More fun on the NorCal coast. 6/14/19

This is our last day of our mini-vacation and I have plenty planned. Of course, things don’t always go as planned.  We take the drive up US 101 to the Prairie Creek State Park which is part of the State Parks and Redwood National Parks. Once we turn off the the main road we enter into a spooky, magical world of trees, ferns, and dust from the dirt road. I think both Alex and Sam are quite taken by this other-worldly place.

After about five miles we reach the ranger station. After presenting our National Parks pass, the ranger says casually, “There are some streams crossing the road. You’ll need to use your best judgement about crossing them.” Uh oh, we hope that this is not going to be a problem.

Our plan is to get to the trailhead of Fern Canyon, a beautiful trail which meanders along a creek that empties into the ocean. On either side are ferns towering on walls up to 20 feet high. This trail is especially fun for kids because there are lots of downed trees to climb over and around and little rivulets to splash around in. Here are some pictures from 2015 when John and I were here.

Beginning of the Fern Canyon Trail
A wall of ferns!
Downed trees

We cross one little stream which is no problem at all. Then we see a fast moving stream crossing the road. We pull over to take a look. John and Jon both decide that although the stream is not too deep, the bottom is filled with slippery rocks and stones. We are in Jon’s minivan. It’s not an off-roading kind of vehicle. So our first plan is dashed.

We decide instead to head to the nearby beach where we can try the kites again. Seems like a good idea. The wind is a little swifter today and maybe we can get both kites up. We find an absolutely deserted beach and John and Jon try their hands at the kites. Alex and Sam are perfectly happy cavorting in the sand with make-believe stick swords and driftwood forts.

There is no one on this beach!
Alex and Sam on the beach
Jon appears to be dancing with his kite
Jon is not having much luck getting his kite aloft
The men admit defeat!
Meanwhile, Alex and Sam are totally ignoring the adults

After managing to eke out some fun from our failed hike we move on to the next item on my agenda. We are going to the Lady Bird Johnson Grove which is an area of old growth redwoods. There is a 1.5 mile trail that loops through the forest. We also pick up a brochure on the way in with numbered sites to see. We know that Sam really enjoys finding each numbered view and he takes off to be our tour guide. He also enjoys running ahead and hiding and them jumping out at us. We have a beautiful walk through the woods.

Beeba with Alex and Sam
Sam in a stump
Jon, Sam, and Alex
Beeba and Zayde in a tree
Ferns, rhododendrons, and redwoods

On the way back to Trinidad we get a rare sight, an elk traffic jam! The elk stand in the middle of the road looking at us as we look at them. Finally they retreat into the woods.

Elk jam!

Here’s a new experience for me. Everyone decides that they want Mexican food for our late lunch. Since there are not a lot of dining choices in Trinidad we end up at the Chevron gas station which has an Aztec Grill and have a rustic lunch.

Lunch at the Aztec Grill

After a suitable rest back at the house we go down to the beach in Trinidad. There is a picturesque harbor and a large beach. Jon, Alex, and Sam take a walk up to the headland.

Jon overlooking the harbor
The beach in Trinidad
Sam and Alex at the top of the headland

We order pizza for dinner and spend the evening getting ourselves packed up. We are off for home around 9AM on Saturday morning. It is just a driving day with a necessary quick stop for ice cream.

We had a great time. The best thing that Alex could have said to me was, Beeba makes great vacations. She has everything planned out so there is always something to do.

 

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