Calaveras Big Trees State Park

One of the most beautiful things about living in Northern California are its state parks filled with protected redwood trees. We ventured over to the Calaveras Big Trees State Park, located 4 miles northeast of Arnold, California in the middle elevations of the Sierra Nevada. Calaveras became a State Park in 1931 to preserve the North Grove of giant sequoias. On this day, we chose to hike the North grove trail to the Grove Overlook trail and circle back down towards the entrance. The North Grove is quite the popular trail because it includes the 'Discovery Tree'. This tree was noted by Augustus T. Dowd in 1852 and felled in 1853, leaving a giant stump which is the only remainder of its former glory. It measured 24 feet in diameter at its base (wow!) and was determined by ring count to be 1,244 years old when felled. If you're ever in the area, make sure to check it out and learn more about redwood forests, the neighboring wildlife, and the surrounding area's gold-mining history. 

A-Frame Tour

The A-frame that Z found for our weekend in Arnold was absolutely amazing. The owner, who frequents the Alameda Point Antiques Fair, decorated the cabin with a kitschy ski lodge theme. The cabin had two bedrooms (plenty of room for more people!) and we chose to stay in the bedroom upstairs loft. This presented quite the problem for our little pig pug, since he was absolutely terrified of using the small spiral staircase that lead up to the sleeping area. Prince Finnegan had to be carried up the stairs for fear that he might topple over. In the mornings, I was able to make breakfast using the pantry's supplies and some groceries that we had purchased at the near-by market when we went out for firewood. It was nice being able to spread out in this cabin compared to our own tiny apartment in the city. I am absolutely in love with this cabin/area and hope to visit it again soon in the near future. Below are more photos of the interior with Finnegan modeling with some of the decor.