Avenue of the Giants: drive thru Redwoods

From Point Reyes, we took the coast road north on Highway 1. Past the gift shops selling Bigfoot/Sasquatch Tees and caps, we turned off into a small community with a Big Tree. Leggert is famous for having a really old Redwood - approx 1400 years old  - called the Chandelier Tree that was carved out in the '30s for carts to pass through. I guess that makes it easier for carbon dating and counting tree rings if you gouge out the middle.

My grandma had always had an old black and white photo of The Chandelier Tree on her living room wall in the Cornish farmhouse and I was keen to drive our hire Chevy, with surfboard strapped to the roof through it. 

That night we camped out amongst in the redwoods - in the Humbolt forest. We pitched tent at 5pm and it was already cool and dark under the trees. The kids explored; Bear and Magi got stung by bees, and we had more sausages and s'mores! Bear and Magi got themselves freaked out before bedtime about Bigfoot. At least it made them forget about the bears and cougars that really live in the woods!