Reunion Time! - Part 3 The Redwoods

On Joy's birthday, we spent the day in the Redwoods.  We started out driving a 5 mile loop to introduce the kids to what "big" trees actually were.  It was so fun to hear them oo and ah when we saw the first real sequoias.  We weren't planning on stopping to hike, but we saw a small trail to the river and decided, what the heck, it was only .7 miles.  We ended up taking a much longer path, but I don't think anyone minded.  In fact, it was the kids' favorite hike.

nature's playground

natural log bench = picture time

I wanted a picture that captured my love of this place.  This wasn't exactly what I had in mind, but pretty awesome considering I was unprepared.  Also, I love that I can get golden light at 1pm in the forest. 

We tuckered this little girl out.  We climbed giant trees, played by the river, crossed a crooked bridge, and did it all again in reverse.  The kids would have stayed at the river all day, there were tadpoles and new frogs.

If this picture doesn't portray sadness, I don't know what does.  Poor Joy was cold so I gave her my sweater, but it wasn't her jacket, cause her jacket was in the car, and we were walking back to the car.  #preschoolproblems

We stopped for a picnic and went for one more hike after lunch.  I was looking for my family's favorite trail, but couldn't find it.  The one we went on was very flat and easy and informative.  We learned to identify two different families of ferns.  We accidentally went on the loop twice, which normally wouldn't have been a problem except that I was giving Joy a piggy back ride and she fell asleep on the first loop, so I was carrying an extra 40 pounds of dead weight for the whole second trip.  We obviously don't hike enough if 1 1/2 trails can wipe Joy out.  Or maybe it was the sweater sadness . . .

The next day we had to head to Crater Lake for the reunion, but we decided to do one more hike before we left, since it was on the way out.  We picked a hard one, with a difficult mountainous loop attached, which we went up on the return trip.  Despite having already hiked almost 2 miles, no one complained about the steepness or the difficulty.  We've got some troopers.  Pretty sure they could handle Mt. Timp.  

Not sure if anyone's ever mentioned that it's difficult to get all the children to cooperate . . .

The Captain, "another picture, Mom?"

Headed into a hollow tree.  We found out that the bark of Redwoods is pretty much fireproof, which is why there are so many hollow trees.  Eventually there is a big enough crack in one for the fire to get in and burn the wood on the inside, leaving the mostly indestructible bark shells.

Loved the patterns on this tree.

One of five slugs spotted on our hike.  Since this one had spots,
it was clearly the favorite.

Pretty sure Johnny asked me not to post this picture.

The many faces of Lee

She did this one for the first time that day.

Stank face, which she will do on command.

And of course, Joy will join in any silliness.  Hard to believe this miracle baby is 4 already.

So I think I converted some of the family to the Redwoods.  And if there is ever a zombie apocalypse, we will move our food storage to the Redwoods and hunker down there.  Because not only will I get to be in my favorite place in the world, but ain't no zombies gonna find us in there, fool!