water

School’s out and we are all ready to enjoy the added freedom that brings. The start of our summer vacation happened to coincide with the McLeod family get together so this was the perfect vacation to kick off summer fun. We were retracing our steps all the way back to the East Coast and Kiawah Island, South Carolina was our destination but first, we had some work to do. After arriving in Las Vegas we decided the safest bet would be to unload our entire car and all our belongings into a storage unit for safekeeping while we were away. Off we went unpacking in scorching desert heat. The good thing is by now we are pros at packing and unpacking so it was pretty speedy and left us time to enjoy some Vegas fun before heading out.

Our flight was smooth as we left the low hundred degrees desert heat and landed in the dripping humidity of South Carolina. Matt and his family vacationed on Kiawah Island when he was a child so it was fun to watch them relive memories and introduce this special place to the next generation of McLeod’s. It was a big clan with Mom and Dad, our 5, and Pete and Laura and their six kids. The more the merrier as we ran from the house to the rolling waves and sandy beach. The water was warm, the sun was hot and laughter was loud on this island paradise. There was sand castle building, body boarding, wave chasing, crab catching, cold drinks, great food and even better company. The kids are already making plans for next year as there is nothing like spending morning until night with your cousins by your side. We will see where that adventure takes us.

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.