Last weekend, we took a roadtrip down to California to visit the Redwoods. Kern's parents were in town for an extended vacation so we decided to tag along with them on a short trip.
We arrived late Friday night to the Anna Wulf House Bed and Breakfast, which served as our lovely accomodations for the weekend. The next morning was probably one of the best breakfasts we have had in awhile. Every detail to perfection (notice the strawberries on the juice glasses) and unbeatable service from the ever-so-friendly proprietors.
A great way to start the day with juice, coffee, yogurt w/ granola, and a homemade casserole made with Canadian bacon, eggs, and potatoes.
Next, we were off to see the Redwoods to do some hiking.
Group Shot. Oh, sorry about us looking like ants (that's us barely visible in the lower left corner), just trying to get in most of the ~300 ft tree for this shot. :)
The redwoods are a testament to the tenacity of nature. They are impervious to fire, insects, and disease. Hence, they are able to live for over 2000 years. It boggles my scientific mind that a single organism is able to live THAT long. The trees are so massive that they seem to be mutant giants. There is no way to experience the sheer magnitude of these trees without visiting them in person. Many of the trees have found unique ways of proliferating and sustaining life throughout the years.
This tree decided to sprout an entire new, full-sized tree out of its side (on the right side of the trunk about half way up in pic). I wonder if it is doing so in order to take advantage of the sunlight provided by the nearby hole in the canopy?
This tree has sprouted many new trees out a horizontal branch. These new trees are entirely new trees, not just branches!!
We took a late lunch at a seafood restaurant on the ocean.
Kristina and Emily were surprised at the fast service.
After lunch, we visited some more Redwoods in the Jedidiah Smith Forest.
Here's Em posing next to a ginormous tree.
Later, we hiked to a river that had crystal clear water and plenty of skipping rocks to be found. During a hike towards dusk, we spotted a wolf. I couldn't get the camera out quick enough and he ran off in the distance quickly....I guess the wolf was probably intimidated by little Zoe.
After a good night's sleep and another amazing breakfast, we set out for some more exploring. We hit the Redwoods again and later found a short hike which led us to a patch of
Darlingtonia californica. It is a rare carnivorous plant that feeds on insects which get trapped in its operculum. As you can see from the map below, (copy link)
http://www.honda-e.com/A02_World%20Maps/WorldMap_Darlingtonia.htm
it is exclusive to the area where we happened to be hiking (northern California/southern Oregon). It evolved to feed on insects as a nitrogen source in nutrient-poor bogs. I am amazed when plants seem to usurp the food chain by eating organisms from a more advanced Kingdom.
[I remember having a Venus fly trap when I was young. I also remember feeding it a piece of raw hamburger one time....but I digress!]
If these
D. californica cross-pollenate with the redwoods, we might be in trouble!
[maybe a great premise for a really bad sci fi movie?]
Alongside the road was a beautiful turquoise river cutting through the mountains. I clamored down solo to the water's edge, risking falling into the rapids, to get a better shot. It was definitely worth it.
OK, a little anachronistic...but back to day one....
Battery Point Lighthouse on the coast near Crescent City, CA.
We drove up and down the coast trying to see St. George Reef Lighthouse (the one in the IKEA pics that has the huge waves hitting it...you know which one? If not, google it.). The waves hit the rocks by St. George Reef Lighthouse so strongly that they built a crane to hoist boats from nearby waters instead of attempting a dangerous docking. So it had my interest. Gotta see this lighthouse. No such luck. We saw the signs indicating we were in the correct location, but still no lighthouse to be seen. Later that night, the lady at the B&B informed us that St. George Reef Lighthouse is about 9 miles offshore....hence why we never saw it on this cloudy day. :(
While looking for lighthouses, we ventured down to the beach. I love scouring the tide pools to see what creatures I might find. I found lots of crabs, snails, sea urchins, starfish, etc.
Being the only one who ventured out into the tide pools, I had to bring back some show and tell for the others. I found a starfish on a rock which was small enough to carry. The funny thing is that after I carried it ashore, I noticed a small, thumbnail-sized crab and snail hiding on the underside of the rock!! Don't worry, I returned these critters back to their ocean unharmed. ...the crab is just lucky it was not near big enough to eat. ;)
Escargot?
And last, but not least...here's one more shot which displays the relentless ability of Redwoods to survive any conditions. It seems that the only thing that can kill a Redwood is man. Call me a treehugger, but once you visit the Redwoods, you would curse anyone who would even think of cutting one down. It is very selfish to cut a Redwood down for use during our ephemeral lifetime, when nature has spent literally thousands of years growing this magnificient specimen.
Luckily, this tree found a way to persevere by growing an entirely new tree from a leftover stump.
This is the view from the deck of the beach house. Just feet away from the driveway is the beach entrance, so needless to say we spent a good chunk of the weekend on the beach!
Brad and I posing for a pic on the path leading down to the beach. There were buoys lining the path, so that made it unique. So...you may be wondering why we're wearing jackets and pants? Well, the temps were a little chillier on the coast than they were in Portland. The coastal temps were in the 60s and in the 70s in the late afternoon. This past week in Portland, the temps have been in the 80s and sunny! 
A shot of the beach in Pacific City. Oregon has expansive beaches and some great sand dunes. This beach was actually very popular with the surfing crowd.
Brad and I on Pacific Beach in front of this large rock in the middle of the ocean. If you analyze the picture really closely, you may be able to see some surfers. They were definitely wearing some 7mm full wetsuits (with hood) in the frigid waters! 
The view from the Cattleman's Club. It was an amazing steak restaurant. Coming from Portland where seafood is predominant here, I was definitely craving some good 'ole steak only found in the midwest! What surprised me about South Dakota was how hilly it was in Pierre. I was expecting some flat land! I was pleasantly surprised...and I enjoyed the river as well. 
Being in the capital of South Dakota, I convinced my co-workers to stop at the capital building with me. I didn't get a chance to go in like I did in Michigan's capital, but I got a great snapshot of the front of the building. Now I can officially mark South Dakota and North Dakota off my list of states that I haven't been to. I think there's about 14 more...
