Okay...Les and I took a long week-end only to ourselves. I know these adventures were about Dave's boys, but they do not do car rides well..this was 10 hours away ,if we only went straight thru, and you know if you are on a second honeymoon and looking at at your past...well you can put 2 and 2 together..lol

Les and I have always wanted to see Fern Canyon..ever since Huell Howser presented it on California Gold! Well this was the time to go, Monica and her "friend" were taking the boys to Pine Flat...Rick and Erin were planning a wedding..so it was just Les and I over a long week-end.

I created a list, went shopping and laid everything out in the dining  room and off we went...Les packed our stuff wondering why I packed Monica's tent...I wondered why he packed our tent in a different Duffie bag from our last trip....

Off we went... we toured Napa where we started our journey together, what a blessing to see the house we started in which children were laughing and such love taken care of...how sad where we saw when we had"" moved up"" to see all the boarded closed up homes... our neighbors had shared so much joy with us....but life goes on and I am sure the neighborhood  will rise again.

On up the state we went, past some of the most beautiful parts we offer..vineyards, berry farms, dairy's and orchards. We stopped at the small town of Isleton on the River.where we had breakfast next to people discussing the fate of their town vs. the government and north we went.

Finally we reached Eureka where my cousin lives, no I did not get a phone number before we left but did know the name of the family business! It was closed..it was Joyce's birthday..so even more gas and north we went.

We finally reached Elk Prairie Creek campground, and it was very disappointing to find our campsite in the meadow and not the Redwoods... but now we are tired and need to set camp.

It is now raining but I had a list! We have the pop-up to go over the camp kitchen, we have extra bedding and I have rain ponchos...what I do not have is ...the correct tent!!

The last time we went camping was on Dave's Birthday on the central Coast...Monica and boys packed up their tent we packed ours...when Monica and boys packed their tent they did not include the RAIN fly..This is what I now have..it is time for plan B!

Our sleeping bags went into the pick-up...our kitchen went under the pop-up and now we are set..and rain is falling!!

We took a small trail in and around the campground..I am now sold ..we need to bring the boys and spend a week..if fern canyon was even half of our after dinner walk the trip would be worth the drive ( and the gas cost..lol)..As we arrived the people next to us also arrived back in camp..we introduced ourselves to find he had proposed on their hike into the canyon..and yes she said yes!!

We now headed to the pick-up, now on many of our camping trips one of the teen age boys have chosen to sleep in our pick up..but now we have 2 seniors sleeping in the front seat of our pick up..it is what it is..lol
The rain fell so hard it would wake me up, I am also claustrophobic so I must have my passenger side window down to feel fresh air ( yes I know I got wet..lol) and again the rain awoke me.

Morning came..and we were able to have a great breakfast and coffee under our pop-up and watched people leave in groves..now I am glad we are in the meadow and not in the redwoods..we could hear the rain drops fall on those under us..we watched the Roosevelt Elk graze in the meadow just beyond us with their young..and Les and I discussed our options.

We drove to the Visitor center and discussed our options, in the central valley where we are from, no one gets hypothermia, yet here because of the rain and the temperature this was a concern?

OK we are willing to follow rules, so nix the 11 mile hike and we will drive to the trail head of fern canyon.
you arrive after a rugged drive that will knock your socks-off..,,,,yes the drive to the trail head goes through fern  forests with many cars even in the poring rain and then comes out to the beach in all it's glory to be met at an end with a parking lot still in pouring rain.

Off we went on the trail...I do not know how to say in words what it is to walk into a canyon..that is straight up the sides with falling water going over moss, ferns and piggy back plants scrabble over logs and rocks..see minnows in the creek.. I am walking on tepid ground ..having  others help me to balance a log to cross and then help them..this a part of the earth that only God has created..different..so much different then what we have created in a City.. and then the sun broke thru!!!  Everything lit up in diamonds!! We hiked out knowing we had seen something so special only those who were here could of seen!

The next day we woke up to new campers..an elderly gentleman in his lat 80"s with manners we have not seen in years, could his Grandson  and his family park with us as they were full with Rec. .gov. regs...oh yes please join us!!

Now on our last day here since I had missed the Avenue of the Giants turn off on our way, that   Said Information Only Sign ??? you are now past the turn out with the paper sign saying  you are where you want to go.. but down highway 101 at 70 miles an hour??

So on our last day we drove up the road to the Trees of Mystery...as we approaches Les said this was a tourist trap...yes.. but I had seen on Huell Howser it was also an Indian Museum... Les's Mother is Indian and so  he is always interested..    Anyone who comes this direction needs to see this ,it is fantastic! and it is free!!

After viewing how complete the museum was, Les said we needed to support this..so up we went to the path to buy a ticket for the "Trees of MYSTERY"..................THIS IS NO tourist trap, this is what a private enterprise can do if left alone..

We had a wonderful hike thru the history of redwoods and other trees, logging in the area and history..and then a gondola ride to the top of Ted's Ridge and back with views of the pacific...walking out thru the most in creditable folk out carvings of Paul Bunion..and finally back to the parking lot..wow what a day!!

We can not wait to take our grand-sons....or grand-daughter or grand-son depending on who Rick and Erin have................................

Into the future we go with more on the way...................hee-hay!!!!................. What a life.........................

Into the future we go...
Grandma D.