Photo By: Carrie
Fern Canyon, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
The beauty of this place envelopes you like your favorite blanket. The light glowing, warm, subtle, soft, lighting details you would miss otherwise.
Photo By: Carrie
My boys, at first, could only jump in place or run in circles. Their hearts so ramped up there was no forward motion, just lots of squeals and giddy sounds.
You don’t know where to look first, how to do you take in all this green wonder at once. The canyon walls are 50 feet tall and lined from head to foot with lush ferns spilling over and covering every inch of the walls. The creek is glistening with warm light, reflecting the incredible scene in its waters.
Photo By: Carrie
Then there are the logs, not your typical logs mind you, these are enormous in their girth and presence. Their bark slowly smoothed away from years of lying in the place they last came to rest.
Photo By: Carrie
We made our way through the canyon slowly.
Photo By: Carrie
My boys climbed, found favorite hiding places, worked together to find the path (it was often hidden), made their own zen rock towers and their shoes and clothes were more than soaked by the end of our hike.
It is an adventure just getting here. There are multiple small creeks to forge in your car. The road was so dusty when we first turned off the main highway, I thought I had just driven into a black and white image. What a trip. I can’t wait to go back, maybe without my boys so I can actually concentrate on what I am seeing. The rains are more frequent here, the season is changing, I may have to wait until next summer. Knowing me, I will just dust off my Xtra Tuffs and venture out anyway. I don’t think I can stay away from this place for too long.
The Shady Tree 
Your photos are so clear and lovely. Like a warm blanket is the key word.
There is a new blogger you might like to connect with–not really a photographer, though she has plenty of good pictures of trees from the East coast. She is a tree lover and you can tell by the way she talks about the places her family has been.
http://sappyasatree.wordpress.com
Thanks Beth 🙂 Thanks for the suggestion, I love her blog name! This was quite a place, can’t wait to go back.
What a wonderful place. I can feel it.
Love those rock towers! 🙂
Yes! Those towers were so incredible. We came around a bend in the creek and there they were, waiting, standing, quiet. So amazing! My older boy instantly walked up river and started constructing his own. My younger son…well, I had to save them from being knocked down, Ha!
What a beautiful place. Ethereal, mysterious. I am hooked. Can’t wait to plan my own trip.
Awesome,Emilio. It is a inspiring canyon. We moved here almost a year ago…I feel grateful everyday for what I get to see! If you do make it up here, let me know. I would be happy to share what I know.