West Coast
October 4th – 10th
Day 43-49
We were sad to leave the ministry of Bethel behind in Redding but knew we were ready to press forward in what the Lord is leading us to. We stopped in to visit the Sequoias on our way to LA. This was the first day that I was brave enough to ride outside of my litter box. I don’t know if it was the stress of riding or just a hairball or the smell of buffalo chicken in the crock-pot but about the time mom patted me on the head to tell me she was proud of me I threw up. I’m just not handling travel days very well.
We stayed two nights right at the base of the Sequoia National Park in Three Rivers, California. We packed our bear proof cooler (Yes, that is a real thing) and took off to spend the day in the park. The drive up the mountain was a curvy windy road, Generals Highway. You can’t imagine from the base of the mountains that somewhere near 7000 feet that these giant sequoia trees will start to appear. We got to see the General Sherman tree which is the largest tree on Earth. The shear enormity of these trees was incredible. Pictures don’t do them justice. We got to spend the day playing under their canopy. We drove around them, through them, jumped on them and even hugged a few!!
The boys even decided to climb Moro Rock. This granite dome rock formation is at the center of the park and has a stairway to the top of it at 6700 ft. above sea level. Once at the top, you have a wonderful view of the park. Dad made it half of the way and decided at the last minute to chicken out and not climb it. He cited that there were no handrails or barriers on the climb. Me or the boys didn’t have a problem. HAHA. On our way out of the park, we got up close and personal with a bear in a tree. I’m just glad he stayed in the tree.
We then started making our way to Huntington Beach, CA. We left the mountains and trees for beaches and the Pacific Ocean. This is where Dad’s skills as the driver of the RV came in handy. He was able to maneuver that long RV with the jeep in tow in downtown LA traffic. It was totally worth it because our campsite was practically on the beach. Beautiful sunsets and afternoons playing on the beach are images we are never going to forget. Surf City USA, as the locals like to call it, is as beautiful a place that we have been. The weather was perfect, we nearly had the entire beach to ourselves and the sound of the waves crashing made our days here unforgettable.
22-11-16-2018 22-11-16-2018 22-11-16-2018 22-11-16-2018 22-11-16-2018 22-11-16-2018
While we were here, we wanted to see the familiar sites of LA. We loaded up and took a bus tour and became a tourist for a day. Our tour started at the famous Santa Monica Pier. From there we traveled to Venice Beach and saw Muscle Beach that Arnold Schwarzenegger made famous. We then traveled to Beverly Hills and walked along Rodeo Drive. It was here that the boys got attached to a Lamborghini. After finally prying them away from the Lambo and the expensive shops we made our way to see the Hollywood Sign from Griffith Park. From there we then entered the crazy side of LA and encountered the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Sunset Strip. It was here we could see ‘culture’ that we are not accustomed to in the Midwest. They had parts of the streets blocked off for protesters and demonstrators. I wasn’t sure what they were protesting, but they sure seemed very angry at everyone that walked by. We put our feet and hands in the concrete imprints of the famous people in front of the Mann’s Chinese Theatre.
22-11-16-2018 22-11-16-2018 22-11-16-2018 22-11-16-2018 22-11-16-2018 22-11-16-2018 22-11-16-2018 22-11-16-2019 22-11-16-2019 22-11-16-2019 22-11-16-2019 22-11-16-2019 22-11-16-2019 22-11-16-2019 22-11-16-2020 22-11-16-2019
Our plan was to go to San Diego next but we felt the Lord prompt us on to Phoenix, AZ. So, we left the beautiful beach with excitement for our next destination. We had no idea what was instore for us in Arizona.
Comments