We dropped down from Lake Tahoe into Sacrament for the first leg of our stay in California. From their, the state made it to the top of Izabella’s list. Mainly because of our trips to the ocean. She has always been a lover of water. Drinking or otherwise. Kari used to call her our water baby. But she also loved Redwood National Park. Along the way, we saw tide pools, did some boogie boarding and pigged out a sweet burger joint.
Memory #1 – The Goat Rock Beach
After a quick stop in Sacramento we made our way to Casini Ranch Family Campground. This was a huge campground that had tons of stuff for families to do. As great as that was, we had other ideas. We made our way off the Ranch towards Highway 1. It was a short drive south west and then a quick walk down to the beach. There they were. Those Pacific Ocean waves! And that cold Pacific Ocean water! Job #1? Explore! Beautiful rock formations and harbor seals!
Memory #2 – Rest!
After a whirlwind through Utah and Nevada, we were all a little cranky. What better way to de-cranky than taking a much needed nap in a camping chair?!?
Memory #3 – The Redwoods
The Redwoods were indescribable. The size and height seem unreal. It is like you are walking around in Jurasic Park. Photos don’t do it any justice. There is almost no way to capture the scale of these trees – but you have to try don’t you?
Memory #4 – Clam Beach
This was a beach right outside of Arcata, where we stayed for most of the week. The beach was super flat. You walked for a very long time in the water before it got even knee deep. They day we were there, it was COLD! The water and the air. And WINDY! But we got to bring Sugar and Oli and all in all, we had a great time on the boogie boards and playing in the sand!
Memory #5 – The Tide Pools
This was an unexpected find. We were really looking for something to do to burn some time before lunch. We didn’t want to get really wet. Or really cold. After doing a little research on the internets, I came across College Cove Beach and given the right timing, some pretty sweet tide pools. Turns out, we had perfect timing. The tide was low and we saw all kinds of marine life. And as it turns out, a day or two after we left there were a number of high tide warning in the area. We had some favor in California!
The Wrap
California was a blast. The weather along the coast was a bit colder than we expected and the marine layer never seemed burn off. The ocean. The Redwoods. The tide pools. The kids even got to hang out with some other kids in the campground. We had two movie nights! Northern California showed us a great time!