Days 45 and 46 - Redwoods National Park

When George Lucas set out to convince moviegoers that the planet where the Ewoks lived (Return of the Jedi) was vastly different from earth, he selected the redwood forests as the film's location. If you are from any other place on the planet, you probably would agree that a stroll through the redwoods feels like a transplant to another world.


Redwoods National Park has several disconnected pieces, some of which are on the ocean. It's the only place I have been where someone can watch a river flow into the ocean. At this location, gray whales hang out for feeding and we were lucky enough to see a few.








One of my favorite unusual natural events occurred here when a male elk decided to rub his antlers on a tree one day. He got stuck and the tree grew right around the antlers.

I can't forget one more important story of the week. It actually occurred on Saturday as I was in a hurry to get to Target one morning before leaving the campsite. At the gas station, the kids all asked if they could get out and wash the windows. I gave them all permission and we all exited the vehicle. Unfortunately, I had left the keys in the car and one of us hit the automatic door locks on the way out. We had one hour to get the windows clean while we waited for someone to come unlock the car. By the way, I was amazed at how fast they can break into a locked car. It took less than 20 seconds to break in.