Summer Trip to the Redwoods and Lake Tahoe

Walking along the coast in Fort Bragg

The last week was spent in California for our annual family RV trip. Although this time we decided to ditch the RV and stay in cabins and hotels.

Jude braving the 55 degree water at Fort Bragg

We landed in San Francisco, rented a car and drove north. The first night we spent in the cute little town call Fort Bragg, about 3.5 hours from San Franciso. It was right on the coast and we stayed in a motel overlooking the beach. Jude decided he had to take a swim in the Pacific Ocean despite the water temperature being a very brisk 55 degrees.

Getting close to the tall trees, this is the Chandelier Tree (315 feet tall)

The next day we drove to our cabin right outside Redwoods National Park in the town of Trinidad. The next two days were spent hiking in the Redwoods. It was spectacular. These were forests with the largest trees in the world (many over 300 feet tall) and that was impressive in and of itself. But what made the park truly breathtaking was how lush everything was. So, so green. These photos don’t do it justice.

These trees are not just tall, many have a diameter of 25 feet or more

On our second day we did a long hike that went through the lush forest all the way to the beach, then along the beach and back to the park visitor center. Jude said it was the best hike he had ever done and while I love my Colorado 14ers these were completely different and so impressive.

Look closely and you will see two trees growing out of this fallen tree

The best hike of the week: Miner’s Ridge and James Irvine Loop in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

On Wednesday morning we drove from Trinidad to Lake Tahoe. It was an all-day drive with very different climates. We started the day at 52 degrees in Trinidad, we get 93 degrees in the afternoon around Redding and then by the time we got to Lake Tahoe around 6:30pm it was 60 degrees.

Enjoying the crystal clear water of Lake Tahoe

We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Hotel right on the lake on the north shore of the lake. The first day there we went for a bike ride around the coast to Sand Harbor and then spent the afternoon on the beach. The water was really cold, about 58 degrees, but with warm, sunny weather it was much more enjoyable than the Pacific Ocean.

For the last dinner of our trip we went to Tahoe City

Our last day we went for a hike to Marlette Lake above Lake Tahoe at almost 8,000 feet. While it was a beautiful hike we all agreed it paled in comparison to the Redwoods. An afternoon of paddle boarding was followed by dinner in Tahoe City.

It was a wonderful trip and while we all enjoyed Lake Tahoe, Marcy and I truly loved the Redwoods and hope to be back there some day.