Oh boy do I have a story about Shelter Cove. When we were searching for a stopping point close to the redwoods and the coast, Shelter Cove came up. The pictures were pleasant and one of the inns had a couple rooms available, so we thought, “Why not?” Let’s book it.”

So it turns out that Shelter Cove is actually relatively remote. So remote, in fact, that there’s only one road in and out. And this road isn’t your average road; it’s a two-lane road that winds up and down through the mountains until you descend into Shelter Cove.

Let’s just say that driving this road was experience. We had no idea it would be like that and by the time we made it to that road, it was starting to get dark. It’s a twelve-mile stretch that takes around 40-45 (harrowing) minutes to drive. We were driving cautiously because we were completely unfamiliar with the road, which made some of the locals behind us very impatient. More than once, we had to find a carveout in the road and pull over so that someone could pass us. As their car went careening around a corner, I wondered how it was possible that they didn’t drive right off the cliff!

I’ve never been carsick or even queasy in a car before, but I discovered on this trip that winding high-speed highways make me very uncomfortable. I wasn’t even driving on this road, but I was watching it like a hawk, particularly around every hairpin turn.

When we finally arrived in Shelter Cove, I was still uneasy because I knew we’d have to travel that same road back out the next day. But, here’s the happiest part of the story- when my sister and I chose Shelter Cove, we picked it solely for its proximity to the redwoods. It turns out that my parents actually know a couple that lives in Shelter Cove, two friends that they’d made many years ago when we were still babies. My parents had been meaning to visit this couple in Shelter Cove for ages, but hadn’t gotten around to it yet. Then, out of the blue, we picked this destination as a resting point, my parents recalled that their friends live in Shelter Cove, they called them up to let them know we were passing through, and we met up with them the next day!

My parents and their friends hadn’t seen each other in over ten years, so it was a very happy reunion. And, after realizing how remote it is, my parents were even more grateful. Who knows when we’ll ever be making that trip again?! Despite the frightening road, I’m really glad my parents had the opportunity to visit with their friends. Once I recovered from the drive and had a chance to properly look around in the daylight, I realized that Shelter Cove really is a beautiful little spot.

And with that, I’m concluding my recap of last year’s road trip (if you missed any of the previous posts, you can catch up here)! I hope you enjoyed reading about our trip. The next travel posts will be about Seattle and Vancouver and I’m aiming to get them up sometime this year (hopefully it will be sooner rather than later, but with my track record, it could take me months!).

Despite living in California for most of my life, I’d never seen any redwoods or been to one of the state parks until last summer. As we were heading back home after our stay on the Oregon Coast, we’d planned to split the drive back into two portions (because it was crazy to make a 14-18 drive in one day). For the first leg of the trip home, we were going to spend the night in Shelter Cove, but we first we’d stop at Humboldt Redwoods State Park on our way.

I’d seen these massive trees in pictures before, but it’s entirely different seeing them in person. It was both awe-inspiring and humbling. As we walked along the paths, the wind rustled through the leaves and the grass. The sound was both soothing and peaceful.

When we planned this trip, I did want to stop and see the redwoods, but I didn’t expect to enjoy the experience as much as I did. There really is something fascinating about being outdoors and exploring. That particular day, it felt like we had the park entirely to ourselves. I could have spent much more time picking my way around fallen branches and listening to the sounds of nature.