Alright so May 2020 we were scheduled to take a big family trip to Mexico. Then the world shut down and we didn’t get to go. No traveling all summer, as it turned out. We had big plans for Disneyland in September. By August, it still wasn’t open so we shifted gears and found a big VRBO in Yosemite for everyone. There are a lot of us and it takes some planning to get everyone situated! Anyway, so we were sooo excited to LITERALLY BE GOING ANYWHERE and then this ginormous fire broke out in central California. This is Half Dome normally. Aaaaaand that’s how it looked when we were supposed to go visit. Face palm.
They actually closed the entire national park for a week, which happened to be the same week we were booked to visit. Excellent excellent everything is fine IT’S FINE. Last minute we booked a cabin over on the coast for a change in scenery and weather. It ended up being so much fun especially with all the cousins. Sean brought his trailer and parked it right by our little rental and so it felt like camping except then I went to sleep in a regular bed. Perfect.
We did a bunch of hikes in Trinidad, went down to State Beach and Agate Beach. We drove up to Trees of Mystery which sounds so cheesy but in real life it’s so much fun! The kids loooove it, actually Thatcher still talks about it. They have a sky trail so you get to walk these fun bridges between the tall trees. We couldn’t have asked for better weather, I was so thankful to wear a sweatshirt.
We took everyone to Fern Canyon too- my parents had never been there and it’s really one of my most favorite places on earth. So fun, we took the trail loop around the top for the first time and the view is totally different. 10/10 would recommend.
We did a couple extra hikes that we hadn’t done before. Cathedral Trees Trail? I think it’s called? In Orick? We looooved this and will need to go back again. It was a tiny bit longer than we thought (what hike isnt?) so the kids were pretty done by the end but the trees were soooo beautiful. Nothing better than picnic food by a bunch of giant trees.
We have sort of figured out that the coast is a retreat for our (my) soul. The drive isn’t too long, and the change in weather is so appreciated. We’ve been going almost every summer the last few years, and I hope we keep making time to pop over for fresh air, ocean, and some fish and chips. We didn’t go this year (I’m too pregnant.) and I had some major FOMO seeing everyone else go over to our favorite places. We have a friend that summers over there in a trailer and I’m like heyyyy that is a great idea. Summer in Redding is honestly a form of torture.
the big one 
a wild lincoln in his natural habitat 
I want to go to there
this always makes me laugh 
big old sink tub 
Fern Canyon 
love this kid 
seals out there! 
Trinidad 
linc post hike = loving it 
the sorensen six 