Redwoods

July 22nd
The drive to the Redwoods National Park from Seattle was uneventful. There were a couple places such as Grant's Pass and the Oregon Caves that we wished we had time to visit.

July 23rd
We all slept in today and then took a scenic drive through the Redwoods National Park. It was incredible to see the trees that were hundreds (in some cases, 2 thousand) years old. We felt dwarfed by the size of the redwoods. I love the smell of the forest and enjoyed the tranquility of the area. We did some hiking and photo taking in the forest. I know for a fact that we will be back here soon!!! At low tide (7:20PM) we were able to hike on the beach to a lighthouse that is only accessible when the tide is at it's lowest point. The beach is beautiful with all of the tide pools and large black rocks out in the water.

July 24th
Our last full day of the trip. :( Whaaa! Whaaaa!
Today is the day that I have been dreading! We spent it exploring more of the Redwood Forest and the surrounding beaches and rivers. We drove through the Klamath Tour-Thru Tree this afternoon. It is an alive, 700 year old redwood tree that has been carved out at the base. Tonight we had our last bon fire and snacked on some smores. We grilled out burgers and talked about our favorite parts of the trip. It was a great one that I feel lucky to have had as an experience in my life. It definitely is not a trip for everyone, but I sure loved every minute of it! All good things must come to an end....

Favorite Moments
1. Sea kayaking at the Columbia Glacier through enormous ice burgs
2. Canoeing to Portage Glacier through ice burgs
3. Watching a grizzly bear fish for salmon & play in a waterfall for about an hour
4. Standing on the ice burg at Portage Lake
5. Touring the ice museum/hotel
6. Listening to the ice cracking at Holgate Glacier (on the cruise) & then falling into the ocean
7. Hiking at Redwood National Park
8. Flightseeing over Prince William Sound