Adjacent to the Trees of Mystery roadside attraction in Klamath, California, there is the most incredible display of Native North American artifacts in a gorgeous little museum simply called "The Collection."

As I mentioned in my last post, other than the Heard Museum in Phoenix, this has to be my favorite and possibly the most beautiful collection of Native American Artifacts that I have found in my travels so far.

Colorful Kachinas, clay pots, baskets, rugs, maps, intricately cut and stitched clothing, a vast array of fishing gear, totems and superstitious tokens, feathers, furry skins and polished hides, weapons, ingenious fire and food making artifacts, jewelry and so much more. It was well laid out and covered the more familiar work of the Apache and Navajo tribes in the south, to local Klamath tribes such as the Modoc, to tribes spanning across the whole of America including the Dakotas, Sioux and Seminole.

Marylee Thompson Smith was the main collector and benefactor of this unexpected find. She said these words when the little museum opened on March 10, 1968:

The museum was a treasure trove of the art of the First Americans. You could feel their history, heart and soul, through their hands and their handiwork. Truly, sadly, a lost art.

​It reminded me of these lines from Keats' "Ozymandias:"

Seeing the Redwoods and the history of logging that took down 80% of the majestic giants, followed by the tour of this museum, by the end of the day I was reeling from a feeling of loss regarding nature, art and humanity itself.

We had passed by The Trees Of Mystery, just outside Klamath in the far north of California, on our way up Highway 101 to get to Crescent City. You could not miss the giant fibreglass statues of Paul Bunyan and his beloved pet, Babe the Blue Ox standing in the well manicured gardens of the car park to this roadside attraction.
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We were excited to visit. When we arrived, we took our time walking around the huge statues and acquainting ourselves with the story of Paul Bunyan, the famed giant, plaid-jacketed, big booted, lumbering lumberjack of North American folklore, and his pet Blue Ox, Babe.

It was fitting that Paul Bunyan and Babe stood there welcoming us to the Trees of Mystery as the history and traditions of logging and particularly the carving of large hunks of wood into works of art was told as we walked along the interpretative trails.

I was actually familiar with Paul Bunyan. In the movie Fargo, a carved, rugged statue of him is glimpsed covered in snow as the murderers pass through the North Dakota town in the dead of winter. In fact I can't think of Paul Bunyan without also thinking of one of my absolute favorite actresses, Frances McDormand, in her Oscar winning role as Marge Gunderson in the movie.

You betcha!

I am also familiar with the iconic "Muffler Men" molded out of fiberglass, inspired by Paul Bunyan, that stand in gas station forecourts along my beloved Route 66 and other slightly decrepit byways in North America. Originally, the first 'Muffler Man" was created to carry an axe, appropriate for Paul Bunyan, but later the axe was replaced with the giant fiberglass man holding a muffler, tire, huge wrench or some other car related object as an advertisement to draw customers off the road to take a break from their journey, stop for some food and for some car maintenance. You can read more about the "Muffler Men" in my Route 66 photographic journey through Arizona.  You may need to scroll down until you arrive at the Flagstaff photos and the pics of the giant men. Check it out here.

Once upon a time the original folk tales Of Paul Bunyan began with American loggers sharing exaggerated stories around cosy campfires of a giant axman who could fell tall trees with a single chop. Their tales became embedded in to local lore, bringing awe and appreciation to the hard logging work they did across America, with their own sweat, spit and bare hands.

The loggers' stories of Paul Bunyan, strong and handsome with a chiseled jawline, over seven feet tall, with a stride of seven feet in length, striding across the plains, through the forests, doing the work of many were passed down, mouth to mouth, in the honored tradition of folk tales. According to their stories Paul Bunyan carved the Grand Canyon with his axe, created the Great Lakes as a personal drinking bowl for Babe, and if you keep a careful watch, you might be lucky enough to see Paul Bunyan riding Babe like a cowboy. Oh yeah!

At 49 feet high, the statue of Paul Bunyan at the Trees of Mystery is the tallest statue of the folklore hero in America. The stuff of legends! 

We made our way to the trails and spent a happy day meandering through the wide variety of trees, almost like a tree exhibition, crowded together for our enjoyment. One of my favorites was the ancient giant Redwood named the Brotherhood Tree.  It is one of the largest and oldest living things on the planet. It was named in hope for the brotherhood of man. It is over 2000 years old, 19 feet in diameter, 60 feet in circumference and 297 feet tall. Wow! We were awestruck standing next to a living entity that had been growing for much of recorded human history. We also enjoyed the Candelabra Tree, Elephant Tree and Cathedral Tree. 

Henry spotted Bigfoot, banana slugs and a giant mosquito.

I loved the "I love you" sign.

We had enormous fun bouncing our way along the 100 feet high aerial netted suspension bridges and platforms in the canopy of the Redwoods.  Of course Henry and Kim jumped as high and hard as they could (as if they were in a lift!) on the ropey bridges to make us all jiggle and giggle. Even the kids were laughing at us! Fun!

Henry grabbed my phone and took these lovely, flattering shots. Anyone else have a family member who takes daft pics?

Next we headed for the Skytrail where we took a gondola up the forested hillside, about 1/3 of a mile and 1,570 feet up, through the tallest of trees with a spectacular view at the top where you could see the Pacific Ocean glinting in the distance and incredible views of the Klamath River and back country. At the summit there was an observation deck called Ted's Ridge, where we took in the panoramic vistas.

We finished the day touring the most amazing Native North American Museum. After the Heard Museum in Phoenix, this has to be my favorite museum of tribal artifacts. It was truly incredible. More about the museum in my next blog post.

​This was a memorable day and once again, the trees were the stars.

Kim and I set off together, just the two of us, on a "Date Day" to explore the Northern California coast line and take advantage of the sunshine, blue skies and crisp, cool air. Henry opted to stay home, have a long lie in, connect with friends and play video games. An all around win-win.

We set off on the US101 heading south and almost immediately found ourselves driving through the giant Redwoods that were standing to attention and affectionately hugging the road. We stopped at Wilson Creek and spent some time just basking in the autumn sunshine watching the brown pelicans bobbing about on the breaking waves. We walked the beach, combing the shoreline for treasures. In the misty distance we could see some sea stacks hanging out, close to land, but enjoying their salty solitude. It was such a beautiful morning.