Stop 14: Redwoods (Klamath, CA)

The drive here was beautiful with lots of views of wine country, large trees, and the ocean. We crept up the coast eventually making our way to the Prairie Creek State Park Scenic Route through the Redwood Forest. The wild elk put on a show just as we entered the park. Their horns looked so soft that we really wanted to touch them, but they weren't in the mood to play with us.

We stopped in several places along the way to see these behemoth trees for ourselves and were so impressed by their massive size. We had few words to describe their height and size. We hiked a little and checked out the forest floor--so many different ferns and clover almost as big as Charlotte's hand! The trees are amazing but there's so much other life to see there.

Mom and Dad may or may not be on the other side of this tree.
It would take several Moms and Dads to make it around this beast.

Can you spot Sarah on the path?

The sunset through the trees was beautiful and we watched sunlight melt through the large trunks as the sun put itself to bed. It was gorgeous and our iPhones will never do justice to this level of beauty.

As the skies grew darker, we pressed on to our rental house. This time it was a mobile home on a farm, complete with farm-fresh eggs in the fridge. We had let the hosts know we might be very late because of the aforementioned alternator problem and when we arrived, there was a handwritten note on the table welcoming us and saying they had been praying for a solution to our car troubles. It was very nice and we were thankful for the kindness. We did end up meeting Lori, one of the hosts, when she brought water bottles and again when she came to help us get the washing machine going. She was so kind and very outgoing. The kids thought we were in a mansion because it had a TV as compared to the $1M+ place we stayed yesterday that didn't have a TV. HA!!

This place is so remote that none of our phones have a signal and the closest grocery store is 15 miles away (but the drive is 30 minutes long because of the long, winding roads). There is wifi in the place itself so we were thankful for that. The washing machine, however, left a lot to be desired. It required LOTS of finagling to get a load to run--and then it wouldn't spin out right. For a mama that was tired from being up late waiting for her husband to arrive home safely last night, waiting for loads of laundry to finish tonight was not what I had in mind for a relaxing evening.

Andy and Charlotte went to a local convenience store for some basics (bread, pasta, milk, OJ, etc.) and on their way home, a BEAR ran across the road. Both described it as a medium-sized, dark brown bear that ran across in front of the van. Andy said it hurried across like Donkey Kong. They both came out of the van excited and a little stunned because it was just a bit down the way and they were still buzzing from the sight of a bear so close to our evening home. We're glad our property had a high gate that locks up at night--no bears are invited to hang out around these parts.

We made dinner VERY late (pasta at 10PM, anyone?) and I tried my hand at the washing machine. We were in desperate need of some clean clothes so I had no choice, really. The old-school, push-to-turn/pull-to-start washer waasn't unfamiliar to me. What was unfamiliar was one that only works when it wants to work and has particular quirks that I haven't gotten to know. So I fiddled with the washer for a good 90 minutes before learning the magnet mechanism and how to get it juuuuuust right. Then BAM! We were on a roll, I thought. But the last load just wouldn't spin all the water out so at 1AM, I stood at the sink, hand-wringing each item of clothing. Yep--another late night for Mama. I'd never been so ready to hit the pillow in a long time.

Alex and Sarah shared the sofa bed and they were too cute. Just wanted to share. (Also, Sarah was so happy there was a piano at this stop. She plays piano every day at home and hasn't played in over two weeks. When we arrived here, she immediately dropped everything and played for 15 minutes. Here she is sleeping next to the piano she liked so much.)

Morning brought a tired Mama and a limping Daddy. Something happened to Andy's back and he started experiencing his first bout with sciatic pain the morning he awoke here. (By the end of this day when we arrived in our next destination, he would no longer be able to stand upright.) Having endured sciatic pain since a fall at my stepsister's wedding in 2004, I understand how much this hurts so I feel horrible that he is going through this. We loaded up the car and hit the road just a little after 11am. We made a quick pit stop at a nearby attraction and grabbed our compulsory souvenirs.