From the Vineyards to the Redwoods

Day 10 - Tuesday, June 25th

We woke up this morning to a beautiful sunrise run around the vineyard.

I love it here!  My run was wet, muddy, and wonderful! We met Uncle Bert at 7:00 in the main house for coffee, then were off to a local diner that actually had Mickey Mouse Pancakes on the kids menu!

After out yummy breakfast, we walked around the town square a bit where they had a giant Redwood planted in 1925.

We then took a driving tour around the vineyard.  He supplies all the reds to Clois du Bois.

After our tour, we have our hugs and had to drive north.  We absolutely loved our visit to Healdsburg and promised to come back next time without the boys so we could hit the wineries.

We drove straight up 101 to the Redwoods National Park.  I've never driven this highway, and I highly recommend it.  It's amazing how within 5 miles the beautiful vineyards turn to Forrest and tall trees.  We took a bypass on our drive to "the Road Side Drive Through Tree"

It was a very tight fit with our minivan and bikes, but we made it through!

These Redwood trees are mesmerizing!!!

After our stop at the drive through tree, we made it a few more miles up the 101 to Confusion Hill.  Can you see how giant these trees are compared to the boys down at the swing set?!?!?!  Amazing!  

By this time, the boys had driven over 800 miles in two days.  These aren't Texas miles either.....we had driven well over 18 hours in two days, and Confusion Hill was perfect for our weariness.

We played a little longer in the show house and took a few more pictures.

Unfortunately, the mountain train ride was closed because of the rain, but we still were able to see some of the other treasures here like "Twin Towers" dedicated on the first anniversary of 9/11/2002.

After playing a little longer....

We headed north on the 101 for groceries in Eureka and our cabin in the Redwood National Park.  We were amazed with the crazy amounts of homeless people on the streets of Eureka, and not 50 year old, strung out, dirty hippies like in San Diego, but 20 something kids that were in their parents house no less than 5 years ago.  Crazy?!?!  It makes me angry to see these kids hitch hiking on the streets.  Really?!?!!!  Go home, go to school, or get a job.  I think that mental illness is a very serious epidemic in this country, so the San Diego homeless make me sad, but these kids just make me mad....off my soapbox.

Within 45 minutes, we arrived at the Elk Meadow Cabins!!!

6 beautiful cabins a half a mile from Lady Bird Johnson Grove.

We cooked dinner and within the hour the firepit had been lit by the other families, and we all came outside for s'mores!  Yum!!!  

We played and rode our bikes around the cabins for a while, now were off to sleep with sounds of birds and elk!  Tomorrow, a morning run in the Redwood National Park Trail!

Day 11 - Wednesday, June 26th

Well, we have zero Internet and zero cell phone service, so this is going to be a LONG blog....sorry about that.  Feel free to skim if you're bored.

We woke to a quiet sunrise here in the Redwoods.  As soon as the boys woke up, we loaded up on breakfast and set off to find some Roosevelt Elk.

We then headed off to Lady Bird Johnson Grove for our first hike.  It did not disappoint at all!  Utterly amazing!!!

And we're off on our 1.5 mile hike!

These incredible trees are awe inspiring.  Pictures just don't do them justice.

It's very sad to see things like this where the giants were marked to be cut down.

I don't understand why the loggers would take the giants out.  You'll see a few pictures later in the blog just how severe it was.  I'm so thankful people stepped in to save these amazing creatures because they clearly would have all been lost.

I wish I could just upload every picture, so amazing!!

Cole got a little whiney and Carson was asleep on Curtis's shoulder by the end of the hike, so 1.5 miles was a bit much for our boys.  After the hike, we took a scenic drive up Newton B Drury Parkway, then returned later for a short hike to "The Big Tree".

We hiked a little more and the boys decided it was a good idea to have a screaming match....lovely....they look so cute in the pictures, but you can't see the steam coming out of our ears.

We returned to the cabin for dinner and more s'mores.  Curtis and I tried to make the fire this time....failure...we need to work on our fire skills if want to keep up this awesome camping thing.

Luckily, another family in the cabins had an Eagle Scout, and he got the fire going in two snaps.

We ate our yummy s'mores and were off to bed.  BTW, if you ever visit the Redwoods, I highly recommend staying at the Elk Meadow Cabins.  The beds are extremely comfortable, the location is a quarter mile hike from the park, and the Roosevelt Elk graze on the property!

Day 12 - Thursday, June 27th

Curtis and I woke early just in time to see the Roosevelt Elk 10 feet off our back deck!

We sat and watched the elk graze for about an hour....such beautiful creatures.  After they passed by I set off for a run. I left my phone in the cabin for Curtis to use, so my psyche started freaking out.  The original plan was to run 7 miles total to Ladybird Johnson Grove, but with the thoughts of all the creepy homeless people and no phone I decided to do a mini 3 mile speed work session around the cabins....not ideal, but safe nonetheless.  After my little run, the boys woke up, and we hung around the cabin while Curtis had to take.  Care of some work stuff in the town.  Until today it has been drizzling nonstop since we left San Diego.  We didn't mind it one bit.  The boys loved playing in all the puddles, but they had been growing a little weary of being wet all the time.  Well, by the time the boys woke, the fog had lifted and there was not a cloud in the sky!!!!!  Yay!!!!  

We put on our swimsuits, us screened up, and headed to Fern Canyon in the State Park.  Along the potholy dirt road, you could truly see how tragic the loss of the giants had become.

There were rows and rows of stumps all the way up the windy dirt road.

It just makes my heart weep, so so sad.  Now I understand the true meaning of a tree hugger.  Don't get me wrong, logging is important, but I just don't understand with the abundance of trees why they would take out the giants.

About 45 minutes up the windy road, we arrived to Fern Canyon.  It was a little hike through some streams to get out to the ocean.

Curtis was warned of the extreme waves, boy were they right!!!

We set down out things and started making a sand castle.

The sand was almost like play sand, and didn't get hot at all, but it looked like salt and pepper almost.

We played and played, but didn't let the boys go near the water....

Until....the giant crashing waves came in and drenched all our things....with the big surf, I was worried about the boys.  I had never in my life seen waves like this.  One could easily drown and get washed our to see.  Curtis picked up Carson, and literally threw Cole into the air and at least 5 feet up shore.  It was so scary.  Carson was in tears scared to death and was done.  Poor thing, I don't know if he'll ever go near the ocean again.  

Thankfully we were safe, but all our things were drenched....including my iPhone.  I spent the car ride back down the unpacked road picking sand out of the port.  Thankfully, it's still working...for now....yes, this is a picture of the road...there were streams going across it, too.  We were lucky our mini made it across!

One more picture of the cutting just to get my sad point across.

We arrived back home, and the elk had made it back to the front of our cabins.

Curtis set off for a bike ride up to Lost Creek.  He returned about an hour later, and then it was my turn!

This trail was a quarter mile down the road from our cabin.  It was incredible!!!

I could have ridden for hours and hours exploring the silent rainforest!

I biked 4 miles up the hill and out to Lost Creek, then turned back to help make supper.

It was the most incredible trail I've ever taken.  So beautiful!!!

We cooked salmon and mini sweet peppers on the grill with avocado and salad for dinner, roasted s'mores, bathed the boys, and were off to bed.  This trip to the Redwoods State and National Parks was totally worth the 2500 miles it took to get here.  

Tomorrow, we drive the 101 up the Oregon coast to Eugene to see the family!  I've missed them so much, and the boys are ecstatic to see Grandma and Great Grandpa!!!!