Navarro River Redwoods State Park, Mendocino County, CA
The reward for the 10 hour drive on Interstate 5 from LA is that, at a certain point around Healdsburg I think, there is a turn-off and you take that turn-off and you leave the straight, stark freeway that cuts through the middle of California and you settle onto windy Highway 128 and you eventually enter THIS. The Big Trees. The Ancient Ones. Some of THE OLDEST Redwoods in existence.
No matter how many times I’ve driven into this forest I still collapse outward the moment I’m in it. The huge, quiet, intimate, energetic, serene, familial feeling of it. I swear I can hear the trees telling me that everything will be just fine. That, of all the things they’ve witnessed without moving, none of it is larger than people and how hard they try.
I’ve never quite been able to capture their exact essence, their exact scope and size but I think they arrange it that way on purpose because then I am drawn to go back and back and back again and again to get some more of their gigantic, gracious love.
I think the wise, old trees are like Earth’s grandparents, don’t you?
Yours in Irreversible Wonder,
Tammy Tree Hugger
That is a beautiful place, both for the eyes and the spirit. I must go back, it’s been two years.
Sometimes I think I’ll end up living there.
In a tree house!
You have to go there. The Fin and The Mayor of Everything and The Alan would love it. I’ll cook.
Healdsburg sucked me in with its vineyards. I must resist next time and keep on truckin’.
Oh you MUST go! You would LOVE Mendocino Z.
I only went to CA once, and I only saw the area around Monterey……I think I missed a lot.
I thought of you when I was there and I pictured you headache-free.
I am so glad you added Tree Worship
Me too. Me too. I could talk about trees every day forever and never get tired of them.
Amen, amen!
And thanks ever so much for adding my blog to your roll.
All that. And to walk right up next to one and press your nose to the bark and inhale that sweetness… Ahhh.
The collapsing outward comment rings true for me. It happens whenever I make the turn and can see Hatchet Cove in Friendship ME. Doesn’t matter what the weather is, the ocean and pine trees welcome all souls.
I ventured to the Redwoods last time I was in Healdsburg! It’s the most magical place ever.
Oh Claudilene, you sound so sincere.