Our trip started in Crescent City, where we searched for a decent hotel... not a lot to choose from, to be honest, and we turned down two before settling on a place to stay. At least it was clean, and they had the Canucks game on in the lobby (our two main criteria, of course)... We found a great park for the kids to play at near the water's edge the first morning. I dropped Matt and the kids off while I went in search of a good coffee and some information on the best places to go in the Redwoods with kids.
With coffee in hand, I returned and we set out in search of grey whales that had been seen that morning off the coast. We drove the coast line and searched and searched, but we had no luck I'm afraid. Hit and miss... but it was fun to search. Then we took a thin, gravel route through the back side of the Redwoods to Stout Grove. The agent at the tourism information had recommended this to us, and it was perhaps our favourite view of the forest. The drive was slow but lovely, and we were so pleased to have the moonroof in our car - the kids looked up at the towering trees and oohed and awed as they snapped pictures with their little cameras. Very cute to watch from the front seat. We then hiked a short 1km loop and got to look at some really amazing trees. The kids were most excited when they were able to climb on or inside a tree, but we got them to stand at the base and look right up to the top of them as well... even better than the Sears tower!
We had lunch in a little cafe that offered all day breakfast and then headed south to Trinidad. Our "California with Kids" guidebook recommended a great little B&B there called The Lost Whale, and we decided to book in for two nights. The kids have been doing so well in the car, and we thought that a couple of days in one place might be nice for them. Our room was perfectly suited for us, with a loft where the kids could sleep and a main floor with a bed and bathroom for us. Our hosts recommended a restaurant in a nearby town that we should visit, so we set off in search of it. Not easy to find, but once we did, we were pleasantly surprised. The one thing that was certain was that our children would not be noticed at all... the noise level in the place was so high that we could hardly hear each other across the table. A fun, local hang-out, that's for sure... with all ages represented. We headed home and were able to put Ems and Zach to bed and then go downstairs to the living room, have a glass of wine while we played a game and/or read, and then come upstairs to bed. Breakfast in the morning was far too decadent, but amazingly delicious. Peach cobbler, lemon raspberry muffins, greek frittata, fresh fruit, amazing coffee... so we ate all too much, but wow. Yum.
The second day there, we took a trip south to Eureka to visit the "Discovery Centre" for kids. The guidebook listed this as a MUST see for kids, so we were expecting big things... but I guess our standards were a bit too high. We were thinking interactive area at Science World, or fantastic displays like Vancouver Aquarium... perhaps we have been spoiled? It was a room no bigger than a large classroom with mediocre exhibits to keep the kids entertained for an hour or so. We stayed for a bit before heading to Arcata, which the guidebook also said was a must see. It was a neat little town, with a great central square and fun little shops. Very surfer meets yuppy, if you know what I mean... lots of people walking around in Bogs with skirts. :) We had some great Mexican fare and then hung out for a bit before heading back to the house for some appetizers, a dip in the hot tub, the Canucks game, some reading and some shut eye. All in all, a full day.
We had ourselves packed and ready to go before the 9am breakfast which we knew we would need to get us on our way to Santa Rosa. We did our longest drive so far, clocking six hours in total. We took our time though, and stopped off along the way to keep the kids entertained. We hit another Redwoods hike, then drove through one of the larger trees (I just HAD to do it!) before taking a very twisty scenic route to the coast. We went through Mendocino, where we had ice cream on the beach, and enjoyed the beautiful coast as we wound our way towards our friends Justin & Amber's place in Santa Rosa. By the time we arrived, it was dinner time, and they had prepared a feast for us. The kids were so happy to be out of the car, and all five kids played wonderfully in the backyard while we had some time to catch up before crashing for the night...
Oh, and I almost forgot to add this, but uploading photos tonight reminded me... en route to Crescent City we stopped at a roadside diner. The kids were so well behaved that the lady gave us a free cinnamon bun... not just any bun, as you can see. They are famous for the SIZE of their buns. ;)
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