute Teka is very pretty....glad to see her lovely face...thanks for sharing your life you guys.
The bluest blue I've ever beheld has always been the vast Pacific as she laps along the wind swept rugged Coast of California. The journey down highway 101 is breathtaking. I grew up there.
I just watched your video the other day from the Michael Barrymore show and then today..Seen you singing on your old channel.. It's really nice to see you all grown up, and still being entertaining and having fun doing it. Wishing you good health and God's safe Blessings Shaun!!!
I remember when I was a kid in the '60's, we took my visiting grandparents from Kansas to King's Canyon/Sequoia National Forest (central/Sierras CA) where we drove our car through a redwood tree. It was great.
THE SCOTTISH REDWOOD STORY Sequoia giganteum (mountain): In August 1853, the first Sequoia giganteum redwoods seeds arrived in Europe and were received by Patrick Matthew, a 19th century landowner, pioneering orchard designer and social campaigner from the Carse of Gowrie, Perthshire in Scotland. Two of his sons were in California prospecting for gold and on seeing these majestic trees sent back some branches and cones from the Calaveras grove. The accolade as to who received the first seeds was initially given to William Blob and John Veitch from Exeter by the Gardener's Chronicle on the 24th December 1853. Some thirteen years later the publication retracted their statement, recognising Patrick Matthew as being the first. Sequoia sempervirens (coast): were brought to Russia in 1840 and from there to Britain in 1843. Theodore Hartweg, a collector for the Horticultural Society of London introduced seeds to Britain in 1846. The oldest two coast redwood trees in Britain are at Rossie Priory in Perthshire, and at Smeaton House, East Lothian and planted in 1845 and about 1844 respectively. Coast redwoods are the tallest organisms on earth, if allowed to grow the trees planted in Scotland may reach 300' or more in height given 2000+ years! Metasequoia glyptostroboide (dawn): this redwood was discovered in the Hupeh Province of China in 1941, and Cambridge University Botanic Garden planted the first Dawn Redwood on British soil in 1949. It's name derives from 'metasequoia' meaning "like a sequoia" and "glyptostroboides", due to it's likeness to the Chinese swamp cypress: Glyptostrobus pensilis. It is the most endangered of all the redwoods. www.scottishredwoodtrust.com/the-scottish-redwood-story The Scottish Redwood Trust catalogues and campaigns to protect the existing redwoods Scotland, over 4500 trees, and counting. Our cultivation programme is creating a seed reserve for the first redwood cones to arrive in Scotland, the first to arrive in Europe. They were received and cultivated by 19th century landowner, Patrick Matthew in August 1853. In California, these majestic trees are in danger of extinction due to climate change and development. “It took more than three thousand years to make some of the trees in these western woods ... Through all the wonderful, eventful centuries since Christ's time - and long before that - God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand straining, levelling tempests and floods; but he cannot save them from fools.” John Muir, Scottish-American, 'the father' of the American national parks. In Scotland, climate change brings a warmer and wetter climate, the perfect location for redwoods to thrive. www.scottishredwoodtrust.com/
They need a lot of rain, and to get really big they need a foggy cold-ocean coastal environment. Most of the places where redwoods grow naturally have 40+ inches rain/year. Crescent City is the wettest part of California, 70 inches of rain a year i.e. a bit over 2 meters of rain per year.
Wow thanks for sharing - I had no idea we have redwoods but makes sense they would thrive here with the climate being ideal. Just not sure we get enough fog for the really big ones
@@shaunvlog I first heard of the Scottish Redwoods from BeautyCreep, Erin's, channel. In her hiking videos when to the Scottish redwoods a few times. What like about the Scottish redwoods is that they first come from my home state of California. There a connection between California and Scotland in many ways and one is through the redwoods.
@@shaunvlog The pictures on that website show some very healthy looking trees. Scotland might be a good climate for them. I've seen examples of redwood trees planted in a climate they don't like (such as Los Angeles) they tend to look unhappy. Those trees in Scotland look very happy.
Hey, Shaun! I’m so glad you guys got to visit Jedidiah Smith Park! There’s no place like it in the world! If you have time, I have some advice: resist the temptation to “save drive time” by driving through California’s Central Valley. Take the Highway 1 coastal route from San Francisco to Los Angeles. It’s one of the most spectacular coastal drives in the world! Spend the morning or afternoon at the Monterrey Bay Aquarium. Continue south on Highway 1. I don’t know if you guys are the “go, go, go!” types, or occasionally like to linger, but the Big Sur coast is a lovely area to take your time. Look for the short turn off to Pfeiffer beach (it’s a beautiful cove) and hang out for awhile. At the very least, plan on having lunch or dinner at the restaurant “Nepenthe”. The food is a little pricey but very good, and the view is spectacular. Request a table on the rear deck. On your way south, it’s fun to stop at Hearst Castle for a tour of the main residence. If you don’t have time for my suggestions, you’ll just have to make a return visit!
This is all excellent advice. The 5 will get you to LA quickly but it is a straight shot through hours of farmland, with a mid-trip highlight of smelly cows (Harris ranch). The 1 takes 3-4 hours longer but the views are far superior.
Also if you're down by San Simeon, there is a beach there where you can look at the elephant seals. Also there is somebody who keeps zebras, this is probably related to Hearst Castle.
Geez, and Central Cal even cooled off for him! Only 90s this week... Though to be fair, if you've seen endless farmland, it does get dull. The Forestiere Underground Gardens in Fresno are worth seeing, you just have to make an appointment.
You passed trough my area of California. :-) I recognized Hwy 199, and all along 101. We have squirrels around here, too... Chipmunks are just smaller and cuter. I DO wish you'd gotten down as far as Eureka, on Humboldt Bay.... then further south through the Avenue of the Giants. But, you saw a LOT of the nice Redwoods, and the coast around Crescent City represents us nicely. But, you've bitten off a HUGE road trip, and you can't stop everywhere! Very pleased you enjoyed the North Coast! I did have to laugh at you calling 299/Willow Creek "very high"... I just got back from a road trip through Colorado... I got altitude sickness when we were up over 11,000 feet (3352 Meters). I can TOTALLY recommend that road (Hwy 34 and Hwy 40 through northern Colorado) if you get over there... just not if you have asthma! There's no bloody air up there! C'mon back to the Lost Coast (Oregon border to Mendocino) any time, Shaun!
When you are in dangerous animal country those little bells can warn the bears off, and if you carry bear pepper spray that will help. It's also helpful to be able to recognize things like bear scat to be able to know if they are in the area. Bear scat is chunky and the pile is good sized and often contains tiny little bells and smells peppery.
I'm so very glad you were able to see the prehistoric Redwood Trees. My old stomping grounds. They're awe inspiring. If you're in Redding now you could go a little north to Mt. Shasta, but if you're traveling south on Hwy 5 it will be pretty uneventful for hundreds of miles. Central California, all the way down is a largely agricultural area. It's worth the long trek down to see Lake Tahoe tho, you absolutely have to see Lake Tahoe! Safe Travels!
Confession. I've been married twice. My first wedding was in a small amphitheater clearing in the redwoods near San Francisco. There is no more impressive of a cathedral. Magical. Second and final wedding was traditional Navajo, performed a ways south of Gallup, New Mexico. Sparse, short Piñon Pine and Juniper semi-desert. Couldn't get more opposite. But those Redwood trees, I agree. There's no way to convey the feeling. Majestic! And they smell good, too. And with the cute chipmunks bonus! I'm so glad you spent some time there, even if it meant rolling into Redding at midnight. 👍🏻👍🏻
I'm so glad you got to see this so i can live vicariously. I've lived in the US all my life and not seen nearly as much as you have. I'd love to travel more but am not able to for several reasons. Thank you so much for showing these beautiful trees to me. This is has been on my bucket list for over 20 years. 😍😍😍
I lived in Crescent City for about 5 years. Sometimes, I used to drive to Jedediah State Park (which you went through), park at a cutoff, and do some reading. Your travel would have been easier if you spent the night in Eureka with its old quaint, fishing town feel with modern conveniences. From there, you can take highway 299 east. From Redding, if you continue on 299 east, you come across some of California's storybook landscape. Low population, but as you travel east, the alpine meets the arid desert, and you think you're traveling through the pages of some fantasy novel. Time stands still as you drive.
The exterior tongue and groove walls, window sills and window frame were used to build our mid 60’s era home, termites and ants won’t eat and bore holes through red wood.
California has a great deal of agriculture. The check at the boarder is not to bring in items from outside the state which could carry pests that can ruin crops by being introduced.
Produce is fruits and vegetables. The inspection is to keep out any produce that may contain invasive insects that could devastate California’s agriculture. Most of the produce consumed throughout America is from California.
Ah, Shaun. My wife and I came down that same road (Hwy 101) on the 5th after a 4th of July weekend on the Oregon coast cracking crabs and dune buggy racing. Too bad you were staying in Redding. South of Eureka off 101 is the "Avenue Of The Giants". A beautiful two lane along the Eel River through some of the biggest trees in the world. You mentioned having to drive "through" one of the trees to show scale. Well, there is a place to do just that along the Avenue. Hope you enjoy your trip through California. Safe travels. ps - My Great Grandfather brought my Grand and all his siblings over from Glasgow just after WW1 and both my Great and Granddad graduated from Edinburgh (clan McKenzie, Grandma was a Gibb. My sister also married a Gibb [not a close relative]. Keeping it in the family, no?)
Sometimes vinegar might work you should see Florida in September and May they got those love bugs out there and they make a mess on the car too I'm glad you guys are having a good time God bless
It was so fun to watch "my neck of the woods" through your eyes. And - man - I can't imagine driving Hwy 299 for the first time in the dark. That is a hairy road in the daytime! As for the coolness of the beach, this is Northern California, man. All those beach scenes you see in movies are filmed in So Cal. Up here the temps are much cooler. And your comment about the area looking like Jurassic Park? I'm sure someone has told you by now that the 2nd JP movie, "Lost World," was filmed here. SO, yup. It does look like Jurassic Park here. I am so glad you were impressed with the place, and I am impressed you drove all the way over to Redding on that road after sundown! Someone should have warned you about that!
Thanks Joni, what made that drive over 299 even worse is that the Jeep I was driving had the worst headlights I’ve ever seen. Seriously, I may as well have been driving with my cell phone’s torch lol. That made for an interesting experience
Entire west coast (Washington/Oregon/California) has spectacular sites.. Old growth forests in all three states. Cascade range has lots of volcanos too, some active/some dormant...all interesting. Mt. St. Helens !
Thank you for showing Western Oregon as someplace besides cities or people (Steven Fry showed a short weirdo Crystal gazer thing that he could have filmed in any State!). The most you will see outside the cities is beautiful greenery and scenery!
Thats where they filmed star wars return of the jedi ewoks also willow creek was were the famous big foot video was shot. I grew up there. I live in Honolulu Hawaii now.
Sorry I did not take the time to read all the comments. Someone may have already offered this bit of wisdom. One of the best ways to clean the dead bugs off your windshield can be found at most self serve gas stations. Typically located near each fuel pump is a container of liquid with a long handled cleaning device soaking in it. One side is a sponge and the other is a squeegee. Swipe with the sponge until the bugs are gone. Squeegee the windshield dry after that. Now your windshield is clean.
It’s interesting to hear your reactions to different areas. The bear bells are worn with cover off to alert bears of your presence but bear spray might offer better actual protection. Even though I am from the west coast you are write in your feeling about prehistoric look of the Redwoods, they are an amazing tree on so many levels.
Welcome to California! It’s my home state. I was born here but my ancestors are from Scotland (James the IV is my 13th great grandfather). The redwoods are amazing but if you come further south Sequoia National Park will BLOW YOU AWAY! Also there is Yosemite and Kings Canyon national parks. Enjoy your time here 👍🏼
I am loving watching you guys drive through the Redwoods. This is where I live. They call it God's country. I love the quiet in the redwoods. Lots of beautiful parks with walking trails scattered around Northern California 😀
I drove that same route a few years ago. Arcata Over the coast range Willow Creek Weaverville on in to Redding. It is a long slog but some of the prettiest scenery in the world. Glad you enjoyed seeing some more of our country.
I've only been on 2 very short trips to California, but was fortunate to see the Redwoods. Incredible! Thoroughly enjoying all of your adventures in America.
Mine too. So hubby and I took a trip to Edinburgh. Then drove down the coast to England. Spent the night in Birmingham. I love Scotland. Castles everywhere. So romantic
@@christinefox9075 Ah Christine how wonderful! I have recently found out that I have more Scottish ancestors on my Dad’s side so now I really really want to go!😄❤️
Yes, there are redwood forests in numerous locations in California. Redwood City on the Bay Area Peninsula supplied lumber that built San Francisco in the 1800s. That is why they built a port, where it was barged up the SF Bay. I lived in RWC in the 1980s and the old barges were still there. There are still stands of these trees in the mountains above RWC.
Shaun: It would be great if you could show a map at the beginning of each "USA travel" video of the state(s) you are in, and highlighting the route that you drove that day, and labeling the stops you made. This would be very helpful to give non-Americans a sense of scale that you "drove all day" and are still only in northern California! People who are not from the US or Canada have no idea of the size of our countries!
Shaun, glad you enjoyed your trip to our state! Our biggest tip to travelers is that California is several states packed into one. There is Southern California Coast, best known for the beaches and warm weather. Desert inland with spectacular formations and crazy plant and animal life. Sierra mountains, featuring the Giant Sequoias. Lake Tahoe, worth a trip by itself. The Central Valley and it's abundant agriculture. The Coast Ranges, north featuring the Coast Redwoods, Central featuring lovely oak woodlands. The Cascades, with Mt.Lassen dormant volcano. The cities, Los Angeles area, and San Francisco Bay area, two different worlds. We've literally spent our whole lives here, 60 plus years now, and we feel like we've barely touched it. The suggestion to travelers is, don't try to see it all at once. You'll just spend endless days in the car, speeding past everything, not having time to really enjoy it. Pick and area of maybe 150-200 miles and stay for a few days before moving on. Down in the comments people noted things you weren't able to see. Yosemite alone is worth a week. San Francisco you can skim in a couple weeks, or take a year to get some depth. You can skip our house, we'll give you a pass on that. But if you do show up, there's a chair on the porch, and the hummingbirds will entertain you.
I’m enjoying this serie about your USA road-trip so much!! And I LOVE all your content about Scotland as well! ❤️ Big hugs to you and Teca from Switzerland!!
Shaun..... time hoss make some time to see and enjoy this big beautiful country!! Ya can't hurry thru her!! Ya gotta relax and see the little things too! Hope ya get to see the big trees in Sequoia!!
You need to see Kings Canyon or Sequoia National forest if you want to see the biggest trees. The General Sherman tree is the biggest with a 17.5 foot (5.3 meters) diameter at the base. It’s truly breathtaking!
When you get home, you should check out the redwoods you have in Scotland. They're not very big for redwoods, since they're only a bit over a century old, but they're very big compared to your native trees.
I used to live in Redding and Eureka. I now live in Portland, so you're hitting all my spots! I ALSO used to live in Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles, sigh. I move too much... Oh yeah, Indiana, Florida, maybe some I've forgotten! Love the Redwoods!
For really beautiful scenery and really large redwood trees, you should have visited Yosemite and/or Seqouia national parks. Something you will remember for the rest of your lives.
It was most likely a yellow-cheeked chipmunk. They’re pretty common in the northern coastal forests. I hope you also had someone point out poison oak to you so that you could avoid getting any on you.
The North Coast is amazing and beautiful! Love it up there. So sorry to see you spent the night in Redding. I would’ve recommended you two to have driven down Highway 1 to SF, but that is a VERY long drive but so beautiful! Enjoy our amazing State!
It's interesting to think how many animals we have in the US that aren't in other places like chipmunks. I see them every day. The little buggers are all over my yard and I have one that loves to sit on my front step and bark at everything. I see wild turkeys a lot too. Not as often, but I've seen white eagles, porcupines, skunks, various snakes (not poisonous), raccoons, opossums, deer, moose, black bears, and probably several other things I can't remember at the moment. Thankfully I have not come across any bobcats or fisher cats. Have you seen any lightning bugs (aka fireflies)? I still love to see them as an adult. I only see them in the summer when the weather is warm.
I am so delighted to see you in the redwoods! I LIVED in one of those amazing places for 2017-2020 above Santa Cruz - on a river creek, in the middle of the forest, a State park at the end of my driveway. It was the most profound experience I've ever had. Those trees changed me. I swear they talk - and omg during big storms they SWAY in the wind... so many stories from there. OH! Yeah - and spiders. Spiders the size of crabs. OMG. and there ARE cats and skunks and racoons and bears - just sayin. They were our daily battle but our daily friends. Freakin amazing. Love that you loved it.
Welcome to California! There are so many things to see and do. I know you won't be able to see and do everything while you're here, but hope you enjoy your experience. Summers here can be hot so make sure you get the sunblock
California really is a beautiful state. There is so much to see here. I live 2 hours or less from the ocean surf, the snowy mountains, Los Angeles, Mexico, the Mojave desert, Death Valley, and only 4 hours from Las Vegas. 🤘
I hope you are going to the Calaveras National Park. The Sequoia Redwoods are like nothing you have ever seen! They are as tall as the coastal redwoods, but much bigger around. Really worth the drive to the foothills!
I am so happy that you made a stop to Jedediah Smith Campground!! We have our favorite camping spot there that is right on the river .....simply beautiful spot, yes?! People always ask me if the giant redwoods are really big, and unless you have actually seen them for yourself, you simply cannot fathom how massive they are.....truly magnificent. You are in my home now!! Redding is only 45 minutes from me and is one of our "sister" communities here in "true" Northern California!
I wish you had visited Avenue of the Giants south of Eureka. I lived there for 15 years and I miss it so much. Happy you enjoyed the redwoods. They are amazing.
Hwy 299 from Redding to the Coast - in the dark! I salute you. That is a tough road to do at night, especially if you aren't used to those sorts of roads. You truly had a long day's drive. I'm glad that you got to see as much as you did.
Indeed - what made it worse is that the Wrangler has the most awful and useless headlights on any car I’ve ever driven. Plus it wallows haplessly around bends 😅
@@shaunvlog Yeah, road holding and Jeep Wrangler a just not two words often spoken in the same sentence - and unless something has changed since the last time I was there - that is a dark, empty stretch of mountain road. Knowing about where you were, when I heard you say early in the clip that you were planning on ending the day at Redding... I was a little concerned.
Thanks for watching all! If you’d like to see the first video from my new channel, it’s available for members to watch right now as an early preview by clicking here: ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxWRpS9qP8xLOL5LCMorV05kQhS8dp6VXZ
A quick FYI: most gas stations will have a squeegee/scrubber tool in a bucket thingy of soapy water right next to the gas pumps, for you to use to wash & squeegee your windshield/windscreen. One side has a rougher net fabric covering the sponge that takes the bug remains off really good. It’s free to use...just look for it at each stop (as someone from the PNW who’s lived up & down the west coast...they’re life savers..literally!
"Bear bells' are the greatest scam ever, for preventing a bear from attacking. Same goes for bear spray. They don't scare bears, and it certainly won't protect you. There's only one thing that might stop an attacking bear... A gun that fires big bullets, such as .357 Magnum, or 10mm.
Be careful for pick pockets in San Francisco especially on any form of public transportation. They also like to smash car windows and steal whatever is inside
@@jreyman Bear bells aren't to scare the bears... they're to keep you from accidentally sneaking up on the bear. Black Bears are cowards.... if they hear you coming, they'll just walk the other way. But, if you accidentally stumble on one? Particularly one with cubs? You're in trouble. If they know where you are, no problem. Now, the efficacy of the bells in real life? Probably not much...
Shaun, do you know the last thing to go through the mind of a fly when it hits the windscreen of a high-speed automobile? It's arse.
Some years back, a park ranger in Muir Woods told me something mind-boggling about the coastal redwoods: they're too tall to pull the water they need to survive up through their roots, so they're depedent on the fog. They live for over a thousand years, and that means that there's been fog on that coast long enough for trees to evolve that require it to live. Talk about your total perspective vortex.
They're also enormous sequesters for carbon dioxide, capturing thousands of tons of carbon, more than the rainforest. They are also amazingly fire resistant, in fact they rely on fire to procreate.
Jurassic Park was filmed at least partly in the redwood forest in California.
When you drive through a redwood forest at night, the atmosphere is filled with large floating globs of water vapor.
Oooooo😳
Ya they are a very fragile ecosystem. It would be horrible to lose them
Well it sounds like he’s starting to get an understanding of why Americans don’t think distances in the UK are long drives. I remember when my sister and I visited and told people what our plans were they looked at us like we had lost our minds. They thought the amount of driving we were doing was enormous and for us it was a simple afternoon drive that we would do on a whim here in the US.
In America, we think 100 years is a long time. In Europe, they think 100 miles is a long way.
@@lonniesharp9109 You never know how relative both time and distance are until you've got a good number of both under your belt. Five years now is next to no time at all for me, but I clearly remember when 5 years was a lifetime. Same regarding a 100 miles, a hundred miles of good road is a short trip, sometimes even pleasant, but a 100 miles of rough road can age you.
@@rtyria Time especially is very relative. Time flies when you're having fun, or slows to a crawl when you're suffering. And as a child, time is forever.
To a child, a year is a long time, they have only been alive for 5 years. imagine having to wait a 5th of your lifetime for your birthday. (would be like asking someone 50 years old to just wait for 10 years) As we get older and start logging in more years, time starts to go by faster and faster. Wasn't it just July? How is it already Halloween? the concept of time is so very tricky.
I was working on assignment in the Lake Winnepasaki are of mid New Hampshire some years ago. One Friday afternoon I announced that I intended to drive to Boston for dinner. It was only about a hundred miles away, which was less than my normal daily commute at the time so it didn't seem such a big deal. One nice thirtyish lady in the factory's office looked at me funny and said in a hushed voice "I was in Boston once. For my honeymoon.". That was farther than most of the locals had ever gone unless they had served in the military. I'm from LA County, though at the time I was commuting from Simi Valley in Ventura County to the Long Beach area. Everybody has their perspectives. That area also has few Blacks, Latinos or Asians and is fairly liberal politically. Very liberal/Leftist Vermont wasn't far away.
@@lonniesharp9109 Here in Australia the longest stretch of straight road in the country is 147 kilometres (91.1 miles) long without a single bend or curve.The longest stretch of straight section of railway in Australia and the world is 478 kilometres (297 miles)without a bend along the Nullarbor plain.
If you are impressed with the Redwoods, you should visit the Sequoias!
Those _are_ sequoias, but the smaller coastal species, not the giant sequoia that grows inland.
i'll deffo need to visit!
The three varieties of Redwoods: Dawn, Giant, and Coastal.
The redwoods in this video are mostly coastal redwoods. The giant, or Sequoia, redwoods are more inland and higher elevation, and there are some that are literally as big around as a house.
@@lairdcummings9092 with the Giant Sequoias not being as tall. I prefer the overall atmosphere of the coastal red woods. With the fog and mist and coastal towns.. Just a very mysterious magical place.
@@Killswitch1411 I've a preference for Dawn Redwoods, myself. Might be, though, because my mother has one on her property, as does one of her neighbors.
The gas stations have window cleaner and squeegees available to use for free. They usually are hanging on the pumps. Helps with the dead bugs.
Otherwise a bunched up sheet of newspaper and vinegar water can help. Dead bugs on windshields used to be a common issue all over the US. Now its more rare.
Yep. That helps, but a self serve car wash with pressure washers works better. Also, high quality window washer fluid is helpful. Of course rental companies use the cheapest possible fluid and then water it down.
the water in them usually smells terrible though
An old bear joke:
When hiking through bear country, it is important to carry the proper gear. Bells for your shoes and bear/pepper spray are a good minimum.
It also helps to know what kind of bears are around. Usually you can tell by the bear poo you find. Black bear poo has a lot of seeds and berries in it. Grizzly bear poo has a lot of bells and smells faintly of pepper.
😂 that's hilarious. I never heard that one.
😂😂😂
Funny joke!!!
good one, funny but true
Matt - Well said. I've only once walked up on a Grizzly, and not to mention, a family of them, and if it hadn't have been that they were peacefully swatting salmon from the river, me and my family, probably might have been toast, being as close as we were when we stumbled upon them.
That person that beeped twice after you pulled over was thanking you for getting out of their way. A reminder for visitors: if someone is up on your bumper, use a turnout to let faster traffic past on these roads. Heroes don't hold up local traffic.
If someone rides my bumper I flip them the bird. But I’m in Southern CA.
also, they need to calm down before they kill someone just because they're a Lil impatient.
@@szqsk8 Be careful. I know people who got shot at when they flipped the bird at a tailgating driver.
@@SilentCriket It always mystifies me why someone would go to a national park, and then be impatient with someone who wants to drink in the view and enjoy it. Many people, (like Shaun and Rekka), have traveled thousands of miles just to see it. I went to Yellowstone with my sister, in my 50's, for the first time in my life, and even there, some people didn't even slow down to look. We pulled over, where we could, but didn't understand the hurry.
@@kimberlygabaldon3260 The only way to get from Medford Oregon to Eureka involves driving through a national park. Two lanes, mountains and not necessarily safe in the winter.
The redwoods is a weird feeling ..because you realize how small we are ..and also the fact those trees have been here longer than man could write..
Some individual trees are 2000 years old.
Glad you got to experience the Redwoods. It's too bad you weren't able to drive down the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway or the Avenue of the Giants. Absolutely spectacular. Your mind would have been even more blown.
i was think the same thing.
Yes, some of the redwoods are a lot bigger than the ones by the side of the road.
In his drive from Crescent City to Eureka, Shaun would have passed Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. He could have parked and hike through a redwood forest to a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. In fall and spring, you can see whales migrating to or from the north.
@@stephenoshaughnessy2279 true but you can't see a whole lot from the 101. The Drury parkway is much better. From his vlog it looks like he did just the Jedidiah Smith Park since he was on a time crunch. Also for sure he'd have missed the Avenue of the Giants.
Chipmunks and their stripey ground squirrel cousins are all way smaller than tree squirrels or California ground squirrels, and are super friendly and curious. You can get most chipmunks to take food from your hand just by offering, without much coaxing at all. And if you show you aren't a threat, they'll raid your campsite and even your pockets if you fall asleep during the day. The jays are super smart and super brave. They'll steal food off your fire or off your fork, even. Heard of Stellar Jays taking whole steaks off the grill.
But I have a soft spot for the innocence of chipmunks. Love the little critters.
they are very cute
I grew up on a lake in MI where we had them. Now Im on the East coast, and we don't. I miss them. Haven't seen one since Walden Pond a few years back
@@shaunvlog Yeah, maybe don't get too friendly with the wildlife. There's a persistant strain of plague in the Sierras. Not too many people get it, mostly pets, and we can treat it, but you really don't want to get the literal plague. YMMV
@@LindaC616 - Hopefully they'll be coming back to you. I live on Long Island, NY and for years, I hardly saw any chipmunks, but in the last 10 years, they are once again, all over the place, just like when I was a kid.
So are the fox, deer, rabbit and even toads and as well, the dolphins in the water. Go figure.
@@kennethpryde966 - I'd like to know more about the plague you refer to, but regardless, I agree, don't play with the wild life, just enjoy watching them (be wild). You never know what they might do, so don't mess, is a good strategy, even if it's not a bear, snake or shark.
To show the scale of the trees, people take pictures holding hands around the trunk. It takes about 10 people to get around some of those trees.
I have been to the Muir Woods in California. The tree trunks (Giant Sequoias, the largest trees in the world) are so big you can drive a car through the trunk. These trees are 3,400 years old.
My grandparents took my little brother and me to Muir Woods in the late 50”s, early 60’s... “Majestic” describes that part of California perfectly!!
Ann Frost, you're right in saying that Muir Woods is beautiful. However, sequoias are inland (Yosemite), whereas along the coast (Muir Woods) what's found is redwoods.
@@jimgreen5788 The redwoods in Humboldt County are huge and beautiful too!
@@darlenericotta7550 , oh yeah, whether national or state park, and in whichever county they're found.
You can drive through some of the Redwoods too.
Having lived close to the redwoods my whole life, I had forgotten how majestic they are when you see them for the first time! Thank you Shaun for sharing your adventure with us! 💕😊
The difference between BLACK BEAR poop and Grizzlies Poop, is Black bear poop is full of berries, and Grizzley poop is full of bells. 😁😉
Yep🤣
It’s a dinner bell.
Lucky for him there aren’t any grizzlies in California
😂 I love it! I want one!!!
Glad you and Teka enjoyed my home state!! Northern California is my home and we are very proud of our coastlines, redwoods, wine, and seafood!! Enjoy yourselves and never forget that feeling of driving with the windows down along a winding California road!
Cheers!
the very best of cali. forget the south
It's called "Bug and Tar Remover" there are different brands and they can be found in most stores that carry automotive products.
Your wife is very pretty!🌟
Thank You for making this video Shaun! This is the one place that my 84 yr young mother💖wants to see! I told her I will take her there one day! Next time mom comes by,I'm definitely going to show her your video on big screen here at the house.She'll absolutely love it! Thank You!
God Bless!
My family has a grove of redwoods in conservancy in our name; we collected a fair buttload of cash, and bought out several hectares of commercially-owned redwoods, and donated them to the Save the Redwoods League.
It's a nice grove, with a small road nearby, and a wide spot where you can park; a short hike takes you to a bend on the Navarro River where there's a silty beach where you can swim.
Yes, we picked the spot very deliberately; we wanted folks to come to love the spot, and take the redwoods into their hearts.
Edit: The Jurassic Park comment is apt. The Redwood trees have been around about just that long, with little change.
"Produce" is those things you grow in your garden to eat. California is a huge agricultural producer, and is extremely worried about importing agricultural pests.
The point of a bear bell is so that you don't startle a bear. The bears will normally give you all the room you need, so long as you don't startle it.
Reading is nice enough. But if that drive tested you, you should arrange to drive on some of the lesser roads in the Rockies sometime.
THAT will give you a gut check!
299 is one tough drive. This is rural California, I am happy you saw this part, first.
oh yeah - especially in a wobbly jeep with the worst headlights in any car haha
@@shaunvlog did you wash the bugs off your headlights? Might help the brightness!
Ha Ha That was me that sent you the Bear Bells!!! Glad you are getting some use out of them! But you’re supposed to be wearing them outside of your pocket!
ah yes, i remember, thanks Bob!!! 😀 you may have saved my life there
For sure, as we didn't see any recording of bears!
And we are glad you and your team/crew made it safely when driving late to Redding.May God always be with You wherever you go!💯✝️
So nice to see your appreciation for California’s beauty coming all the way from Scotland. It makes me happy to see you enjoying the redwoods and the CA coast. I hope you have a great rest of your trip!
Your travels have made me want to visit Oregon and Northern California. I have been all over the US and those places were not on my list until now. Sometimes it takes someone else's excitement and awe to make you see it differently. Thank you.
I can't believe that Oregon and Northern California were not on your list until now. They are both famous for their beauty. born in Northern California and raised in Oregon btw, so I gotta stick up for my Homeland. please visit and then please don't stay. Oregon has a famous border sign that reads "please enjoy your visit, but DO NOT STAY" lol... yeah that's how we feel.
Welcome! I am glad you two are enjoying my home state. There is lots to love and discover here. 😊
thank you very much
@@shaunvlog Absolutely! When you are around the Monterey area, there is a very small coastal town called Moss Landing, it is off highway 1 just a little north of Monterey, there is a resturant there which you two MUST try called Phil's Fish Market. It's an experience legendary among the locals, some of the best seafood you can enjoy in that area. :)
@@shaunvlog And when you get to Central California, that region is famous for a type of BBQ known as Santa Maria Tri-Tip. I recommend you check out Jocko's in Nipomo for an excellent example of it in a unique dining setup that also has excellent drinks. 😃
Welcome to America! You guys look GOOOOOD in California! Thank you for loving her. It touches my heart. She’s an amazing country and in our blood.
Happy Trails to you!
Born and spent almost my first 60 years in So California...
I was blessed to visit Scotland for two weeks in May 1999... Loved the Scottish people and their beautiful country...🏴❤️
Now, I am 76...and I live on a mountaintop (8,500 ft elevation) in Wyoming...❤️
As a 4th generation Californian it's great to see you two enjoying our state, the huge redwoods which defy description, the winding roads and the coast. So much to see. There's a redwood so big that you can drive a car through it. And my dad knows where the biggest of them are, out of the way, never cut. It took 12 of us to put our arms around one, huge ferns, moss, and flowering rhododendrons in the mist.
Pro tip, carry a staff or longish stick to keep the mountain lions and bear from coming too close. They're not dumb and know a human with a stick isn't worth the trouble. Haha We do that all the time. Never fails.
Enjoying watching your drive through the states. I lived a few years in the UK and I was stunned how fast I was able to drive from southern England to Scotland. Beautiful drive, I loved it, but it was over so quickly, so yeah, I get it, the distance thing is weird if your not used to it.
it's also what makes the US incredible and so diverse. It's like 50 average-sized countries
@@shaunvlog Exactly right! And the geography and the people really vary from state to state.🐝❤️🤗
"In the UK, 200 miles is a long way. In the US, 200 years is a long time."
@@lairdcummings9092 I love that old saying🐝❤️🤗
@@deborahdanhauer8525 And sometimes they vary from one region within states. There is a profound difference between Michigan's two peninsulas, and arguably Detroit is a creature unto itself.
Gorgeous forest...we have chipmunks hanging at our house all the time...they are fed well from our hand they are so cute. They seem to like our pool....we are in 🇨🇦....Ontario....
You guys are cute Teka is very pretty....glad to see her lovely face...thanks for sharing your life you guys.
You must go to the Sequoias while you’re in CA. They aren’t quite as tall but much bigger around. There are trees you drive through on the road.🐝❤️🤗
You can drive through some as well at the Redwood National Park.
@@Killswitch1411thanks! That’s good to know🐝❤️🤗
Right - and old! Some over 2000 years
@@philbarrows2431 yes! Those trees are amazing!🐝🤗❤️
Shaun, I love your child-like wonder and curiosity. Your excitement for everything is so much fun to watch. 😊
The bluest blue I've ever beheld has always been the vast Pacific as she laps along the wind swept rugged Coast of California. The journey down highway 101 is breathtaking. I grew up there.
I camped in a tent among the Redwoods in Jedediah Park about six years ago. I felt so calm and relaxed there. Really beautiful part of our country.
Hope you 2 are enjoying our beautiful country and people.
thank you Chuck
If you’re ever in SoCal, try driving along the coast in a convertible with the top down and watch the sunset over the water.
It's so nice to see you enjoying my home state! Don't miss Monterey, Carmel, and the Santa Barbara areas. They're all gorgeous too!
I just watched your video the other day from the Michael Barrymore show and then today..Seen you singing on your old channel.. It's really nice to see you all grown up, and still being entertaining and having fun doing it. Wishing you good health and God's safe Blessings Shaun!!!
Shaun it amazes me how comfortable you are driving on our roads on the right side. Like second nature. Glad you like CA.
I remember when I was a kid in the '60's, we took my visiting grandparents from Kansas to King's Canyon/Sequoia National Forest (central/Sierras CA) where we drove our car through a redwood tree. It was great.
THE SCOTTISH REDWOOD STORY
Sequoia giganteum (mountain): In August 1853, the first Sequoia giganteum redwoods seeds arrived in Europe and were received by Patrick Matthew, a 19th century landowner, pioneering orchard designer and social campaigner from the Carse of Gowrie, Perthshire in Scotland. Two of his sons were in California prospecting for gold and on seeing these majestic trees sent back some branches and cones from the Calaveras grove.
The accolade as to who received the first seeds was initially given to William Blob and John Veitch from Exeter by the Gardener's Chronicle on the 24th December 1853. Some thirteen years later the publication retracted their statement, recognising Patrick Matthew as being the first.
Sequoia sempervirens (coast): were brought to Russia in 1840 and from there to Britain in 1843. Theodore Hartweg, a collector for the Horticultural Society of London introduced seeds to Britain in 1846. The oldest two coast redwood trees in Britain are at Rossie Priory in Perthshire, and at Smeaton House, East Lothian and planted in 1845 and about 1844 respectively. Coast redwoods are the tallest organisms on earth, if allowed to grow the trees planted in Scotland may reach 300' or more in height given 2000+ years!
Metasequoia glyptostroboide (dawn): this redwood was discovered in the Hupeh Province of China in 1941, and Cambridge University Botanic Garden planted the first Dawn Redwood on British soil in 1949. It's name derives from 'metasequoia' meaning "like a sequoia" and "glyptostroboides", due to it's likeness to the Chinese swamp cypress: Glyptostrobus pensilis. It is the most endangered of all the redwoods.
www.scottishredwoodtrust.com/the-scottish-redwood-story
The Scottish Redwood Trust catalogues and campaigns to protect the existing redwoods Scotland,
over 4500 trees, and counting.
Our cultivation programme is creating a seed reserve for the first redwood cones to arrive in Scotland, the first to arrive in Europe. They were received and cultivated by 19th century landowner, Patrick Matthew in August 1853.
In California, these majestic trees are in danger of extinction due to climate change and development.
“It took more than three thousand years to make some of the trees in these western woods ... Through all the wonderful, eventful centuries since Christ's time - and long before that - God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand straining, levelling tempests and floods; but he cannot save them from fools.”
John Muir, Scottish-American, 'the father' of the American national parks.
In Scotland, climate change brings a warmer and wetter climate, the perfect location for redwoods to thrive.
www.scottishredwoodtrust.com/
They need a lot of rain, and to get really big they need a foggy cold-ocean coastal environment.
Most of the places where redwoods grow naturally have 40+ inches rain/year. Crescent City is the wettest part of California, 70 inches of rain a year i.e. a bit over 2 meters of rain per year.
Wow thanks for sharing - I had no idea we have redwoods but makes sense they would thrive here with the climate being ideal. Just not sure we get enough fog for the really big ones
@@shaunvlog I first heard of the Scottish Redwoods from BeautyCreep, Erin's, channel. In her hiking videos when to the Scottish redwoods a few times. What like about the Scottish redwoods is that they first come from my home state of California. There a connection between California and Scotland in many ways and one is through the redwoods.
@@shaunvlog The pictures on that website show some very healthy looking trees. Scotland might be a good climate for them.
I've seen examples of redwood trees planted in a climate they don't like (such as Los Angeles) they tend to look unhappy.
Those trees in Scotland look very happy.
@@amberhiggins6327 John Muir, famous early Californian conservationist, was a Scot. He wrote some lovely poetry too.
Hey, Shaun! I’m so glad you guys got to visit Jedidiah Smith Park! There’s no place like it in the world!
If you have time, I have some advice: resist the temptation to “save drive time” by driving through California’s Central Valley. Take the Highway 1 coastal route from San Francisco to Los Angeles. It’s one of the most spectacular coastal drives in the world!
Spend the morning or afternoon at the Monterrey Bay Aquarium. Continue south on Highway 1. I don’t know if you guys are the “go, go, go!” types, or occasionally like to linger, but the Big Sur coast is a lovely area to take your time. Look for the short turn off to Pfeiffer beach (it’s a beautiful cove) and hang out for awhile.
At the very least, plan on having lunch or dinner at the restaurant “Nepenthe”. The food is a little pricey but very good, and the view is spectacular. Request a table on the rear deck.
On your way south, it’s fun to stop at Hearst Castle for a tour of the main residence. If you don’t have time for my suggestions, you’ll just have to make a return visit!
This is all excellent advice.
The 5 will get you to LA quickly but it is a straight shot through hours of farmland, with a mid-trip highlight of smelly cows (Harris ranch).
The 1 takes 3-4 hours longer but the views are far superior.
Also if you're down by San Simeon, there is a beach there where you can look at the elephant seals.
Also there is somebody who keeps zebras, this is probably related to Hearst Castle.
Geez, and Central Cal even cooled off for him! Only 90s this week...
Though to be fair, if you've seen endless farmland, it does get dull. The Forestiere Underground Gardens in Fresno are worth seeing, you just have to make an appointment.
You passed trough my area of California. :-) I recognized Hwy 199, and all along 101. We have squirrels around here, too... Chipmunks are just smaller and cuter. I DO wish you'd gotten down as far as Eureka, on Humboldt Bay.... then further south through the Avenue of the Giants. But, you saw a LOT of the nice Redwoods, and the coast around Crescent City represents us nicely. But, you've bitten off a HUGE road trip, and you can't stop everywhere!
Very pleased you enjoyed the North Coast! I did have to laugh at you calling 299/Willow Creek "very high"... I just got back from a road trip through Colorado... I got altitude sickness when we were up over 11,000 feet (3352 Meters). I can TOTALLY recommend that road (Hwy 34 and Hwy 40 through northern Colorado) if you get over there... just not if you have asthma! There's no bloody air up there!
C'mon back to the Lost Coast (Oregon border to Mendocino) any time, Shaun!
The energy of Southern Oregon and Northern California is very different. I was born in the Redwoods and will return there someday if I'm lucky!
So happy you took this trip. I *love* trees and the Coastal Redwoods are my favorites!! 🥰
Scotsman: It is 7 hrs 46 min from Edinburgh to London.
American: Oooh, a short day trip! Cool!
When you are in dangerous animal country those little bells can warn the bears off, and if you carry bear pepper spray that will help. It's also helpful to be able to recognize things like bear scat to be able to know if they are in the area. Bear scat is chunky and the pile is good sized and often contains tiny little bells and smells peppery.
I'm so very glad you were able to see the prehistoric Redwood Trees. My old stomping grounds. They're awe inspiring. If you're in Redding now you could go a little north to Mt. Shasta, but if you're traveling south on Hwy 5 it will be pretty uneventful for hundreds of miles. Central California, all the way down is a largely agricultural area. It's worth the long trek down to see Lake Tahoe tho, you absolutely have to see Lake Tahoe! Safe Travels!
Confession. I've been married twice. My first wedding was in a small amphitheater clearing in the redwoods near San Francisco. There is no more impressive of a cathedral. Magical. Second and final wedding was traditional Navajo, performed a ways south of Gallup, New Mexico. Sparse, short Piñon Pine and Juniper semi-desert. Couldn't get more opposite. But those Redwood trees, I agree. There's no way to convey the feeling. Majestic! And they smell good, too. And with the cute chipmunks bonus! I'm so glad you spent some time there, even if it meant rolling into Redding at midnight. 👍🏻👍🏻
I'm so glad you got to see this so i can live vicariously. I've lived in the US all my life and not seen nearly as much as you have. I'd love to travel more but am not able to for several reasons. Thank you so much for showing these beautiful trees to me. This is has been on my bucket list for over 20 years. 😍😍😍
I lived in Crescent City for about 5 years. Sometimes, I used to drive to Jedediah State Park (which you went through), park at a cutoff, and do some reading. Your travel would have been easier if you spent the night in Eureka with its old quaint, fishing town feel with modern conveniences. From there, you can take highway 299 east. From Redding, if you continue on 299 east, you come across some of California's storybook landscape. Low population, but as you travel east, the alpine meets the arid desert, and you think you're traveling through the pages of some fantasy novel. Time stands still as you drive.
The exterior tongue and groove walls, window sills and window frame were used to build our mid 60’s era home, termites and ants won’t eat and bore holes through red wood.
California has a great deal of agriculture. The check at the boarder is not to bring in items from outside the state which could carry pests that can ruin crops by being introduced.
Lol is that a dinner bell for the bears 🐻 beautiful scenery ! Thank you for sharing 🧡
Produce is fruits and vegetables. The inspection is to keep out any produce that may contain invasive insects that could devastate California’s agriculture. Most of the produce consumed throughout America is from California.
Ah, Shaun. My wife and I came down that same road (Hwy 101) on the 5th after a 4th of July weekend on the Oregon coast cracking crabs and dune buggy racing. Too bad you were staying in Redding. South of Eureka off 101 is the "Avenue Of The Giants". A beautiful two lane along the Eel River through some of the biggest trees in the world. You mentioned having to drive "through" one of the trees to show scale. Well, there is a place to do just that along the Avenue. Hope you enjoy your trip through California. Safe travels.
ps - My Great Grandfather brought my Grand and all his siblings over from Glasgow just after WW1 and both my Great and Granddad graduated from Edinburgh (clan McKenzie, Grandma was a Gibb. My sister also married a Gibb [not a close relative]. Keeping it in the family, no?)
I have been anxiously awaiting your video of The Redwoods! They really are truly spectacular! So glad you took the time to stop and smell the forest❣😁
thank you Patti - such a great experience
Sometimes vinegar might work you should see Florida in September and May they got those love bugs out there and they make a mess on the car too I'm glad you guys are having a good time God bless
So nice to watch this video..lucky you two to have that experience..thanks for sharing. Enjoyed seeing your excitement😊🌳
It was so fun to watch "my neck of the woods" through your eyes. And - man - I can't imagine driving Hwy 299 for the first time in the dark. That is a hairy road in the daytime! As for the coolness of the beach, this is Northern California, man. All those beach scenes you see in movies are filmed in So Cal. Up here the temps are much cooler. And your comment about the area looking like Jurassic Park? I'm sure someone has told you by now that the 2nd JP movie, "Lost World," was filmed here. SO, yup. It does look like Jurassic Park here. I am so glad you were impressed with the place, and I am impressed you drove all the way over to Redding on that road after sundown! Someone should have warned you about that!
Thanks Joni, what made that drive over 299 even worse is that the Jeep I was driving had the worst headlights I’ve ever seen. Seriously, I may as well have been driving with my cell phone’s torch lol. That made for an interesting experience
Entire west coast (Washington/Oregon/California) has spectacular sites.. Old growth forests in all three states. Cascade range has lots of volcanos too, some active/some dormant...all interesting. Mt. St. Helens !
Thank you for showing Western Oregon as someplace besides cities or people (Steven Fry showed a short weirdo Crystal gazer thing that he could have filmed in any State!). The most you will see outside the cities is beautiful greenery and scenery!
Thats where they filmed star wars return of the jedi ewoks also willow creek was were the famous big foot video was shot. I grew up there. I live in Honolulu Hawaii now.
i heard about the big foot thing after and then really regret stopping at a random pullover at night for a wiz lol
@@shaunvlog 🤣
I love my homeland. Now you get just how big the US is. Its so diverse. I hope you enjoy your stay here
I moved to Cambodia from California 15 years ago, and the only thing I miss are the redwoods. I'm so glad you got to experience them!
Sorry I did not take the time to read all the comments.
Someone may have already offered this bit of wisdom.
One of the best ways to clean the dead bugs off your windshield can be found at most self serve gas stations.
Typically located near each fuel pump is a container of liquid with a long handled cleaning device soaking in it. One side is a sponge and the other is a squeegee.
Swipe with the sponge until the bugs are gone.
Squeegee the windshield dry after that.
Now your windshield is clean.
It’s interesting to hear your reactions to different areas. The bear bells are worn with cover off to alert bears of your presence but bear spray might offer better actual protection. Even though I am from the west coast you are write in your feeling about prehistoric look of the Redwoods, they are an amazing tree on so many levels.
Yes, I was thinking bear spray & he pops up that bear bell. What?
Don’t get between a mother bear and her cubs. Don’t run, that makes you “interesting”.
The Bear Bell by any other name would be…”The Dinner Bell!”
@@Ou81gi812 In Montana a Rifle shot during hunting season is the dinner call! Animals evolving!
I love your enthusiasm for Cali. Lots of time on that sign!
Welcome to California! It’s my home state. I was born here but my ancestors are from Scotland (James the IV is my 13th great grandfather). The redwoods are amazing but if you come further south Sequoia National Park will BLOW YOU AWAY! Also there is Yosemite and Kings Canyon national parks. Enjoy your time here 👍🏼
I am loving watching you guys drive through the Redwoods. This is where I live. They call it God's country. I love the quiet in the redwoods. Lots of beautiful parks with walking trails scattered around Northern California 😀
ahh thank you Cynthia - you live in a beautiful place
So do you Shaun!
I drove that same route a few years ago. Arcata Over the coast range Willow Creek Weaverville on in to Redding. It is a long slog but some of the prettiest scenery in the world. Glad you enjoyed seeing some more of our country.
I've only been on 2 very short trips to California, but was fortunate to see the Redwoods. Incredible! Thoroughly enjoying all of your adventures in America.
So happy for you Shaun, but a dream come true for me would be to go to Scotland!❤️✨
Mine too. So hubby and I took a trip to Edinburgh. Then drove down the coast to England. Spent the night in Birmingham. I love Scotland. Castles everywhere. So romantic
@@christinefox9075 Ah Christine how wonderful! I have recently found out that I have more Scottish ancestors on my Dad’s side so now I really really want to go!😄❤️
Yes, there are redwood forests in numerous locations in California. Redwood City on the Bay Area Peninsula supplied lumber that built San Francisco in the 1800s. That is why they built a port, where it was barged up the SF Bay. I lived in RWC in the 1980s and the old barges were still there. There are still stands of these trees in the mountains above RWC.
Shaun: It would be great if you could show a map at the beginning of each "USA travel" video of the state(s) you are in, and highlighting the route that you drove that day, and labeling the stops you made. This would be very helpful to give non-Americans a sense of scale that you "drove all day" and are still only in northern California! People who are not from the US or Canada have no idea of the size of our countries!
Shaun, glad you enjoyed your trip to our state!
Our biggest tip to travelers is that California is several states packed into one. There is Southern California Coast, best known for the beaches and warm weather. Desert inland with spectacular formations and crazy plant and animal life. Sierra mountains, featuring the Giant Sequoias. Lake Tahoe, worth a trip by itself. The Central Valley and it's abundant agriculture. The Coast Ranges, north featuring the Coast Redwoods, Central featuring lovely oak woodlands. The Cascades, with Mt.Lassen dormant volcano. The cities, Los Angeles area, and San Francisco Bay area, two different worlds. We've literally spent our whole lives here, 60 plus years now, and we feel like we've barely touched it.
The suggestion to travelers is, don't try to see it all at once. You'll just spend endless days in the car, speeding past everything, not having time to really enjoy it. Pick and area of maybe 150-200 miles and stay for a few days before moving on. Down in the comments people noted things you weren't able to see. Yosemite alone is worth a week. San Francisco you can skim in a couple weeks, or take a year to get some depth.
You can skip our house, we'll give you a pass on that. But if you do show up, there's a chair on the porch, and the hummingbirds will entertain you.
It’s gorgeous up there. I think it’s time to plan another trip. Thanks for sharing. Whoa the drive dude! 😳
I’m enjoying this serie about your USA road-trip so much!! And I LOVE all your content about Scotland as well! ❤️
Big hugs to you and Teca from Switzerland!!
Shaun glad you came to California....as someone who has been to Scotland, we both have incredible landscapes!
Shaun..... time hoss make some time to see and enjoy this big beautiful country!!
Ya can't hurry thru her!! Ya gotta relax and see the little things too! Hope ya get to see the big trees in Sequoia!!
You need to see Kings Canyon or Sequoia National forest if you want to see the biggest trees. The General Sherman tree is the biggest with a 17.5 foot (5.3 meters) diameter at the base. It’s truly breathtaking!
When you get home, you should check out the redwoods you have in Scotland. They're not very big for redwoods, since they're only a bit over a century old, but they're very big compared to your native trees.
RainX with Bug remover works well for bugs. Gas stations all have squeegees for cleaning your windows for free when you re filling up your tank.
Thank you. That was gorgeous! Enjoy your trip.
I'm excited to see how much you are enjoying my home state! I would be equally excited to be in your home country!
I used to live in Redding and Eureka. I now live in Portland, so you're hitting all my spots! I ALSO used to live in Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles, sigh. I move too much... Oh yeah, Indiana, Florida, maybe some I've forgotten! Love the Redwoods!
I love that drive. I used to do it several times a year when my daughter was in college down there.
For really beautiful scenery and really large redwood trees, you should have visited Yosemite and/or Seqouia national parks. Something you will remember for the rest of your lives.
It was most likely a yellow-cheeked chipmunk. They’re pretty common in the northern coastal forests.
I hope you also had someone point out poison oak to you so that you could avoid getting any on you.
Mountain lion is probably more of a concern in northern Cali.
or... big foot
@@shaunvlog And his cousin little foot……😘🤣🤣
The North Coast is amazing and beautiful! Love it up there. So sorry to see you spent the night in Redding. I would’ve recommended you two to have driven down Highway 1 to SF, but that is a VERY long drive but so beautiful! Enjoy our amazing State!
It's interesting to think how many animals we have in the US that aren't in other places like chipmunks. I see them every day. The little buggers are all over my yard and I have one that loves to sit on my front step and bark at everything. I see wild turkeys a lot too. Not as often, but I've seen white eagles, porcupines, skunks, various snakes (not poisonous), raccoons, opossums, deer, moose, black bears, and probably several other things I can't remember at the moment. Thankfully I have not come across any bobcats or fisher cats. Have you seen any lightning bugs (aka fireflies)? I still love to see them as an adult. I only see them in the summer when the weather is warm.
I am so delighted to see you in the redwoods! I LIVED in one of those amazing places for 2017-2020 above Santa Cruz - on a river creek, in the middle of the forest, a State park at the end of my driveway. It was the most profound experience I've ever had. Those trees changed me. I swear they talk - and omg during big storms they SWAY in the wind... so many stories from there. OH! Yeah - and spiders. Spiders the size of crabs. OMG. and there ARE cats and skunks and racoons and bears - just sayin. They were our daily battle but our daily friends. Freakin amazing. Love that you loved it.
The Sequoia National park has a tunnel made of the tree. Oh I loved lake Shasta. Many, many years ago.
I’ve heard of the Red Wood trees, but I never knew that they were that big. Magnificent.
Some almost 400' tall
You know the Ewok scenes in Star Wars? Filmed in the Redwoods State Forest.
Welcome to California! There are so many things to see and do. I know you won't be able to see and do everything while you're here, but hope you enjoy your experience. Summers here can be hot so make sure you get the sunblock
California really is a beautiful state. There is so much to see here. I live 2 hours or less from the ocean surf, the snowy mountains, Los Angeles, Mexico, the Mojave desert, Death Valley, and only 4 hours from Las Vegas. 🤘
I hope you are going to the Calaveras National Park. The Sequoia Redwoods are like nothing you have ever seen! They are as tall as the coastal redwoods, but much bigger around. Really worth the drive to the foothills!
I am so happy that you made a stop to Jedediah Smith Campground!! We have our favorite camping spot there that is right on the river .....simply beautiful spot, yes?! People always ask me if the giant redwoods are really big, and unless you have actually seen them for yourself, you simply cannot fathom how massive they are.....truly magnificent. You are in my home now!! Redding is only 45 minutes from me and is one of our "sister" communities here in "true" Northern California!
I wish you had visited Avenue of the Giants south of Eureka. I lived there for 15 years and I miss it so much. Happy you enjoyed the redwoods. They are amazing.
Hwy 299 from Redding to the Coast - in the dark! I salute you. That is a tough road to do at night, especially if you aren't used to those sorts of roads. You truly had a long day's drive.
I'm glad that you got to see as much as you did.
Indeed - what made it worse is that the Wrangler has the most awful and useless headlights on any car I’ve ever driven. Plus it wallows haplessly around bends 😅
@@shaunvlog Yeah, road holding and Jeep Wrangler a just not two words often spoken in the same sentence - and unless something has changed since the last time I was there - that is a dark, empty stretch of mountain road. Knowing about where you were, when I heard you say early in the clip that you were planning on ending the day at Redding... I was a little concerned.
Ohh you drove right past my house. Glad you had fun in my part of the world.