Thursday, July 31, 2014

Coastal Redwoods AKA: Beach Time...Then Home

"When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world." - John Muir

I saved this one for last because I was waiting for the perfect place. Turns out it's fitting for then end. We went in a complete circle, started near the coast, went inland and north then back down the coast. Everywhere we went, there has been evidence of this quote. The National Parks were created to protect our beautiful world that God created. It is so easy and quick for us humans to destroy it, but it takes more then many millennias for it to grow and become what it is.


The beach has always been all of our favorite place. We love the mountains, but the beach is something special. The kids can play quietly for hours, they can lay in the sand or run circles in the water all day long.


Our neighbor recommended this little campground next to Patrick's Point State Park called Azalea RV Park. It was very quaint and for an RV our size, it was one of the better spots in the area. Every night, we had complete silence almost the entire trip. It was pretty cool! I love the dead of night when you can't hear a thing.

Little C has gained some super strength on this trip!


He also learned to chop his own fire wood...


and build his own fire.



Patrick's Point had a little indian village common to the indians of the area. This little area was build by the indians in the area to preserve their traditions and is in use today. We were able to go in the buildings, this building is the sweet house. The men, boys and medicine women can go in it to purify themselves. 


The exit is always facing a body of water so they can cool off right when they get out. Many times, however they don't make it to the water just lay right there on the ground because they are so week until they have the energy to get up again.


We had to go back up to the visitor center so the kids could get their last badge.


Just outside the visitor center was the beach so we walked out to sit for a bit before the drive back to the trailer.


C ended up playing with all the drift wood on the beach.


L prefers to draw in the sand and wander a bit.


Of course she poses for an occasional picture.


C was really on a mission with this drift wood! He would put one up, look around, run and get another one, bring it back and know exactly where it was going.



Some of those pieces were quite heavy! It was funny, a stranger walked by after C was done and he stopped to take pictures of it. I wonder what he thought.


We decided to head south for the last couple days of our trip. Craig really wanted to be on the beach and have a short drive home in the end. So, we left early (maybe a day too early) and headed south with no particular destination. We ended up in Ventura at an RV park about a 3 minute bike ride to the beach. I can tell we are in So Cal! There is so much more trash, people, cars and noise. It is really sad to see all the litter and to know that it just flies away in to the ocean where it harm the wild life. It's not just about what we don't do to nature, like leaving the trees, rocks, flowers, etc. but it's also about what we do do to nature. We can't trash it, it really is sad to see it. Every time we go to the beach, Craig and the kids always go on a trash walk when we go to the beach. Hopefully more people will start seeing the beauty and doing their part.


I asked Craig and the kids, if you could pick one thing that God created in nature, what would be your favorite. Craig's answer was, "If it was just one thing with out all the others, it wouldn't be as spectacular. All the parts of nature work together." It's true, one stand alone big tree is just a big tree, pretty amazing, yes, but with all the ferns, wild life, mountains and other vegetation around it, even the fallen trees have a purpose, it is so much more. The beach just sand and waves is just sand and waves, but as you go along the coast, it changes every few miles. Every section of beach is different from the last and every section of beach has more beauty to offer. Some beaches are beautiful sand with wild crashing waves, others are rocky and others are huge lava mountains along the coastline. So much to see, so little time.

That's it, the end of our trip. Now we make the last trek home, a little sad and a little anxious to get back to regular life.

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