Day 3 – Pounding surf and rip currents are treacherous!

This morning we decided to go to Gold Bluff's Beach and Fern Canyon. We did the hike to Fern Canyon first thinking that if we went to the beach we would get wet and wouldn't want to hike. It was really beautiful but not as much as I think it would have been in the summertime. A lot of the vegetation was still brown from the winter. The information that I read on it said that you had to cross over a creek. What I didn't realize was that it was cross over this way and then cross back over and then cross back over again and again and again and again. There were logs that you could balance on to help you!

Or you could just wear your rain boots and walk in the water!

I don't really know what we were thinking that if there was water involved - that our little boy wouldn't find a way to get soaked?!! He did. Oh well. Several people made comments that they were going to wear their boots the next time they came and did this hike!

Then we went out to the beach. It was absolutely wonderful! I haven't been to the beach since Scott and I went on his graduation vacation and went to the Bahamas. It certainly wasn't any kind of warm. But it was amazingly beautiful! We took our shoes and socks off and walked in the sand and surf.

Dallin loved it… And of course was throwing rocks!

Maggie wasn't so sure about it though..

In fact she pretty much hated it! She kept walking away from the water instead of playing IN the water.

At one point she went and got her shoes and gave them to Scott to put on for her. She was done!

Dallin, Maggie and I were out in the surf. I had just finished telling Dallin that he couldn't go out there without one of us with him and this huge wave came and knocked Dallin over and almost me - while I was holding Maggie.

I must say that I was quite frightened. I couldn't see Dallin anywhere at first and then caught a glimpse of his head. I reached down to try to find a body part to grab onto. I found his arm and we were both almost pulled backward. Needless to say - Maggie was screaming, I was scared out of my mind thinking that Scott is too far away to get to us in time. He didn't actually get the best of the photos - I think he was headed our way during the sketchy part and then when he saw me pulling Dallin out he started photographing again.

We found lots of crab shells. I don’t know what kind they are. But I do remember eating them at the Chesapeake Bay Seafood House in Maryland where I grew up. I remember specifically my dad finishing eating them and putting them on the salt and pepper shakers and crashing them into each other.

Dad – I found you “All you can eat” crab legs! Oh wait – I only found one though. Just eat it real slow!


We also spent time collecting sand, seawater and shells and rocks. It was really a fun day. Although we stripped Dallin down to his underwear before getting into the van.

Sometimes I really hate being a girl. This is the bathroom that I had to use a lot during this vacation. Did I mention that I have a phobia of public restrooms? Well this is worse!!


Now - this is for all of you who think that mini-vans are wussy. Look what we got to go through to get to this beautiful beach!

We got to do this THREE times!!! It was really cool! Scott was really missing his 4Runner. Bad!

On the way back to camp we drove through this scenic parkway that got me really excited to go into the forest! This is a fallen tree that I took a picture of. Then I realized that there wasn’t a point of reference for you to get how BIG these are!! So here is my 5’11 hubby with his arm up and it STILL doesn’t reach the other end!


We also stopped at the Redwood Forest Visitor’s Center on the way to camp and got a map. One of the things that was on the map was: Heavy Surf: The pounding surf and rip currents are treacherous. Stay away from the water. Hmmmm…. We could have used that info a little earlier today!

We got back to camp and got Dallin out of his wet undies.

When we first drove into where we were camping Dallin informed us that we were camping in the Jedi Forest. It actually really does look like it. We kept looking for ewoks - but never found them...



Then we went into this quaint little town of Trinidad that has been our place to get gas and groceries. It is totally tourist supported. We went to dinner at this little café that was absolutely adorable! It totally reminded me of Mystic Pizza. Maybe none of you have seen that movie. You really aren’t missing anything. I mean it’s a cute show – but there isn’t any good moral point to it. But I don’t know that I have ever had better Clam Chowder and Scott said that his burger was REALLY good. They grilled the buns with a garlic butter spread.

After dinner we located a laundry mat, secured some firewood and headed back to camp.