Deep within the lush and legendary Redwood Forest lies one of California's most iconic landmarks: the quirky and larger-than-life spectacle known as the 'Trees of Mystery' exhibit in Klamath. But let's be real, nobody really comes here for the ‘Mystery’; the real stars of the show are the giant wooden statues of none other than Paul Bunyan and his faithful blue ox, Babe.
Icons of both our great golden state— which seems to have a very unnatural obsession with the big man and his very big hands— and the forest itself, Pauly B and Babe have been greeting visitors, scaring small children, scaring adults, scaring old people, and confusing tourists for 50+ years. Sign me up!
But to fully understand the complexity of this dynamic duo, you'll need to embrace the aura of their unique surroundings: the magnificent Redwood Forest of Northern CA. Clear air, minimal cell phone service, and those epic, legendary trees— this is lumberjack territory, and seeing these two in all of their wooden glory puts everything into perspective.
They're adorable. Buddies forever, best friends till the end, homies 4 life. There's a shared love and respect for each other that no cold-hearted human will ever understand.
However, every good relationship needs an alpha, and Paul, with his mighty axe, badass overalls, burly chest and beard that screams “I do crossfit!”, is clearly the bigger attraction here.
He reigns supreme over the parking lot with the confidence of an A-list Hollywood superstar, radiating the sort of energy that only a 30+ foot wooden statue could produce. That cocky smile and unkempt plaid shirt screams: "This is my turf! This is Bunyon Country. I put you on the map. I fill the seats and I get your mortgages paid. Obey."
However, I wouldn't count out Babe. He also holds her own in these parts.
Stoic and very much blue, as advertised, Babe is comfortable being Robin to Paul's Batman.
And yes, he has balls. Giant wooden balls. Enormous balls that are bigger than your balls, even if you have big balls. And think about this for a second— somebody spent years painfully carving this mighty steed, so a nice chunk of that time went into carving those balls. A solid way to make a living.
Truly, Babe and Paul are two peas in a pod, and I think Hollywood owes them some kind of a buddy cop movie (a '48 hours' reboot, perhaps? Maybe toss Danny Devito in there for good measure?). There's a real bromance going on here.
And just when you thought the Paul/Babe combo were the only draw, you'll quickly realize the real method behind the madness here— to hawk pricey redwood forest swag from the gift shop. It's not surprising but definitely worth noting.
That's right, Babe and Paul are like the wooden versions of celebrity influencers, strategically positioned to lure tourists into parting with their hard-earned dollars for life's really important necessities: Bigfoot statues, forest postcards, and tiny replicas of trees. I mean, who wouldn't want a miniature Paul Bunyan and Babe to adorn their mantelpiece, right? It's the ultimate conversation starter at dinner parties— "Oh, those? They're just my homage to the forest's dynamic duo. NBD."
So, while you may come for the awe-inspiring redwoods and the whimsical charm of Paul and Babe, just remember to bring your wallet along for the ride. After all, even giants need to pay the bills, and nothing says "I survived the Redwood Forest" like a Bigfoot keychain and a postcard featuring Paul and Babe posing majestically amidst the towering trees.
