California Redwoods

Iconic of Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley, with quiet strength, time-tried faithfulness, and outstretched arms, the great redwoods fill the spaces between the clearings and greet each visitor and native, alike, with a ‘welcome home’.

Driving to R2 Hillside Ranch in Aptos Hills there is a kaleidoscope of evergreen and red, the kind of company Thomas Kinkade would’ve kept year round. Each time we see these tall beauties feels like a novelty, but they have been here since the dawn of known time.

Native Americans, such as the Ohlones, used redwood for shelter, canoes, and furniture. Early settlers built the first railroads with their strong beams. Today, you can catch the coastal community finding resources in the reds for their hand-crafted surfboards, but nothing will ever compare to enjoying them in their natural, tall-standing state. They collect the cool damp of winter, filter the hot beams of summer, and remain one of our favorite things about R2 Hillside.

Something many find interesting about redwoods is that their root system is fairly shallow. Instead, their support comes from joining with the many neighboring trees around them. There is strength in numbers, and the same is true for our community.

Be sure to stop by the Nisene Marks State Park to enjoy the redwoods in all their splendor.

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

Jeremiah 17:7-8