Skunk Train

On our second day in Pt. Arena, we drove the 45 miles to Ft. Bragg for a 5-hour ride on the Skunk Train* ("You can smell them before you can see them." - at least that was true for the original gas engines; the current diesel engines are more olfactory-friendly.)Just a few miles outside town, we were deep into a 60-year-old redwood forest, home to a few hardy souls whose only way back to town is flagging down the train and jumping on board. There are no roads in this area, so everything and everybody is brought in - and out - by rail. We stopped once to pick up passengers on our way to a tri-tip & chicken dinner under the trees in Willits that was at least partially cooked on a whole row of these antique US Army-issue cast-iron stoves that had to have been brought up by train and then man-handled into position. I was pretty impressed with the quality of food they produced, until I saw the very modern bbq grills the cooks were actually using to cook the meat.

An open observation car provided lots of opportunity for picture-taking, while a local guide provided commentary on the history of the area, the train and redwood logging. All in all, a very peaceful way to spend an afternoon.
*We also found the local knit shop, where Carolyn and I happily spent an hour or so; and a local bakery that had the best pies and cobbler - including Gualala (pronounced a-LA-la) berry that was outstanding.