Hello from Northern California and Avenue of the Giants!

On the agenda today was exploring the massive redwoods I have so longed to be surrounded by. There was going to be nothing stopping me from seeing these puppies…

No rainstorm, traffic jam, or a sleepy Lemonhead could keep me away!  I’ve read outstanding reviews on the 31-mile scenic drive known as Avenue of the Giants. And boy it didn’t disappoint…..

Welcome to the other side of the rabbit hole my friends! Let’s Follow the Magic…

We started the Auto Tour at the north entrance, which was off Hwy 101 in Phillipsville. If you were starting the tour from the South you would enter in Pepperwood. You can find out more information on the tour here. Also along the way you can exit and get back on Hwy 101 if you aren’t interested in traveling the full 31-miles.

There are places to pull over along the auto tour to get out and take pictures of the natural beauty that surrounds you. Make sure you pick up an auto tour brochure when you enter to help understand the history of the Avenue of the Giants.

After pulling off the road a couple times, to check out our surroundings, we decided to head to one of the drive-thru trees located here in Northern California. I’m not sure how many there are located here, but this one is along Avenue of the Giants. It’s the Shrine Drive Thru Tree, the tree is 175 ft tall, 3,000 years old and located in Myer Flat.  It was $6.00 to drive thru and that money provided us with a good amount of giggles and an overload of photos.

I didn’t get to actually drive thru the tree since I was on photo duty. But when my mom decided to get Lemon actively involved in the photo shoot it was worth taking one for the team to be the photographer!

There were some other fun photo opportunities after you drive thru the tree. Like these adorable “tree houses”!

What a day…What a day. I’m sitting here with a smile from ear to ear. I love a day full of nature and all it’s glory.

Oh I should also note there are trails you can hike on Avenue of the Giants… but they aren’t dog friendly so we settled for sticking to the road, which believe me is still incredibly worth it and enjoyable.

See you tomorrow, adventure awaits!