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

Couer d'Alene, Idaho

Happy New Year!

Coeur d'Alene (pronounced Core-duh-Lane) is a gorgeous place. It had been on our list since back when we lived in Minnesota so we eventually made the drive and were so glad we did!

We stayed at the Sleep Inn and were very impressed. Aside from a few snacks/treats, all of our meals in Cd'A were just grocery meals we'd brought from home or picked up at the health food store.

The Well-Read Moose... sigh, I could spend hours in a place like this. A fabulous little bookstore with delicious chai tea and a tasty gluten free (and paleo!) spiced pumpkin cupcake. They were so friendly and kind there too! The little man didn't want to leave!

We spent a lot of time at Lake Coeur d'Alene and the park next to it. We actually took a little cruise one of the days! It was a 90-minute cruise and it was really cool to see so many things from places on the lake that were only accessible via boat.

People ask all the time about nausea/motion sickness on our travels. I do get carsick, especially while pregnant, but I didn't actually have any issues on this small cruise ship. I've heard that you feel less and less seasickness the bigger your boat is, so that's good news for a big cruise!

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