The fourth leg of our journey takes us into Oregon and driving down into Northern California to tick off one of Kristi’s bucket list items that her Dad loved, to visit the Redwoods in the Northern tip of California, about ten miles south on Highway 101 from the Oregon state line. Shown here at Crescent City.

If you do nothing else on this blog click the link at the bottom to view the amazing picture gallery.

 

Our home in the Redwoods thanks to Airbnb was questionable only to me when we arrived but within 30 seconds I fell in love with it. Kristi found it online and told me we were staying in a two bedroom trailer in the redwoods. Mmmm I thought. How wrong was I? The cuteness and quirkiness were right up my alley and I would stay here again anytime.

The boys loved exploring the art in the garden, we tried to do marshmallows on the fire pit but we actually caught Safeway out of marshmallows. So all I got from Ashton was the sound of “Hot, hot, hot” every time he walked past it.

 

The owners did a great job of providing everything we needed for a thankful home away from home.  After a couple of nights of five of us in one hotel room Kristi and I needed our sleeping arrangements back, sleeping with a nightlight and music is just not our style.

We were lucky, we had something to compare these giants to, the Redwoods of Rotorua.  So we decided with the help of our Te Kura online teacher to give Lara a school project, study and report the differences. Of course that was met with overall excitement, not…….. but we came out knowing one or two really interesting facts.

The biggest one is that the Rotorua Redwoods are a couple of hundred years old, these giants are a couple of thousand! Grandparents to the Kiwi ones.

When it is Kristi’s turn to pick a hike we are all really leery.  The idea of her choice is usually sold with “it’s only a short hike” or “It won’t take long”. Lara and I know and I think the boys are catching on that it may be short but it will definitely be UP! She picked the Boy Scout Track, four miles into the forest.

Why? Not because it was uphill but because it ended at the Boy Scout Tree (see below), the biggest in the forest. It was 3.2 miles to the end, and of course 3.2 coming back, an easy hike she said, even Charlie looked at me as if to say, “Dad?”

The trail was indeed a trial, only because the two little guys, after about 0.3 of a mile, either didn’t want to go on or found it difficult. The tree roots were playing obstacles in the ground and the boys were fed up of tripping over. For the adults, and maybe the preteen, the track was breathtakingly beautiful. The trees were all around as if giants were looking down on us, any minute I expected them to move and pick us up, just like in Lord of the Rings.

The weather was picture perfect, about 70 degrees (21.7C), no wind and the sun shining through placed a few images that were difficult to capture, especially with forest fires not that far away that left a smoky haze.

The route to the track was 4 miles off highway road that weaved in and out of the trees, here the car is left looking tiny. 

So back to our hiking manager. I think she would now admit after 6.5 miles, two toddlers, one emotional preteen and two worn out adults that it may have been a little too much, but boy was it worth it. (In editing, she does not admit defeat – it was worth it!!

To keep sanity a couple of times we decided to teach the boys how to skip, what do you think of Ashton & Charlie? 

 

We made it to the end , enjoyed our picnic lunch by the waterfall and made it back feeling very content.

 

The boys did great and learnt that the odd stick would help. Except it was more fun to drop it and pick it up again and drop it and pick it up again.

 

 

 

We made it Mommy! I am never trusting your choice again, Daddy you pick the next one!  At last I have the kids all in agreement with their Daddy.

 

 

The forest is full of trails, this is one of the best (and longest), others will take you down to the beach, others will take you by the river.

 

The boys were in great shape and very tired. We love hiking and we met some lovely people along the way, none carrying their toddlers, we now know why.

 

Thanks to my wife for arranging the accommodation, the picnics, the hikes and the sanity.

Another one of our favorite shots coming out of the forest.

Check out our gallery  More importantly check out the Redwoods.