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Started with a run on a trail running along the Elk River. I am one to be adventurous and this trail was a block from the hotel. It was a beautiful run with a water view. There were birds in the river leading to sand dunes beach. I was running by myself, which sometimes can be nerve racking. As I was turning around from my 2 mile run a homeless man started to surround the trail. I was a little scared and out of my element as I did not have pepper spray on me. I ran faster and may have reached a record pace as I approached the hotel. I then went back to the hotel and woke Hannah to finish my workout.
The kids had been crammed together too long at this point and began to squabble. The squabble was not too intense and ended quickly. After the arguments ceased we went and had a very delicious breakfast. Finished breakfast and decided to head for the Avenue of the Giants a 40 minute drive south.
As we entered into the park it appeared as if the clouds were blocked out and you needed
your headlights on at all times. We got out at the first grove we saw and obtained a map of the park. The kids wanted to stand near the mammoth sized trees. After wandering through the first trail we made our way back on the road. The trees encroached the roadside the entire way to a little town in the middle of the park called Redcrest. Here we stopped to get some souvenirs.
The souvenirs were great. Devin got a walking stick made of redwood, and the rest of us got multiple shirts, and 3 jackets for future use. Loved the little shop in the middle of nowhere. Traveling up the road a ways we found an open field overlooking a river bed. In this overlook once stood a town washed away in the 50's by ragging flood waters. After taking the view we took a few more curves and bends to stop in Founders grove.
I love how they name the areas of redwood groves, as if they were fruit trees. Founders grove housed some of the biggest trees I have ever seen. Wandering through the forest the kids touched the trees. The
trees were soft. You could not see the top of the canopy from underneath these mammoths and every tree had a story to tell. The pictures I took tell the story better of the mammoth giants than can be put in words.
I found one area to recreate a picture from a vacation with my kids almost 10 years prior. Isabella was quite moody going through the forest, until she started to touch the trees and see the trees. The trees seemed to improve her sickness. At one point Tim asked Issac to count the rings of one of the trees to see how old it was and he couldn't leave until finished. He relented and let Issac leave as it would of taken hours if not days to count the rings.
The trek through the grove lasted about an hour. The kids were happy at the end of our journey as we made our way north to Bri and Pete's house. Our arrival at the in-laws was not soon enough for our laundry pile. I was so grateful my sister in law said we could do laundry at her house. The family enjoyed
some much needed couch surfing, while I did 4 loads of laundry. Tim caught up with his sister and Issy chased their cat Que.
Everyone was beginning to get hungry and Pete graciously decided to make us dinner. It was the best dinner we had the whole trip. Baked Spaghetti, and salad it was so delicious. It was wonderful to eat a veggie not shaped like fries.
During dinner I had some delicious red wine. I was glad to have a drink in me when my brother called to report the goats had gotten out and eaten all the feed. Luckily I have goats that are scared of highways and that my brother is an exceptional goat herder.
After dinner the Bri and Pete took us to a vista point to look for seals. We were unable to see seals, but did get a great view of the sun setting over the Pacific. I instructed Bri to take the best Christmas card ever here. The pictures turned out fantastic as the sun changed the ocean colors to more vibrant. Although the seals were not observed on land you could see them
playing in the ocean surf on a sandbar.
We dropped the family off at the hotel and went to play pool with Bri and Pete. It was fun to watch Tim taunt his sister as they had a creative bet going on. I can't wait to see the photos from the bet when Bri follows through. I am not a night owl and by 10:30 PST I was pooped. Pete drove me back to the hotel. The day had been filed with so many sights, sounds, and memories of a lifetime.
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