Ocean, Paul Bunyan, and really giant trees

The last two adventures to Santa Rosa have landed us in the off season of grapes on the vine in wine country. We are sure to hit peak season next August when we return to Turn-In Kolby, therefore, in order to optimize our Napa Adventure in 2014, we took full advantage of a November escape to the Redwoods during our recent trip to Graduation.

My husband has a wild tail of his first Redwood experience; it goes like this ...

Insert two middle-aged teens on a road trip visiting family for two weeks in Sacramento. The option to take the long way home via the Coastal Highway was only bought off by two of the four family members. Because on the other side of the road was a very important Baseball Tournament, and a Boyfriend (can I assume correctly you know which was which between my hubby and my sister-in-law?).

Story goes that there were two opinionated travelers who just wanted to get home, and get home fast. Who cares, so what, about the really giant trees; on and on the complaint department was audible into the night when they finally reached the Coastal Highway to start their trek. Stopping in a hotel, the plan was to continue in the morning to the Redwood Forest.

Until, dad got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, and realized the complete peace and quiet the night brought to his family. What was that? Not a sound of complaining, whining about the baseball tournament, the boyfriend, the trees? The room was still. Bliss.

Just as quick as he had realized the perfect ambiance, he flicked the lights, and bags were being swiftly packed by dad, as the teens rose in bewilderment to the ruckus. Yes, it was true - dad was driving the family home at 3am. With two half asleep Teens in the backseat of the Oldsmobile Cutlass, a wife in the front willingly smiling to go with the flow, the family made their memorable trek through the Redwood Forest that one summer day when the sun had not even cast its light upon the trees. Dad was happy, and the kids were dazed in the back seat, without a complaint for the rest of the long hours home.

While my family story does not even compare to that legendary one of my husband's, there were times when my two had had enough of one another. I wouldn't go so far as to say they were fighting, or arguing, but they were just t.i.r.e.d. of being on top of another in the backseat.

At one point, with a smirk and a turn to me, my hubby said,
"It wouldn't be a Redwoods Trip without a little tension."