As we said good bye to Eureka, and headed toward the Redwood National Park, we took a little detour to drive through an old Victorian town, Ferndale. It is known as the Victorian Village having stayed virtually unchanged since the 1800's. Elijah and I took a stroll through main street, which offered a back-in-time experience with its own blacksmith, ice-cream parlor, and just gorgeous Queen Anne style inn, not to mention all of the houses that had kept their Victorian charm for over a century. I read that Christmas time is most beautiful in this small town with its "tallest in the world' Christmas tree and lighted tractor parade.
Elijah loved the town tremendously, but he was most attracted to the pastoral valley that provided a relaxing feeling as we drove through. I felt as if I were intruding in one of those Frederic Erwin Church's landscape paintings, where the peace is sublime and you feel an overwhelming joy to be alive in a such a simple setting. Needless to say, my photographs don't do justice to the pure pleasure of being there and experiencing that kind of sensation that is often missing in a more civilized environment. However, here are a few pictures, with my favorite being what I call "Blown Away." You'll know which one I mean.
As we got back to Hwy 101, we drove through various bridges, forests, nearby lakes and rivers, and although they all had their individual particularities, the same feeling of tranquility permeated through out the journey. The earth with its trees and water and air felt alive.
Elijah and I have taken our family to Yosemite and Muir Woods several times, so red woods aren't much of a novelty for me. However, what I wasn't prepared for was the lusciousness of the trees, bushes and the forest floor. Covered in ferns, moss and plenty of sorrel, which I first mistook for clover, and an abundance of wild flowers, this park was a garden of Eden. The combination of ocean winds, sea-salt air, and sandy beaches, this vision in green offers a variety of plants and trees. Elijah and I couldn't have enough of breathing the air, a combination of salt and verdancy. And I couldn't help but imagine being Princess Leah driving the little flying cars through the forest. At that point, I wouldn't even have been surprised if I had met an Ewok.
We couldn't leave the park without driving Elijah's truck through the Drive-Thru Tree. The ranger at the gate told us that Elijah's truck was the biggest vehicle he had seen go through that tree. Elijah was a bit worried that something might happen to his truck, and to tell the truth as he was driving it through, I had second thoughts as well, but in the end we made it without a scratch. Nevertheless, that was without a doubt a crazy thing to do. That's what happens when you have a woman like me on your side, Elijah; it spices your life with danger :)
As we were approaching home, we drove through Napa Valley with its beautiful rows of vineyard and rolling hills. As I was looking at the pretty scenery, I immediately thought of our next rendezvous as a couple, in exploring this beautiful state of California. But for now, we were both excited to return home to our children.
