Day 10 - Redwood Forest

We had a big day today covering about 350 miles through the heart of the Redwood Forest. We filled up on a big breakfast for our journey ahead and hit the open road. We didn’t make it far before the trees had us entranced. Before we even hit the Avenue of the Giants we had to get out and explore. 

The size and age of these trees were mesmerizing and provided a humbling glimpse into the history of our world. We spent our morning hiking among the trees, playing in the hollowed out bases of trees that had been damaged by fire, yet continue to thrive, and learning about the diversity of climates that these trees endure from top to bottom. Once we hit the Avenue of the Giants we walked through Founders Grove to see the Dyerville Giant, which stood for perhaps 1600 years (not even the oldest tree in the forest) and was taller, larger and older than any other tree around it. Before it fell (in 1991) it was estimated at 362 feet tall (200 feet taller than Niagara Falls) and was 17 feet in diameter!

  This place was so peaceful and we could have spent hours exploring the forest floor. Our necks hurt from looking up so much! We headed back to the highway and made our next stop in Eureka. With its Victorian homes (we fell in love with Carson Mansion) and Old Town Historic District, the entire city has been considered a state historic landmark. We drove along Humbolt Bay, checked out the lighthouse and relished the charm of this cute city. Our next stop, Orick to check out the visitor center and stretch our legs, then on to San Francisco. We pulled in to a foggy San Fran and headed straight for Muir Forest to experience this oasis just outside of the city. Everyone recommended a visit here, and though we were just in Redwood Forest, it offered even more breathtaking views and hikes among the Redwoods. 

A little too touristy for my taste, but it was beautiful and a definite must if you’re in San Francisco. We also headed down to Muir Beach to grab another view of the ocean! After a quick tour through Sausalito (trying to find food, but parking was a nightmare) we headed to Hawk Hill for a beautiful view of the Golden Gate Bridge before we crossed over into downtown to check in to our hotel for the night. 

We decided San Franciscans are the nicest people in the world as we got upgraded to a suite, free parking, lots of awesome discounts and great recommendations for dinner. We walked a few blocks to “Roam,” a restaurant recommended by our hotel clerk, and blended in with the locals for the night, sitting on an outside patio watching the sun set behind the San Franciscan skyline.