The Redwoods : A Writer's Dream Come True

by Regina Gort

My husband and I recently celebrated our 10-year wedding anniversary by taking a trip to the Redwoods.

It was the first time away from our three girls for an extended amount of time. It was the honeymoon we couldn't afford at the time we got married and would haven't truly appreciated then anyway. To even plan the trip was a feat.

But we got there.

We flew into Portland, Oregon and then drove out to the coast and followed the ocean down Highway 1 to the Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park. We stayed at a cabin right on the Smith River.

And every morning we read poetry, wrote and then headed out the door for a 6-mile hike. But nothing could prepare me for seeing the Redwoods. I had seen documentaries and photos. And I knew that they would be big.

But nothing prepared me for the magic.

Being in a forest of giants was beyond words. So much so that I couldn't write about them. I wrote about the ocean, the birds, rocks and even banana slugs.

Never before had I been silenced by such beauty.

That's how I knew I had found a muse. The trees sparked this desire, this longing to hear their words. So instead of trying to capture them, I simply enjoyed them.

The best part is that I brought them home with me. And I will spend my lifetime in the branches of the Redwoods, no matter where I am.