Redwoods National Park

The drive to Redwoods National Park

The great redwood trees tower above the lands. The tallest tree stands just shy of 380 feet and the largest trunk is measured at 26 feet in diameter. Some of these remarkable trees are even hidden from the public to protect the growth and natural habitat. This doesn't mean that you can't enjoy the numerous other giant trees. I do warn that Redwood National Park is a solid beautiful 5 hour drive north of San Francisco. Located in central California is Sequoia National Park, home to the Sequoia Trees that are in the same family as the Redwoods. I don't think someone not within driving range should make this trip solely to see the redwoods (unless you want to) but you could easily group this with a trip to the Bay Area.

Waves Crashing outside of Eureka, CA

We took 3 days and 2 nights on our adventure. Trevor was living in the Bay Area at the time and Becky came to visit for Thanksgiving. Figuring the city may be packed with family and most shops closed, we decided to get in touch with our nature side. We used Eureka as a base point. The drive up the 101 is very beautiful. It is full of river crossings and rolling hills. We rolled into small town Eureka late afternoon with no reservation. We had a little bit of a tough time but we eventually found a hotel. We toured around the city, visiting the old Victorian style homes that interest Becky. I hope we don't have to buy one now... It was Thanksgiving so we found a place having a great special and pigged out before our hiking adventure the next day.

We headed North to Kuchel Visitor Center. The drive along the coast was filled with power waves crashing onto the beach. It was simply incredible. Coming on a holiday had its perks... we hardly saw any people, but also we hardly saw any people to get advice on where to go! We headed down Bald Hills Rd. You will find good view points at Redwood Creek Overlook. This road also takes you to Tall Trees Grove. But you need a permit to get in and since we could not find anyone... so we went in anyways! Just kidding. When you get the permit, they give you a combo to unlock the gate. Tall Trees Grove is where the former tallest tree in the world, Libbey, stands. We headed towards Prairie Creek Visitor to access the BIG TREE.
Before this visitor center there is a nice, very easy hike (60 minutes round trip) called Lady Bird Johnson Grove Trail. Very casual walk with lots of history apparently. At the park center we took off for the Big Tree... it took all of 5 mins! But the tree was massive. Towering 300 feet tall and 21 feet in diameter. It has a 68 foot circumference. I couldn't even get a picture that captured its massive size. Try to find the "corkscrew" tree. It is 4 trees trunks intertwined to become one! We went back to Davidson Rd to head to Gold Bluffs Beach. If I would have done some research, I would have taken the Coastal Trail to get a good view of the ocean.

Fern Canyon begins where Davidson Rd ends. It was a moderate 7 mile hike, but a different view point. Most of the hike is through the gully that Jurassic Park was filmed it. The falls of the gully are 50 feet and there is lots of water. One of us was prepared for the water... the other wasn't. Davidson Rd is not paved and the wet weather had us nervous so we called it a day.




Redwood National Park has much more to offer and has plenty of campgrounds and hiking to extend the visit. Plus there are more adventures north near Crescent City.

Next to Founder's Tree

After a good night's sleep we headed south back home but made some stops along the way. Our major stop was Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Do not blow past this on hwy 101, take the 32 mile scenic drive called the Avenue of Giants. Coming south, from Eureka, the first stop is outside Pepperwood for the Gridled Tree. The tree had a large portion of its bark removed for some selfish people in the city. Somehow it survived. Heading further South towards Weott, is the best stop in my opinion. A very short, 30 minute hike will get you to Founder's Tree, Most of these trails are ADA Accessible. Founder's Tree is remarkable for the height at which limbs start. Almost 200 feet of solid trunk before the first limb. Even more remarkable is Dyerville Giant.

Ain't no way!

This was once the largest tree at 372 feet but in 1991 fell over! This is equivalent to a 30 story building! Trevor jumped the railing and climbed INTO the tree trunk. He had to CLIMB to get to the center. As we were finishing the drive we stopped in Myers Flat to attempt to drive through a redwood! But our monster Texas sized truck could not fit. We did walk through it to compromise! Here are the Top Ten Redwoods to see. The Stratosphere Giant, which is the 4th largest tree is hidden somewhere in HRNP, but the location is kept a secret... good luck!

Hanging inside Dyerville Giant!

I would love to one day do a kayaking or canoe trip through the South Fork River that flows alongside this Park.

Top 5 things for San Diego

1. Gaslamp Quarter is San Diego’s downtown. It has a vibrant night life and good eateries. Although they like to compare themselves to the French Quarter (they even have a Mardi Gras celebration) but it isn’t quite the same. Try to book your hotel near Gaslamp because the public trolley runs through the Quarter. Check out more on this area here.

2. Pay the $20 to visit the USS Midway. Located right near downtown, it’s a great way to spend an afternoon! They have self-guided tours to help you go along at your own pace, but also have very informative guided tours. Find out more here.

3. Now I could spend the ENTIRE day at the San Diego Zoo. It is top notch and the largest zoo in the world with 3,700 animals. Make sure to take a lift on the tram "Skyfari." The zoo houses some of the rarest species of animals and it is one of four US zoo’s to have giant pandas. Learn more about the zoo. Sorry for all the photos... not really.

Hanging out with the giraffes

Bears!

His companion!

Riding the Skyfari

4. The best beach to hit up is La Jolla. Only located a couple miles north of town, relaxing in the sun is a necessity. The best part is, this can basically be done year round! Play some golf at Torrey Pines and make sure to grab a bite in the downtown area.

5. Coronado Island… well not really an island, but close enough. I recommend making way towards the USS Midway, hitching a ride on the ferry, and tackling Coronado by foot. I mostly enjoyed admiring the houses, as the architecture expands more than a century. Coronado is home to many resorts, but Hotel del Coronado I thought was the nicest. Hang out on the beach too!

Interested in using the public transportation? It is cheap, easy, and will even take you down to the border! Here is their website.

Riding a Trolley!

Mexico anyone?

Things to Do and Eat in Boston

Boston from the water

Boston is a great city with a rich history. We highly encourage everyone to make it out and at least spend 3 days in Boston. The weather is very enjoyable from about May to October with enough things to do to make you ask yourself, “Why didn't I stay longer?”

What to do:

Enjoying the trail

Boston Freedom Trail

This is the quintessential  attraction for the city. It is a 2.5 mile walk through the country’s rebellious origins. This is a free walk with some admission fees to enter buildings along the way. You will see and hear names such as Ben Franklin, John Hancock, Paul Revere and many others. Check out our more in depth analysis here.

Fenway Park

Although we did not catch a game or do a tour, word is, this is a good attraction.

 

Entering Havard

Harvard and MIT Universities

Two of the most prestigious universities in the U.S. are located in Boston. Harvard has a historical background with buildings older than our country. A walk through Harvard Yard is a must and do some shopping at Harvard Square. Take a walk along the Charles River (a little long) or hop on the subway to MIT. Check out the MIT museum full of innovative exhibits by students. Take a walk down Main street and do some shopping. Don’t feel bad if you don’t get a lot of the jokes. If you are looking for some grub while over there, feed the inner nerd and go to Asgard Irish Pub. They have authentic Irish food and tons of beer to chose from.

 

Sampling some Flights!

Breweries

Boston likes beer. Sam Adams is one of the major producers that offers a tour. In our opinion, it is a little out of the way and gives the generic "large company" tour. Check out one of the local ones instead! We walked to Harpoon Brewery and enjoyed ourselves. You may have to get there early to reserve a spot on the tour ($5)  an hour ahead (reservations are in person only).  While waiting or instead of going on a tour, head over to the tasting room and enjoy a beer or a flight!

 

Hanging with some rebels

Museums

We love museums and enjoyed looking at what MIT had to offer. We also checked out the Boston Tea Party Ship Museum which uses live actors to reenact the events that took place the night the tea was dumped into the harbor. The Boston Massacre Museum (housed in the Old South Meeting House on the Freedom Trail) explained the events that led up to the incident and located in the building the massacre occurred in front of. Some attractions even offer free explanations, like aboard the USS Constitution.

Right across from Daily Catch

Food and Beer

The North End will have everything you need. Located in the heart of Boston and nick named "Little Italy," the North End has delicioius food, beer, and desserts. We finished off our Freedom Trail at the restaurant Daily Catch which boasts a Sicilian-style seafood. It is a small kitchen with 6 tables and CASH ONLY. There may be a little wait, but totally worth it.  Right across the street is Mike's Pastry for dessert, like a delicious cannoli.

The feud is a street battle!

The Union Oyster House has always been a tourist favorite as being the oldest restaurant in America. We didn’t think the hour and a half wait was worth it, so we just hopped in a neighboring restaurant called the Blackstone Grill and tried some delicious homemade meatloaf. 

Now as far as beer goes... there is a little feud going on as to which bar is the oldest, Bell in Hand Tavern or Green Dragon Tavern. The Green Dragon Tavern is an Irish pub that serves some local favorites such as a lobster roll and clam chowder. You really can't go wrong for beer.

 For breakfast, we went to check out Maria's Pastry (which rivals Mike's) but it was closed so we went next door to Bread + Butter. It was decent, but no Mike’s or Maria’s. If you want lunch on the water, we had a good meal at the Legal Seafood on the Long Wharf overlooking the water.

 

Sit back and relax!

Transportation

Boston is a small city in area and very walkable. To get to outlying attractions in surrounding areas for destinations like Harvard/MIT, take the subway. It costs $2.65 one way. If you know you will be traveling a lot by subway, get a day pass or week pass. We invested in the week pass for $18 and it was definitely worth it.

Taxis are common and easy to get. You will pay more for some convenience. Try downloading the Uber app and give that a shot. We used it to get from the airport at 1am (after subway stopped) and it saved us a good hour from waiting in the taxi line.

Buses are very efficient and full of all sorts of people. We only used the bus when we were by MIT, but they are all around the city. Look up their route online.

We used the commuter rail to visit Salem. It cost us $29  for the 30 minute ride. Not a bad deal! See where else you can get to!

Outside Boston

Boston is nice, but like mentioned above, we took a day trip to Salem. Salem takes Halloween very seriously and we visited a week before Halloween, so it was a must and it was worth it! There was so much to do that our original half day plan turned into a full day. We checked out the Witch House and the Witch Museum. If we were to do it again, we would say skip the long line at the Witch Museum and go to the hanging ground. They have a live reenactment of the famous witch hunt. Famous Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote his Seven Gables book based off a home he visited frequently located in Salem. Check out the tour at Seven Gables to learn more. 

Before you go, pick up some candy at the oldest candy store in America across the street from The House of Seven Gables at the Ye Olde Pepper Candy Companie. We went during a very festive time with local arts and craft tents set up all along the main pass and a nice carnival-like set up across from the Witch Museum. It was relaxing with exceptionally good people watching!

Boston Cost Breakdown: Do More With Less

As guest blogger Ryan Latone always tells us, "Do more with less". We practice this in our every day lives as well as on our travels. Unfortunately, Americans do not believe in vacation days the same way other countries do, so we already START with LESS. We spent 3 days and 4 nights in Boston for this visit (only 2 vacation days). Below is the cost breakdown.

Category	Total	Per Person
Flight	$300	$150
Transportation	$126	$63
Activities	$159	$80
Food	$312	$156
Accommodations	$308	$154
Gifts	$62	$31
Total	$1,267	$634

The big money saver were flights and accommodations. This DID NOT involve using any type of rewards (hotels or credit card). This was purely looking for deals. Deals can help you do more with less. 

Flights
On average, people like planning in advance. They love having their flight booked and a roof over their head. We can't blame them, it is a great feeling to know everything is done... but what is it worth? United has "last minute" deals that are very time restricted. The offer usually has to be purchased by the end of the week and actually take off by then too. Typically the trip ranges 3-6 days. Southwest has a similar offer, but it is seasonal and usually gives you more time the prepare. This is actually how we found our flight to Boston. For those that need the comfort of purchase in advance, United has a Special Offer page.

Get with your preferred airline and set e-mail alerts for deals and specials! You are only hurting your wallet if you don't!

Sleeping

Accommodations are a make or break deal for vacations. After all, you do spend about a third of your day in your bed.  For us, that is all we use it for... and storage for our luggage. There are many types of accommodations, including hotels, condos, hostels, bed and breakfasts, and apartments. We wrote a compare and contrast article for Hostels and Hotels, but don't let that limit your choices. Hostels aren't as prevalent in America as they are in Europe. Bed and Breakfast places are usually in remote locations. Renting apartments/condos is on the rise though. We tried out AirBnB which does exactly that. Guest Blogger Ryan Latone tried this in Puerto Rico with great success, so we gave it a shot. We found a great deal and honestly, we got what we paid for. It was a bed in a room with a shared bathroom. Not once did we see the other guest. Our room had it's own key and we had clean sheets... we were set. 

Don't be afraid to try new things.

Budget travelling makes you feel so accomplished that so much was done on so little. Check out some of our previous trips like 9 days in Alaska for $150/day or Saving while visiting Chicago on a holiday weekend

Boston Freedom Trail 2014 (Video)

Put together our experience of the Freedom Trail from start to finish. Let us know what you think!

Boston Freedom Trail

Boston’s Freedom Trail is a 2.5 mile path that weaves throughout Boston passing 16 of our country’s significant landmarks. Most of these sites helped form this nation in the early rebellious years. The entire path is notable marked by red bricks. The unofficial starting point is the Boston Commons and the Visitor Center there will provide trail information, maps and other gifts. The walk is easy, free, and you control the pace. The visitor center does offer guided tours that are dependent on weather and it should be noted are only 90 mins with admission to ONE site that charges a fee. The guide will provide information not known otherwise, but we recommend going on your own.

Start off at the country’s oldest public park, Boston Common. The Boston Common was used by the public for just about everything: concerts, duels, public celebrations and even hangings. The Visitor Center neighbors the Common.

Follow the red brick road through the park to the current State House. John Hancock originally owned the land on Beacon Hill, but in 1798 the State House was completed. Head inside to view the decorative designs and the gold dome.

After the construction in 1809, the Park Street Church was the first thing travelers saw coming into Boston for many years. William Llyod Garrison gave his first public anti-slavery address here. Also in 1832, My Country ‘Tis of Thee was first recited here.

Granary Burying Ground is the 3^rd oldest cemetery in Boston and has many of the country’s founding fathers claiming this as their final resting place. Some of these famous Bostonians are John Hancock, Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, Peter Faneuil, all five men who were killed in the Boston Massacre, and many others.

The King’s Chapel became America’s first Unitarian Church. Condemned prisoners heard their last sermon here before being marched to Boston Common to be hung. President George Washington made a visit in 1789 while in Boston.

In front of Old City Hall lays a reminiscence of the site of America’s first public school, Boston Latin School. Erected in 1635, the school taught some of America’s greats, including John Hancock, Samuel Adams, Ralph Waldo Emmerson, and Ben Franklin who has a commemorating statue in front of the Old City Hall.

At the end of the street is the Old Corner Bookstore. The original building was home to Anne Hutchinson, who was banished for unorthodox religious views. However, the Bookstore went on to publish works by Dickens, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Emmerson, Longfellow, and many more.

The Old South Meeting House was built in 1729 and is the second oldest church in Boston. As the largest building in colonial Boston, it was used for public meetings, the most famous being when over 5,000 angry Bostonians showed up to protest a tax on tea on December 16, 1773. This site does have an entry fee.

Where the Boston Massacre Took Place

The British used the Old State House as their governing office during colonial times. This was the center of political and commercial life for Boston. Pay the entrance fee to tour the museum and learn more about the Boston Massacre because just below the balcony is where this famous incident occurred. The Declaration of Independence was recited from this balcony.

Right around the corner is Faneuil Hall. Faneuil gave this building as a gift in 1742. This building served as a meeting place and open market. Even today it sticks to its roots and has vendors set up inside selling a variety of things.

Make your way through the North End to Paul Revere’s House. There is a $5 entrance fee to view this house built around 1680. It might be hard to imagine that up to 8 of Revere’s 16 children lived in this house with him.

The story “one if by land, two if by sea” began at the Old North Church. On Paul Revere’s famous midnight ride, it was Sexton Robert Newman that hung 2 lanterns to warn Charleston (across the river) of British troops invading.

Inside Daily Catch

Break here for some good eating. We highly recommend Daily Catch for some Sicilian style seafood. If you are looking for desserts, go to Mike's Pastry or Maria's Pastry if you want to pick something on the way to Charleston.

We ended our freedom trail here for day 1, but came back the next day to finish it up.

The Bunker Hill Monument commemorates the Battle of Bunker Hill, one of the bloodiest battles of the American Revolution on June 17, 1775. Climb the 295 steps to the top of the monument to get great 360 degree views of Boston.

The USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world. Built in 1797, her nickname Ironsides was earned during the War of 1812, as British cannon balls bounced off her hull. Hop aboard and listen to a U.S. Navy sailor give a tour of the warship.

View of Boston from the water

After touring the USS Constitution, walk over to the water shuttle to take back to the Long Wharf ($3.25 one way).