Redwood Forest

Northern California greeted us with two days of torrential rain, forcing us to spend one afternoon trawling around Crescent City for things to do. So we petted sharks, held starfish, watched a sea lion perform tricks and sucked on sea anemone (well, another lady did do that) at the charming but rather kitschy Ocean World. And then attempted to see 'Where the Wild Things Are' - we had to leave and ask for a refund since they left the lights on DURING the movie.

Finally, we got to see the Redwoods, at Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park. To say these trees are giant is no understatement, since they regularly measure over 300 feet tall and 20 feet around.

The sun burnt through the heavy mist, allowing the very occasional beam of light to reach the forest floor. We all craned our necks out the window to catch a glimpse of the treetops and smell the fresh, wet scent of the forest, as the car bumped along the park's dirt road. Taking photos of the redwoods is really difficult - one, because getting the whole tree into the frame is a major challenge, and two, because without a car or person in the photo, there's no perspective.

Here are our attempts.