Lady Bird Johnson Grove Redwood National Park

“Where flowers bloom, so does hope.”   –Lady Bird Johnson

June 23, 2017

After visits to Fern Canyon and Trillium Falls, there is some time left in the day.  On a whim, I turn back up Bald Hills Road, the access route to the Tall Trees Grove that I visited two days ago.

At that time, I passed by a nice tall foxglove plant without stopping; but another such photo-op failed to present itself later.  Perhaps I can relocate the one I saw previously and pay it homage.  Five miles up the road, my flower does appear right where I left it:

This Foxglove is worthy of the search

Right beside this plant are more gorgeous varieties  Earlier, I did not see any of what are now thousands or roadside lilies; they actually must have sprouted just in the last two days.

Columbia Lily
Red Clintonia

As long as I am here, I might as well stop and check out some more redwoods.

The best thing Tricky Dick ever did

Because the grove is across the highway from the parking lot, a nice overpass has been provided to keep visitors off the street.

Entrance to the grove

Thimbleberry
Dwarf Rose

Colorful bark
I wonder what he's chasing

This one isn't on any trail

At a nice alcove is the anticipated memorial plaque:

This remarkable woman is deserving of every accolade

Western Wood Anemone
Nice leaf

Within a few dozen yards of the end of the loop trail, a last-moment discovery makes my day.  Having given up hope of getting a good photograph after seeing all the dead pink petals lying around, I encounter several bushes that have not yet given up the ghost:

A live Rhododendron!

§: What a serendipitous outing!  This grove is small and relatively unremarkable, but I added four new flowers to my archive as well as scoring my best-ever foxglove photograph.  Where flowers bloom, so does hope!

Scenery
Difficulty
Flowers
Solitude