This was one of our very first adventures as a family after having moved to California! It was Thanksgiving weekend and after celebrating Thanksgiving Day with 14 friends and family at our house, we decided to spend the rest of the weekend as a family being outdoors. Our first stop was Samuel P. Taylor State Park outside San Rafael. It took us a good while to arrive, but it was worth the trip! There really isn't anything more magnificent than the redwoods. They are majestic and so regal with how tall and straight they loom against the sky! Since it was November, it was chilly enough to feel like fall, but not too chilly where we were too cold.
After arriving we first stopped to eat our picnic lunch. We enjoyed the quietness and coolness the redwoods provided. The kids ran around and as you can see, Cora was plenty happy in her backpack carrier watching the goings on.
Once we were fed, we headed out. Since this was one of the first times we were out, we weren't quite sure what we were doing: where to go, how long to hike for, which direction to head in, etc. We figured it out though and were just glad to be out enjoying the great outdoors, not something we'd necessarily be doing in Minnesota that time of year with three young children. As we walked along, I was beginning to realize how important this was for my kids. They were so happy being out: exploring, jumping, running. Everything was new and exciting. More importantly, they weren't stuck in front of some computer or tv screen, their mind being numbed by the images animated before them. They were using their minds, taking in God's creation and gaining an appreciation for His majesty and artisic passion as a creator. This is the hope I had for my children as we embarked on these adventures. That they would see and grow to love the God that so artfully and intricately created the outdoors.
The damp smell of the redwoods invited us deeper into the forest and we kept walking. The sheer size of the trees was mezmerizing. The kids got such a kick out of being able to step inside the tree and feel like they were within a secret fort. We completed the short loop trail just as the sun was setting even though it was only about 3:30. It is amazing how much the temperature drops the minute the sun starts to go down behind the redwood canopy. We arrived back at the car in time to hop in and and return home to a cozy crock pot dinner. Another day well spent!
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