The Redwoods!

We actually didn’t get to see anywhere near as much of the Redwoods as I had hoped to see, so this was a good lesson in remembering that kids are in charge on trips ;] Between naps, mealtimes taking forever, tired little legs, etc., it just didn’t work out to do all the extra stuff I’d hoped for. But what we did see was amazing!

Redwoods Favorites
-Prairie Creek Visitor Center, where we got Tallest Tree as a souvenir and Nana spoiled them with Rangerland Jr. 

-Big Tree, a great little hike for the little ones. I did spot poison oak semi close to the trail a few times but it was otherwise a really easy hike for the little ones. A was three and ran it almost the entire way. B was two and did ask to be carried a lot (it ran into naptime for her) but in general walked quite a bit of it herself… and ten-month-old C just napped in a carrier on Daddy’s back most of the time. 

-Fern Canyon… there actually weren’t really any Redwoods here, just stumps leftover from logging. The hike was definitely a bit too much for little ones on foot, especially since at some point you have to cross over a creek to do it. Ryan had on good waterproof shoes so just walked them across it because walking on the logs would just not have worked for them. There were also a lot of stairs which is rough for our two-year-old either way… either she climbs up and down them herself, which is scary and takes forever, of we climb up and down stairs while holding a two-year-old, which is tiring and scary. We weren’t actually able to get down into the canyon itself either, but the trail was still really cool to see and I bet the canyon is amazing! This is also where a portion of Jurassic Park 2 was filmed.

-Banana slug!!!

-Seeing the awe on A’s face… this is why I love traveling with kids. Amazing. It was also really cool to hear him share the occasional factoid he’d learned from reading Redwoods a few times before the trip.

We tried to do the junior ranger activities but they were still just a little over our guy’s head and he was just enjoying the hike so maybe next time! =] 

Homeschool/Roadschool books we enjoyed before/during this trip: The United States of America: a state-by-state guide // Are We There Yet? // Are We There Yet, Daddy? // Bon Voyage, Lucy // Olivia Takes a Trip // Redwoods // The Tree in the Ancient Forest // Tallest Tree

Trinidad, California

Trinidad favorites with kids:
-View Crest Cabins… We had a nice studio-style cabin with a king-sized bed and we put the kids in toddler cots at the foot of our bed. We woke up each morning to three children between us ha ha. We brought a toaster oven and rice cooker from home because we didn’t want to risk cross contamination (some of my family has Celiac Disease) and it worked out pretty perfectly, especially when we found Eureka Natural Foods to supplement what we’d brought from home. There was a really nice deck off the back of our cabin where we ate a few meals with my in-laws, and it was the perfect place to end the night relaxing after a long day of hiking and exploring. 

-Proximity to the Redwoods!

-Humboldt State Marine Laboratory to see the “aquarium” tanks before heading down to the beach

- Trinidad State Beach. I personally am not much of a beach person, and especially with kids (sand for days!) but it was great just to go and see it, dip their toes in the water, and let A bring home a seashell as a souvenir. =]

-Eureka Natural Foods, which was actually in McKinleyville. We picked up a lot of groceries from here on one of the nights, then all ate breakfast there on our last morning together before hitting the road.

Homeschool/Roadschool books we enjoyed before/during this trip: The United States of America: a state-by-state guide // Are We There Yet? // Are We There Yet, Daddy? // Bon Voyage, Lucy // Olivia Takes a Trip