Lady Bird Johnson Grove & Shasta River

Our last stop in the Redwoods was Lady Bird Johnson Grove.  We borrowed a pamphlet and read about the various markers.

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We were coming to the end of the hike when I commented that we had not seen much wildlife.  Not a minute later, a family we had passed noticed a salamander and pointed it out to us.  We would have walked right past it otherwise.

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That afternoon we had a lengthy drive to Redding.  Our route basically followed the Shasta River, which is quite pretty.  There were a lot of purplish trees that perfectly matched my shirt (as seen on the left of this picture).  We passed through impossibly small towns which prompted D and I to imagine what it would be like to live there.  Conclusion: we couldn’t!

 

 

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Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

After the Trees of Mystery, we went to Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park.  They have a program called Redwood EdVenture Quest, where kids can take a pamphlet, follow the clues along a trail and receive a patch for finding the clue at the end.  The kids were really into it; they are the perfect age for this type of activity.

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Looking for clues.

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It really felt like we were on set for Return of the Jedi with all of the ferns on the forest floor and the towering trees above.

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We also saw some elk as we were leaving the parking lot.

 

 

 

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Trees of Mystery

Klamath is home to a roadside attraction called Trees of Mystery.  It is difficult to miss, as a gigantic and Paul Bunyun and Babe the Ox are sure to attract attention from all passers by.

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It is kitschy to the max, but definitely fun for the kids.

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The kids were into taking pictures with their toy action cams.  I think we should upgrade them to real cameras in the near future.

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The kids counted how many steps it took them to walk around the trunk…50!

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The main attraction that you pay admission for is the gondola ride among the redwood trees.

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The kids were in an especially good mood during the ride, so that was fun.

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There was an observation deck, but the fog obscured the view.  I played around with some filters.

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The path between the gondola and the gift shop is quite nice.

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It is not everyday that you can see such strange tree growths, like this candelabra tree.

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n pretending to be a statue.

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Klamath Holiday Inn

We continued heading south towards Klamath, California.  We stayed at a newish Holiday Inn, and it was quite nice.  (There are not too many lodging options near the Redwoods).

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There was a cozy, modern lobby with free coffee and hot chocolate.

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In the morning, there was complimentary breakfast.  We had never seen a pancake machine before.  It was mesmerizing.

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They had a nice spread.   I would recommend staying here if you are in the area.  It was kind of interesting that the hotel is adjacent to an American Indian casino and across from an American Indian community center.

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We were fueled up and rested for the next leg of our journey!

 

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Crescent City

Crescent City might be the farthest north in California we have ever been.  Oregon is just a short drive away!  We ate dinner at the Chart Room.  It is a casual seafood joint on the water.

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Someone was tired from all of that driving!

At first, all of the tables near the windows were taken.  However, when I saw one opened up, I requested that the waitress move us and she graciously obliged.

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What were they looking at?

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Sea lions!  They’re the ones that bark, right?  I always get confused about that.

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We split a kids fish and chips, adult fish and chips, and grilled crab sandwich.

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I especially enjoyed the fried fish.  The batter was light and crispy–yum!

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I had to make n wear his sweatshirt.  He claimed it was hot.  That boy!

On the way to Crescent City, we passed a black sand beach that looked interesting, so we stopped on our way back south to the hotel.  As you can see, rain was imminent.

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My limited internet research leads me to believe this is called Crescent Beach.

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Jedediah Smith State Park

The land which includes the Coastal Redwoods in Northern California is a confusing overlap of various state parks and Redwood National Park.  We drove through the Avenue of the Giants, and through what seemed like endless twists and turns.

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The kids were pretty content in the car, although at one point, they did think that we were just going in circles because all of the trees and signs looked the same.  I am also pretty sure they are not prone to car sickness like me, as they were able to read and do other activities, no problem.

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Before we left, k wrote out this schedule for the car, which cracked me up!  I like #1!!

Also important: “Fit snacks wherever”!

We drove through Eureka, to Aracata, and stopped at Hole in the Wall Sandwiches.

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The Brio French bread was good, and the sandwiches were quite large.  We split a roast beef and a pastrami.

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Next we stopped in at the Visitor Center, watched a short video and picked up the junior ranger booklets.

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We then drove past Crescent City and paid for parking at Jedediah State Park.

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We were thinking that we might camp there, but since rain was in the forecast, we held onto our hotel reservation instead.

The hike along Smith River was beautiful, although a bit confusing.

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We consulted the signage, but the trail seemed to dead end!

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Tree Huggers

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The Smith River is such a pretty color.

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Wherever there is a river and rocks, rock skipping is sure to ensue.

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Look at how small our CX-5 appears next to the Redwoods!

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Mendocino State Park & Glass Beach

Just a short drive from the main town, is Mendocino State Park.  We basically just parked in the (free!) parking lot and hopped out for a few pictures and to take in the view.

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Then we drove north a few miles to Fort Bragg in search of Glass Beach.

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We climbed down a small cliff to find this secluded cove.  There was a couple looking for sea glass, and friendly D struck up a conversation with them.  They had driven from Los Angeles with the sole purpose of looking for sea glass to make jewelry.

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It is pretty fascinating that beer bottles, etc. that are carelessly thrown into the ocean can become such objects of beauty!

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k said Glass Beach was her favorite stop of that day.

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Photo credit: n!

 

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SCP

Idllyic Mendocino

Sunday morning we left Napa bright and early at around 5:45.  It would be another full day of driving for us.  Our first stop was Mendocino.  This stop is not on the most direct path to Redwood National Park, but D and I wanted to see what it was all about.

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Although we brought along food for breakfast on the road, we stopped in at GoodLife Café and Bakery for a breakfast treat/bathroom break.

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This blueberry Danish was one of the best I have had, mainly due to it being chock-full of juicy blueberries!

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We also shared the more subtle orange cardamom morning bun.  The cardamom was a nice twist, but I could have used a little more orange flavor.

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I believe the café is on the main drag of “Mendo”, as D and I came to affectionately call it.  Look at that view!

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I believe this is the bank.

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Even the fire station is cute!

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1st Stop: Napa

We’re back from our spring break road trip!  Our first leg of the trip was to Napa, to visit D’s parents.  D’s brother and his son also met up with us there.  We ate at a new restaurant, Heritage Eats.

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The restaurant is fast-casual, and the food is prepared Chipotle-style, right in front of you.  We ordered a falafel pita, lemongrass pork Banh Mi

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Early Easter

 

Celebrating Easter in March felt so early.  However, it is never too early (or late) to celebrate Jesus’ victory over the cross!

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On Good Friday, we went to service at church.  There was a speaker from Jews for Jesus that explained the meaning behind the traditional Passover meal.

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The kids’ Easter baskets consisted mostly of my prize winnings; hehe.  I did add two crocheted bunnies made from the pattern written by Posie Gets Cozy.  Having never crocheted a three dimensional object before, I did not really know what I was doing.  I think they came out pretty different from the original, but they are still super cute!  And they made fun photo props!

 

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