alone, together

one day in march.....

after our drive down the coast, 

the road began to wind, and the sky began to darken. 

and darken. 

and darken.

the forrest grew thicker, the sky seemed further away. 

and then, the sky was gone.

we pulled in to our campsite, and turned the off the car lights. 

nothing. 

no light for our eyes to adjust to. 

the moon hid behind clouds, the giant trees has swallowed any sight of stars. 

the trees were drip dropping down on to us, still full from the previous day's rain.

we laughed. 

where were we?

with lights, we made our way to our tiny cabin and began to set up. 

a fire. 

a giant sleeping bag. 

s'mores ingredients (of course).

we stayed cozy as outside temperatures dropped.

just us, alone, in our little home for the night.

We woke to birds, and the sound of the trees still raining on our roof.

Oatmeal on the stove,

packing for the day.

Since the last time we were among giants, 

I have had the pull to go back to one of the many redwood forrests scattered along the California coast, and run. 

and run and run. 

run though these giant creatures that I fell in love with last summer.

So we did. 

With our lunch and cameras packed, 

we set off.

down down down. 

A quick descent, 

stopping for photos, 

and to our delight, a few climbs over recently fallen trees. 

and it was just us. 

we met a few other hikers, but we were alone for the most of our afternoon.

it became our playground. 

Running over tress. Under trees. Through trees! 

Have you ever ran literally THROUGH a tree?! 

We stopped for lunch at Berry Creek Falls.

This was followed by a series of water falls and natural water slides.....I felt like we were in an enchanted forrest. 

I think we were.

And then began our long (sloooooow) climb back up. 

4600 feet of elevation gain in our 11-mile loop. 

Our legs were on FIRE.

and I wish I could do it again right now. 

There is no feeling like running in a forrest so thick that you have no idea what's around 

the next bend. 

I highly recommend it.

all photos taken in Big Basin State Park in California

please do not use without linking to source......me.

The end.

How To

*We had known we wanted to camp this trip, but didn't want to have to bring our tent from hundreds of miles away, set it up in the dark, and only use if for a few hours--so finding these tent cabins was perfect for us this time. I think they would be a great way to try out camping--test the waters if you're unsure about it. Each cabin has two "beds" (basically the most uncomfortable "matress" you've ever slept on--but hey, you're camping!), a wood stove and a table. 

If you find yourself in the Big Basin area, check them out (here). 

We can't wait to take the kids back.

If you are in other parts of the country, I have found that there are similar options all over.

Bring your food, a pot/bowl/mug, lights, sleeping bags and your board games!

*We found the perfect "lunch" for an afternoon spent running was high calorie fruit and nut bars, (I love ProBars), mixed nuts, jerky, and lots and lots of water. Easy to pack, lightweight--both in our packs and our tummies, lots of energy.