Our tour guide walked us through the Santa Cruz Mountains redwoods where we were amazed, once again, by nature's wonders. We just couldn't believe how BIG these trees were. Their size is simply mind boggling. We arrived fairly early so it felt like we had the entire trail to ourselves; just us and the the Father of the Forest, a 2,000-year-old staple. It was pretty unbelievable. We have never felt so small.
As we walked along the thousand-year-old trees, we noticed that they were usually found in a bunch of three or four closely together. We soon found out that they grow in "families" which help them reproduce and survive longer. We were also amazed that they can hold their own against fire. It's simply amazing how nature protects and fixes itself.
We soon happened upon a visitor. A large, slimy, yellow visitor known as the Banana slug. Once we saw one, it was suddenly like there were millions of them. It became very easy to pick them out along our hike. They seemed to be everywhere! We even saw a few of them getting down and dirty, if you know what I mean. We didn't feel the need to photograph that and let them have their privacy. The banana slug also happens to be the University of California Santa Cruz mascot. Makes sense. We (Asha) are terrified of slugs.
After our 3 mile hike in Big Basin, we enjoyed a picnic lunch before heading back to our temporary home in San Francisco. On the drive back, we made a pit stop along the Pacific Ocean. This time we didn't chicken out and our feet met the Pacific Ocean for the first time. It was cold but it was totally worth it.
Oh, Redwoods. You will never cease to amaze us. To walk among such beauty was a site we will never forget and will always hold a special place in our heart.
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