“The redwoods, once seen, leave a mark or create a vision that stays with you always. No one has ever successfully painted or photographed a redwood tree. The feeling they produce is not transferable. From them comes silence and awe. It's not only their unbelievable stature, nor the color which seems to shift and vary under your eyes, no, they are not like any trees we know, they are ambassadors from another time.”― John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley: In Search of America

When I was a young boy around 5th or 6th grade, we took our yearly family vacation with this particular year being out to the West Coast to see my aunt and uncle. They were living around the LA area so we had plenty of options for sightseeing side trips. The best one that still sticks with me today was the trip to the Seqouia National Forest. We loaded up the two families in the Suburban and made our way up the mountains and to the park! From the 1st moment I set my eyes on my 1st Seqouia tree, I instantly feel in love and still to this day, I am absolutely amazed every time I am in their presence. Since then, I have been to the Seqouia National Park 3 separate trips. On the Northern Boarder of CA just outside of Crescent City, is where the Redwood National Park is located. I have been there 4 different times! Each and every time, it is as amazing as the 1st!

Back in 2004, on one of my trips out to Lake Tahoe, I stopped at the Redwoods National Park for a few days camping trip. I had been in the panorama mode of shooting photographs for the newspaper and magazine and had a really nice digital SLR for that time. After the weekend of camping and shooting photos, I processed out a lot of photos and stitched together a number of Panoramas. When the photo to the left finished processing, I was floored and this has been one of my favorite photographs I ever have shot! More than a few of these images have been sold over the years in numerous sizes. One of them is a 5' tall x 24" wide canvas pieced hanging in a friends private art collection. 
Ever since I upgraded my camera to a pro level FX sensor, I have been wanting to reshoot the photo. Three years back, I tried and succeeded, but because of a technical glitch, I lost all the photos. That was sad as I had a really good one for a recreation (Back up your photos!) 

Finally, I have succeeded and recreated this shot! I am not sure though which one I like better? They are both pretty cool!
I am still on vacation and have to pass through the area on my way back to Tahoe. If the weather is good, I think I will stop again! I just can't get enough!

Until the next time, here are some photos from the day trip through the Redwoods National and State Park drive. A drive that nobody should ever miss if you are in Northern CA. You will forever be amazed at these Giants!