California with the Yohs: Day 2

Our hotel was about an hour outside of San Fransisco.  We hadn’t really expored it the night before because it was late and we were tired.  When we woke up – aiming for a little slower morning – we headed out to go to breakfast.  We were waaaay up, and the room opened to the central courtyard area.  We took the glass elevator down and got in line for some custom-made omelets … one of many delicious stations we could gather breakfast from. 

After breakfast, the kids and some adults went swimming before we needed to pack up and head out.

Jason’s crew left shortly before the rest of us, anxious to get on the road.  We (Jen and Arturo were our carpool-mates for the rest of the trip) headed out hoping to catch up to them at the lighthouse. 

Niki had found the Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park as a good scenic stop when she was investigating the area online.  We pulled in and ended up really enjoying our time there. 

T

here was a back viewing area to try to catch glimpses of whales and other marine life.  We did see whale spouts and a seal or two. 

Inside the lighthouse, we met the docent, Richard, who was very informative.  The lighthouse was undergoing restoration but he explained how the original light, a Fresnel lens, worked to warn ships.  The lens stands 16 feet tall, 6 feet in diameter, and weighs 2,000 pounds.

He also told us about the display they had with baleen from a whale.  I did not realize this was what baleen was – an almost plastic-like filter that the whale uses to eat. He said this is what they harvested from the whale, along with the blubber, to be used for things like corsets and other things.

    

Our next stop was Santa Cruz.  A glimpse of the palm tree lined streets.   We drove past the boardwalk and landed in more of a quaint shopping district for a tasty meal at a deli.  Madison found a bookshop to stroll through just down the street. 

    

Since we missed out on Muir Woods’ Redwood grove, we found another one to visit – Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park.  It was a great find for what we wanted.  While it does have lots of trails in the park, we just did the one trail, described as “If you have an hour, hike the shady, flat Redwood Grove Loop Trail (o.8 mile loop). The largest tree is approximately 277 feet tall and 1,500 years old. Take a flashlight and step inside the famous Fremont Tree. There’s room for the whole family!”

We meandered pretty slowly, noticing the salamander,

climbing on tree trunks, 

taking silly pictures,

    

and not so silly ones,

         

and ones of trees – lots of ones of trees – pictures cannot do it justice.

   

We even found that Fremont Tree which was pretty cool – and a highlight. 

This was at the entrance.  It represented a timeline of sorts based on the rings of the tree.  This tree had been growing from around the time of Jesus birth through the 1970s if I remember correctly.  Pretty mind-blowing!

We finished the day, arriving at the Air BnB we were all staying at around 7ish.  Then, Jen, Jeremy, and I went out for groceries for the next few days and supper for that night.  While we were gone, some walked across the street to the beach to soak in the fading sun.