California 2012, Part 4

Roaring Camp & Big Trees

We gave Grandma and Grandpa Mowell (or Papa G and Grandma G as the boys call them) a bit of a break one day and took the boys down towards Santa Cruz.  There's a nice redwood forest state park down there and right next to it is Roaring Camp.  They have old steam engines (and diesels too).  They have two trips you can take.  One goes up the mountain where they used to log long ago.  That one is pulled by a steam engine.  The other trip is a diesel train that takes you all the way to Santa Cruz and drops you off at the beach and board walk.   We just had time for one trip and chose to go up the mountain on the steam engine.  The boys were fascinated!  We got to watch them back up and hook up to the open cars we got to ride in.  Then once we were all on board they pulled up a bit and filled up the engine with water.   Going through the woods in an open car is lots of fun, especially with towering redwoods all around you.  

There was one spot where a bridge was burned down in the 70's.  It used to make a loop and if you were riding in the last car, you could could be going under the engine that was pulling you!  The boys thought that was pretty cool.   Since the bridge was out, we got to go up a switchback to get to the remaining track that would continue our journey up the mountain.  It was a pretty steep grade...so much in fact, that the engine was 2 stories above the last car! 

Needless to say, the boys really want to go back again.  I think the Santa Cruz trip will be lots of fun once we dont have to work around nap time so much. :)    This train trip was so much better than Day Out with Thomas!  It was a real steam engine.  The boys talk about their train trip alot.  They can't wait to go back. 

walking thru the little western town

filling up with water

the old burned bridge

the switchback

the steam engine

the diesel engine (or "the red engine" as the boys say)

 After our train trip, we walked back over to the state park (where we parked) and walked down one path to see some of the really big trees.  It was getting close to nap time, so we didnt' have much time.  But they enjoyed getting to see some up close and personal.    They liked to walk into the cave of trees that had been burned long ago.    It's actually really hard to take pictures of these trees.  They are so big you can't possibly get even half of the tree in one picture!  So these will have to do. :)

here's the bottom of the tree (which is 17 ft wide)...

here's the top of the tree (270 ft tall)