Dama and the Redwoods Part 1

Last spring my mom decided that she really wanted to show Toe the California Redwoods. She was able to get away for three nights and four days, and began planning an ambitious and rigorous road trip. When we found out that my sister's family planned to go to California to visit her husband's family, we decided to work out schedules and meet up with them, so "Dama" could take all three of her grandchildren through the Redwoods. We spent an average of 8-10 hours in the car each day for four days. The kids were fantastic, my brother-in-law was a sport (listening to us singing camp songs for hours) and my mother was a HORSE, choosing to do the entire drive herself.

Here are some highlights:
Day 1:  The Drive South
Toe's first visits to Ashland and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. We spent almost every vacation of my childhood at the Shakespeare Festival and many in my adulthood. J and I haven't been in about fifteen years... I was pretty overwhelmed taking Toe into the open Elizabethan theatre. Toe said, "They put shows on HERE? That would be so bright and HOT!"

"Alas, poor Yorick!" Toe read synopses of Shakespeare plays on the way down...

The day we were there, it was 100 degrees and my poor coastal boy wilted pretty quickly. A quick trip to the playground and a dip in the creek in Lithia Park revived him enough to get in the car and keep going.

A truck of every color!

Day 2:  Connections

We continued south to meet up with my sister's family at the San Francisco airport where they returned their rental car.

You don't see these every day!

We met up, shoehorned four more people and their luggage in (and on top of) Mom's van and headed north to visit Mom's cousins.

Cousins reunited!

First time for the kids on the Golden Gate Bridge. Typical SF weather.

We had a great view of Toe's Grandpa Boat's old Coast Guard station

At Mom's cousin's house, we picked mulberries, played games, and had a wonderful dinner before driving another hour to our hotel.