24 hours of perfect

after leaving shell beach we made our way south to stay overnight in the little town of ferndale. it's known as 'the victorian village'. the entire town is a historic landmark.. it's a time capsule.
after finding a spot at the local RV park, which was on their circa 1912 fairgrounds property... we chased the sunset down to the beach.

10 minutes outside of town..over bumpy country roads, past victorian farmhouses surrounded by stately palms, and through sunshine that was pooling like liquid gold on every surface...
we found magic.

i grabbed all my ingredients for tacos and ran for the beach... yes that's my can opener. an unplanned beach dinner means i'm opening cans of refried beans while balancing a taco shell between my knees. it can be done. :)

i feel the need to tell you that none of the pictures in this entire post have been edited. no pooly golden light has been added.. no magic sunbeams.. no contrast boosted.. nothing. it was just simply this beautiful.
this night has become a sweet spot in my heart. 
a surprise party for beauty and perfect and all things wonderful. 
things are never as perfect as they seem.. except this. this was. this was innocent joy and sweet laughter. this was all things special wrapped up in one lovely evening.

i adore when magic catches me unaware. i work so hard to plan and scheme the best parts of my life... i want to see, and do and be everything... i am a determined life marrow sucker. i can't help it. but the most magical moments are the ones that arrive as a gift... like a campfire by a full moon that i thought was a dream gone bye.

sometimes life is so good i could cry for the love of it.

the next day we strolled the victorian streets of ferndale. cuteness overload. cutecutecutecutecute. 
if it weren't for all the ugly modern cars. as a public service we parked our giant camper with the weird picture of random kids on the door (have you noticed that??) on a side street. we do what we can. :)

first stop was fresh doughnuts and coffee...

can you believe that of ALL the states, and of ALL the teams to love.... i found myself right back in husker country. the love of nebraska is persistent. i will give it that.

next up was a spin through the tiny town museum. i love the victorian architecture.. but their decorating style makes me cringe. somebody needs to get some humor up in here.

little peaks into yards with hot pink doors on old white houses make me insanely happy. nate just smiles and nods. :)

pretty old churches...

pretty old graveyards...

pretty happy lauren.
i bought a loaf of still warm bread at the local bakery and a pack of fresh organic butter from the local creamery for lunch.

grayson is on the ground a lot. he actually asked me can i go outside so i can lay down on the sidewalk? errr.. sure. who am i to really say what is and isn't normal?  i pose with my bread and butter because i like it so much, so yes sidewalk laying is fine.

after lunch we were on to the 'avenue of the giants'... the 30 mile stretch of road that holds some of the largest and oldest trees in the world.
i had high hopes.. with a healthy dose of skepticism. it had gotten talked up in all the tourist mags and internet sites and sometimes those destinations just never seem to be able to deliver. too many feet walking the same path, to see the same thing...


we steered off the interstate onto the old highway to take the ancient scenic route. it was immediately dark and cool even though it was in the middle of the afternoon. we passed a couple of groves until i grabbed nate's arm and said pull over.. i have to see this. i got out just to take a couple of pictures... it is somewhat difficult to describe the feeling that hits you the moment you step out of your world and into that one. there is this silence and awe that is tangible... like you actually picked up awestruck on your way in and can't put it down. it sits heavy on you and yet you actually feel lighter. the air feels different. softer. the light plays hide and seek between the trees.. some moments you are standing in halos of warm sun and in the next step you are completely sheltered in cool shadows.


i ran off to take pictures and i completely forgot to come back.

my family did eventually tumble out after me. we ran into each other and exchanged the knowing look of is this for real?!? dreamy is a cheap substitute for the feeling in that forest.

i'm going to go with :

e·the·re·al/iˈTHi(ə)rēəl/

Adjective:

Extremely delicate and light in a way that seems too perfect for this world. Heavenly or spiritual: "ethereal, otherworldly visions".

many of these trees sprouted during the roman empire. they have seen america born. they have heard God's whispers in their canopies for two thousand years. they are the oldest living things in the world. they have earned every inch of their massive reputation.

throughout the forest there were fallen trees. massive roots sticking forty feet up into the air. this one we happened upon had been eroded through the center with decades of rainfall making a small, child size tunnel right through the middle....

a child size hole calls for child size adventurers... i have a couple of those. :)

this grove was not on any list of must see spots... but hank and florence know their trees. thank you saddlers.

we wanted to see the founders grove. the original grove that the conservationists took presidents and millionaires... when the redwood forests were in danger of being logged to non existence they hung their hopes on the trees doing the speaking for them. they did and they were saved.


on our way out there ari said, "oh mama i love your crown!! its so beautiful! where did you get it?"
i answered, "what crown?"
only to be told i had picked up a crown while frolicking back at hank and florence's place. :)

so she wanted me to make her one too. :)

grayson knelt by the roadside in deep concentration.. he stood up saying "i have my heart for you! you can keep it!"
you bet your sweet cheeks i will.

and luci got one too. :)

the sun shot arrows through the treetops piercing the space around you... until.. well until you basically felt like you got dive bombed by magic. like everything mysterious and wonderful and ancient just went and bombed you with magic pixie dust... can i be more clear than that? :)

ari wanted to take pictures of us....

kissing in the pixie dust. any minute now kamikaze unicorns are going to come stampeding through this magic loving party. ethereal baby.

dusk comes early in the redwoods.. so it was back to our matchbox RV for us.

days aren't always perfect. this masterpiece was immediately followed by a particularly frustrating day where we couldn't find our RV park and were lost in wine country at midnight with not a walmart parking lot to be seen. it happens. 

but i can pull out this day and i can turn it over and over in my heart and know.. 

i hold this truth to be self evident... i have had 24 hours of perfect. :)

linking up with chatting at the sky's tuesdays unwrapped.

go read more accounts of gifts in days there...:)