Redwoods

Redwood National Park

California is a huge state and we had a long drive North after leaving San Francisco to our next stop in Northern Cali. The drive was beautiful, through mountains and valleys, and amongst ocean views and giant trees. We arrived at our Airbnb nestled on top of a little mountain with the steepest driveway I have ever seen. From the house, we could look down on the tiny town of 350 people, Orick, California. It was perfect! For the next few days, we explored some of the most beautiful forests in existence. We hiked amongst the largest trees in the world, the Coastal Redwoods. The forests here breath life straight into your soul while making you feel like a mere pebble on the surface of the earth. Your eyes can wander up to space typically filled with clouds and see deep red veined bark and green boughs gently swaying. Walking among these monsters is so unexplainable and unearthly you must experience it for yourself but here are some photos to try to give some perspective on the wonders of the forest.

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Fern Canyon

We ventured off to Fern Canyon for a hike and getting there was half the adventure. I’m not a very experienced off-road traveler and although there was a “road” it was a good thing we had our big vehicle to navigate through the rough terrain. There has been lots of rain here so we had to drive through a fair amount of water, bump over potholes, through a river, and rumble along the gravel road. The ocean’s foam tipped wavey surface stretched off into the horizon on one side and Elk grazed casually on the other, both were pretty spectacular. We started our hike at Fern Canyon tiptoeing around trying to avoid the water but soon realized we were all in and the only navigable path was to jump in the water. The kids were soon knee-deep and having a blast. The vegetation around us was almost a glowing green as the sunlight illuminated the canyon. It felt like you were in Jurassic Park, and in fact, one of the movies was filmed here. This hike ranks high on the list for beauty and adventure and the rush of spring water made it even more exhilarating.

Agate Beach

We started looking for agates even though we don’t know exactly what we’re looking for. The ocean was spectacular on this spring day and we enjoyed searching for stones and sea creatures. We still don’t know if we found any agates, most likely not, but we had a great walk on the sandy shore.

Elk

It was amazing to see elk grazing in the grass so close to the road. Each day they seemed to wander to a new spot, sometimes right by a local house. There are many road signs showing elk attacking humans and the bodily harm they can cause which, although serious, was so absurd it made us laugh.

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Paul Bunyan and the Trees of Mystery

When Paul Bunyan and Big Blue are 50 feet tall you must stop for the photo op. Of course, we checked out the Trees of Mystery which had some interesting things to see and the best part was the sky ride to a beautiful overlook. Well, that was the best part for everyone except for Sienna. She is a bit afraid of heights and once at the top decide she would hike down the “extreme trail” instead of board the sky ride again. Thankfully Matt volunteered to join her on the hike which ended up being super steep and hardcore. They were troopers for sure. After we stopped at the drive-through tree which was a bit tight for my comfort in our oversized car but we made it!

Ocean Power

The ocean in this part of California is no joke. The wind whips, waves roar and it would eat you up if you let it. It gives you perspective on all those who brave these waters and the elements. What an amazing land to walk along.

Final hike and scenic drive through the most magnificent grove of Coastal Redwoods

The kids completed another Junior Ranger Program and we bid farewell to these majestic trees. It still blows my mind some of these trees are thousands of years old. Imagine what has walked among them and the earth’s changes they have experienced, resilient creatures they are. It is also sad to note that 95 out of every 100 of these magnificent trees were logged in the past. We are lucky to have the National Parks to preserve and protect these wonders so our future generations can experience their grandeur.

Truly Golden

Our “San Francisco” trip didn’t even take us to San Francisco. The closest we got was crossing over this beauty on our way to our Airbnb. Sometimes we choose to leave out things because we can’t do it all and our life on the road is just that life, not a vacation. We will come back for this sweet city another time but had an amazing time circling its surroundings.

Pleasant Hill

We drove from Yosemite to Pleasant Hill and we were so excited to see our friends Robin, Ryan, Lacey, and Josie. I went to college with Robin and time available to see great friends when you live states apart is never enough. We were happy to relax at their house after many nights in a cozy hotel eating at restaurants. The kids ran around and were wild as usually but adored Lacey and Josie. When we left the house they immediately asked for another play date. The one thing about traveling is the kids are really solo, they have their siblings but no buddies to play with. I think sometimes this is hard for them so it was great to see them making new friends on the road.

The next day we met up at Mt. Diablo State Park. Wow! I decided to drive that day and the road was insane, s-curves, blind corners, steep cliffs, and more curves, winding up Mt. Diablo, no guardrails and lots of bikers! The views were amazing, it seemed like you could see all the way to the ocean. Once on top, we found “Rock City,” trails and rock formations which the kids had a blast climbing on. The day was sunny and beautiful and we hiked to Sentinal Rock. Ryan quickly ascended the steep steps with Josie the adventurer but it was a little much with the steep drop-offs for my comfort zone for our kids. I made it to the top with some encouragement but didn’t stay long! Robin and Lacey braved the climb as well, impressive.

It was great to see our friends and sad to say goodbye but I’m so happy to have these moments and to see our kids become friends as well. From here we headed to Cupertino, a slight detour before getting to our next stay at Muir Beach.

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Cupertino – Apple HQ

You could call us Apple fanatics, especially Matt, but we both LOVE Apple. The HQ made us fall in love even more. When you first enter there is a 3-D model of the entire facility and you are given an iPad which transforms the model into an interactive virtual space. You can enter the buildings and get a feeling of what it is like without moving. Pretty amazing technology. The kids were mesmerized by the computers, iPads, and phones and the employees were very knowledgeable showering us with interesting facts. 100% of all Apple facilities in the US and abroad are powered by renewal energy, an incredible dedication to more than just the products they produce. Seeing an enormous company substantially reduce their carbon footprint and approach sustainability with creativity and innovation makes me want to strive to do better as an individual.

Muir Beach

We arrived at our Airbnb after winding down the mountain. The curves almost make me car sick but at the same time, it is such a beautiful place I enjoy the swirling road and mountain views as well. Our Airbnb was the perfect place to enjoy a quieter side of the San Francisco area. We crossed over the Golden Gate Bridge but that’s about as close as we made it to the city. Sometimes its good to settle in and live the local life. We enjoyed the ocean every day even in chilly weather, tide pooling and sea glass searching. We visited friends and family, the kids reconnected with their cousin Lily while searching for anemones and we had a great dinner with our cousins Daryl, Cassidy, Lily and Aunt Beth. It is great to connect with family we don’t see very often. We also spent time catching up on school, playing games, relaxing and enjoying our little beach house.

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Muir Woods

We just came from seeing some Sequoias in Yosemite but this place has so many enormous trees it gives you an entirely different feeling. Large ferns are coming to life again with spring and everything is green and lush. Looking up is as incredible and the trees reach so far it almost makes you dizzy. We had a great hike through the towering trees, and it is amazing to see this natural wonder preserved on the edge of an enormous city.

A double dose of Pizza with the Pisaturo’s

I met Sabine and Mimmo while studying in Italy and although that was a long time ago everytime we see each other its as if not a moment has passed. A few more kids, and laugh lines but all the love is always there. We were lucky to have the World Famous Pizza Napolitano made by the Pisaturos, they should probably open a restaurant so you can try it. Soooo yummy! The kids made new friends and we enjoyed a few nights laughing together. We’re hoping next time we meet up is sooner than later!

Stinson Beach

We ventured over to Stinson Beach to visit Aunt Beth and her dog Gracy. It was much colder than we anticipated but this didn’t stop the kids from getting wet. The beach is beautiful, a gorgeous sandy beach which stretches for what seems miles. The cool thing is we found quite a few sand dollars. I’ve always looked for sand dollars but generally only come across pieces. I think we either had a lucky day or this is the beach to come for sand dollars. We will remember this beautiful, flat sandy beach and hopefully come back when it’s a bit warmer someday.

Bay Area Discovery Museum

The kids always have a blast at museums and this is a great one with so many hands-on activities. They built 3-D objects with cardboard. (no photos unfortunately) Made safety gear headbands and built a pod racer of some sort. It was also a gorgeous day which made the open air museum and playground extra enjoyable.