We picked our way through Ashland, OR and Grants Pass, OR as we headed back south toward the California redwoods.  The reconnaissance that we received from the gal at the Mt. Shasta Visitor Center was instrumental, and spot-on, as we skidded into the campground at Jedediah Smith State Park.  This site would serve as our springboard for a few days exploring the area’s many groves of redwoods.  I should also mention that I never would have known about this area had it not been for Jason Wilde, our financial planner at Northwestern in Boise.  Jason visited the area with his family previously, and indicated it was definitely the highlight of his trip.  Without question, we concur, so thanks again for the reference, Jason.What a cool spot and what a great place to put things in perspective as to how “small” we all really are.  Much like the glaciers of BC that we stood on previously in our journey, the redwoods have a way of making one feel like a tiny little molecule in the great world we all live in, and I mean that in a very good way.  When one stands next to a tree that is 300 feet tall, 24 feet in diameter, and 1,500 years old, it sort of puts things in perspective.  The next time that I think that the world ought to revolve around me, I will pay another visit to the redwoods to bring me back down to earth.  It’s that humbling.  Anyway, I am not here to be philosophical, or to make myself get weepy-eyed, so I will get back to the meat and potatoes.  The redwood groves are aplenty in this area, and the campground is a great way to see them all.  Perhaps the most impressive grove is one that is within walking distance of the campground called Stout Grove.Another great grove is the Simpson-Reed Trail, only about a mile from the entrance to the campground.  We also did the 90-minute drive south to visit the many groves inside the Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, and that too was well worth the price of admission (free!).  The weather got a little rainy on us, which ought not be surprising considering we were in coastal rainforests.  But the weather inside these rainforests is exactly the weather that these giant trees need to flourish and maintain their health.  We did several hikes in and around these groves, and managed to dodge the weather under their impressive canopies. We drove through the nearby town of Crescent City, CA, and managed to stop for a couple pints of beer and a split homemade reuben sandwich at Port O’ Pints, appropriately named.  I should also mention that the beautiful Smith River flows right through the campground, and it was only a short 3-minute walk from our site.  Normally, the river is teaming with big, dumb steelhead trout that even rookie steelheaders can catch, but as luck would have it, the fish had not yet entered the river at the time that we were there.   My day of redemption will come from the Fish Gods at some point, but it apparently won’t be coming from the Smith River.  Patience is a virtue…Maryjo seems to have it, but I definitely do not!  I know that’s shocking to many of you.Anyway, we very much enjoyed our stay in the Jedediah Smith area, and we would definitely return someday.  The redwoods in the area are every bit as beautiful as the sequoias of Yosemite, but they are much easier to access and  clearly more plentiful than the sequoias.  If you are ever in the Crescent City area, please make it a priority to see these wonderful trees for a huge helping of perspective.  As they say, it’s all relative.  Cheers to these towering giants!