We begin our California series in Crescent City, CA.

Crescent City was founded in 1854. This was about 35 years after Europeans began frequenting the area after it's discovery by Jedidiah Smith. Jedidiah was the first European American to reach the area, overland, on foot. It seems fitting that now, there is now a State Park and a grove of Redwood trees named in his honor that provides some excellent hiking. Hiking through the redwoods is a surreal experience, you seem to forget how big they are as you walk, then you look up at random times and you get to experience the wonder all over again. I highly recommend taking the time to get out and walk. The forest is more alive than any other experienced. There is an strong musk of rich dirt that permeates the air. Mist rises from the ground and creates a concert like effect as you walk. Your boots swirling the mist into patterns that dance around your feet. The tall trees filter the sunlight into focused beams that shine through the canopy and highlight areas in an ethereal like light. You may hear bird noise in the distance but by and large, the only noise you will hear is your own breathing and the silky whispers of the leaves as the wind caresses.

Crescent City is a coastal town with a large harbor area that supports the commercial salmon, trout and dungeoness crab markets. In 1855 the U.S Congress authorized the building of a lighthouse at "the battery point" (a high tide island on the coast of Crescent City) which is still functioning and stands today. A notable landscape marker and a beautiful site to see as the sun sets. The light house with an amazing sunset behind it is a Kodak Moment for the record books! During low tide, you can walk across a tidal road to the light house to explore the grounds. Be sure to head back before the tide comes in or you'll be stuck!

The Army Corp of Engineers also did some work in and around Crescent City, building a large break water to protect the harbor. They used an existing huge rock formation in the harbor for material, blasting it to make rock from which to create the breakwater. A Coast Guard station, USCGC Dorado, now stands in the leeward area of the rock left from the blasting.

South Beach - We happened upon this place while taking a Sunday drive. It is a curving, crescent-shaped beach that gives Crescent City its name. The beach is popular with surfers, families and nature lovers alike. Sand dollar hunting is also a popular pastime, only take the dead ones!

Endert"s Beach and Vista Point (Crescent Beach Overlook) - This beautiful spot is located south of Crescent City. Endert's Beach is a well-kept secret often missed by tourists. The view looks out toward the Crescent City Harbor, offering a panoramic view of the town that's ideal. During the whale migration this is a great place for spotting and photographing the whales as they proceed south during the winter months.

Crescent City also offers a WalMart, this is normally not a notable item but given this is the only one for many, many miles in any direction, we felt it worthy of a note.

Infamous though it is, Crescent City, CA is also know for being the site of a tsunami that hit the coastal U.S. Parts of the city were evacuated on 11 March 2011 when a tsunami wave generated by an earthquake in Japan struck the small coastal community. The highest tsunami waves from the earthquake hit northern California and southern Oregon, with a wave height of 8.1 feet observed at Crescent City, CA, 8.6 feet at Port San Luis, CA, 8.7 feet at Arena Cove, CA, and 6.1 feet at Port Orford, OR. The tsunami swept four photographers out to sea in the Crescent City harbor, injuring three of them and leaving one missing. Extensive damage was done to the harbor and 35 boats. The harbor area suffered severe damage as the 8 foot waves pushed through smashing everything in their path. A Coast Guard helicopter captured this dramatic video of the event:

Crescent City is also involved in a story from World War II, an excerpt, 'SS Emidio was a 6912-ton tanker of the General Petroleum Corporation (later Mobil Oil), which became the first casualty of the Imperial Japanese Navy's submarine force action on California's Pacific Coast. Emidio was sailing in ballast from Seattle, Washington en route to San Pedro, California. The Japanese submarine I-17 found Emidio off Cape Mendocino on the early afternoon of 20 December 1941 and hit the tanker with five shells from its 14-cm deck gun. Five crewmen were killed and the remainder reached Blunts Reef lightship in lifeboats. A Catalina flying boat of 44 Patrol Squadron attacked I-17 with depth charges, but the submarine dove and escaped.[1] The abandoned tanker drifted north and broke up on the rocks off Crescent City. The bow drifted into the harbor, where it lay until salvaged in 1950. The remains of the hull are still in the harbor, near a commemorative plaque. The site has been declared a California Historical Landmark #497'

Crescent City is a small town of about 8000 people or so. It is in a somewhat hard to reach area as it is many miles to a larger City. The folks here seem to like that and take pride in their independence. Being able to take care of yourself is after all a landmark of the West. Crescent City folk seem to take that to heart and do it well.