After 6 days on the road, we happily entered the land of redwoods and In-N-Out Burgers,
sunshine and sand!
Yay California!
After a night in a hotel in Redding, where temperatures soared above 100 degrees, it was great to set up camp in the shady redwood forest.
What made it even better was that we met up with dear friends, and Holden's Godparents, Claire and Peter. And they brought Lucky, a sweet camping buddy.
Claire spoiled us with a yummy homemade dinner--it was great to be among friends.
We had raccoon friends too, who left their finger prints for us to find. We think they got away with some lettuce and a bell pepper, they're probably vegetarians.
Holden attended a Ranger Program and learned about banana slugs. Oddly enough, Holden has always really liked banana slugs so this was perfect for her.
Claire & Iona having breakfast. Peter & Holden exploring the forest.
Michael's sister Michelle and her husband Doug came for a long-overdue visit.
And the next day we made a quick trip to the beach in Santa Cruz...
...before meeting up with Michelle, Doug and cousin Ashley for lunch.
Back in the forest, Iona enjoyed hikes in the backpack.
We explored trees and creeks.
Mornings were cold, so we warmed up with hot beverages and winter hats.
At the amphitheater we started a new family tradition of giving impromptu performances. Holden is a natural performer so watch for her on the big screen one day!
Holden was trained in the art of marshmellow roasting and s'more preparation by her Godparents. It was pretty close to a religious experience I assure you.
She was especially excited to take her s'more apart and find the chocolate inside.
Our first trip to the beach wasn't long enough so we decided to go back for another sand-filled day.
Back in March of 2010 we took a similar roadtrip to California with Holden and we visited a magical place called Happy Hallow. Well this trip wouldn't have been complete without another visit and this time Holden, being much taller, got to ride on more of the rides. She was quite ecstatic!
This particular "ride" was a bit challenging for her but with Daddy's patient help she was able to get around the whole track without injuring herself or any other drivers. :)
What made this Happy Hallow experience even better was meeting up with Gamma and Grandpa Bob. They drove over from Arizona and it was great to spend several days with them.
The next day we visited with Michael's grandparents. It was wonderful being surrounded by family.
Iona enjoyed meeting her Great Grandparents.
It was difficult to say goodbye, but we had to hit the road again.
We drove to Lassen National Volcanic Park where we paid an exorbitant amount for gas. Thank goodness we got relatively decent gas mileage, even while pulling the Boler.
Lassen was beautiful; dry, sunny, open forests with no mosquitos.
It was only a short hike to the nearby lake, where we found Canadian Geese and giant pinecones.
Holden played contently by herself in the forest behind our campsite. It was easy to spot her with her orange hat and lack of underbrush. Perhaps in the picture she was thinking of all the amazing sights she had seen on our journey thus far. Or perhaps she was pretending to be a bump on a log. Who can know the mind of a three year old?
We were in California for a week. It goes without saying, but here's where I say it anyway, it was a great week and we are fortunate to have such loving friends and family in our lives. We miss them already.
Next post(s) will wrap up our great adventure with our return trip to Washington.
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