Leaving our campground for more adventures... We continued our drive on Highway 1, and went through the section known as "The Avenue of Giants". We parked a few times and jumped out, hoping to find a tree that was bigger around than our family could reach. We found one!
We kept going and went to see the Chandelier Tree. You can drive through it, but we had a large car top carrier and wouldn't fit. So we just walked through, which was amazing too, and we could see and touch it. So cool!
There were other places at the park to play and enjoy. I'm so impressed with the size of these things!
After that day, we got the cutest little cottage in the woods to stay in. Paul needed to work a little on his new part time job as CMO of a clinic in Hawaii, so that required wifi. Out in front of the house was this play house area under the trunk of a tree, so cool!
We ordered food, and Paul got an enormous calzone as big as his face!
How cute is our little cottage in the woods? We even saw a deer one morning!
Then on to find a place I had been as a child. I LOVED this trip we took when I was little, and remember these tree houses especially. Jolie, my mom and I were texting during the trip and sending pictures back and forth. It was so fun to find it again and share it with my kids.
Again, this area of the Shrine Drive-thru Tree, was meant for small cars with no car top carriers, so we only walked through. But that gave us more opportunities to touch and spend time inside the tree. It was completely hollow, all the way up, but still very much alive.
Matix and Lullaby recreated this picture from a picture of me and Jolie when we were little. First is me standing, and Jolie leaning in toward me, followed by a picture of Lullaby standing, and Matix leaning in toward her. So fun!
And closer up... Thanks to Jolie and my mom for sending the pictures so we could recreate them. We had so much fun.
Group shot inside the tree!
Then we played around the grounds for a while. So fun to go here again.
And a video of these couple of days and adventures. Such a fun trip!
We drove and made it to the coast! The ocean was cold, but that salty air was so nice! We got to work right away building drift wood forts, and adding on to the first that had already been started.
We added our names to the first with black charred sticks from the old fires.
We drove along Highway 1, although it was slower, it was so pretty!
Stop for lunch on a sea cliff, yes please. Then to our campsite! It was deep in a Redwood forest, and our site was tucked next to a river. It was the prettiest campsite I've ever seen.
The river was mostly shallow and calm, and no one else at the campground seemed interested in it, so it felt very private.
The kids loved exploring and climbing and picking their new houses. This is Matix's new house. :)
The one on the right is Lullaby's new house, and on the left is Solace's.
Then we stared discovering these HUGE slugs! Ew.
Good night!
Good morning!
While Lullaby read her book in the hammock, and Solace slept in his tent, Paul took Matix and Hawk up the river on the paddle board. It was misty on the river, and they went about 2 miles. They saw fish in the water below them as they went along.
When Solace woke up, he and Lullaby cuddled in the hammock and ate marshmallows while we waited for the others to come back.
Later in the day, we all went to the river to jump from the log into the deep part of the river.
