Sadly Leaving San Diego

Well, our nearly 8 months in San Diego was nothing less than wonderful. Matt and I both are ready to see our friends and feel the comfort of our own home, but leaving was bittersweet. We've fallen head over heels for this amazing city by the sea.

I should have blogged while we were in CA. We did so much, and saw pretty much everything there is to see in San Diego. We'll have to show Matthew lots of video so that he doesn't forget his time there. Luckiest little toddler ever to have been able to do and see what he did. Now we just have to make sure he remembers. So we packed up, loaded the van, and left our home in paradise. This time we had to make room for Sadie though. We did this by shipping home one of our seats in the van. She's got enough room to stand up and turn around, but its gotta feel a bit cramped. Oh well...if we can deal, she can.

First stop on our journey home is the Sequoia National Park. I really wanted to drive up North of San Francisco to see the redwoods, but our time schedule doesn't allow for that. So instead we opted for the Sequoias, and they certainly did not disappoint. These reddish barked trees are the largest on earth. (So says the park brochure.) In fact, the General Sherman tree holds the title of the largest living thing on earth. The redwoods are taller, but this guy has a circumference of 102.6 feet! The Giant Forest where this tree stands is breath taking. It was weird going from 80 degree weather up over a mile high to 50 degrees and snow on the ground. But we've noticed that California takes pride in their diversity. Not only are there all kinds of people, but every kind of terrain, weather, and environment you can think of too.

We stayed the night in a cute little lodge on a river close by the forest. It was a very quiet and nice way to begin our trek.

Here we go again.