Can a vacation in Humboldt County help a family disconnect from tech?

Strolling among stands of coastal redwoods in California's Humboldt Redwoods State Park with my husband and two young children, I began to sense a family connection that I hadn’t felt in a while.

Together, we inhaled the earthy smell of soil, bark, and mist. We craned our necks upward to see the crowns of the majestic trees. We hushed our voices and kept our eyes peeled for glimpses of Steller’s jays. 

Suddenly, Devan, my 6-year-old son, stooped and gingerly stuck his head into a hollowed-out tree trunk.

“Anything good inside?” I asked.

“I wanted to see if there was an animal,” he replied as he retracted his head.

He was hoping for a den of black bears or maybe a family of chipmunks, he said. His 10-year-old sister, Diya, snickered, explaining that a bear, if the tree trunk was even home to one, was probably off looking for food. In that moment, as we stood in the middle of a forest, our frivolous family discussion about the whereabouts of a bear felt just right.

Of course, that’s easier said than done. Like many parents, we had relaxed some screen rules during the pandemic and were slowly weaning the kids off their devices again. I had packed audiobooks and crafts for the kids, but they weren’t so easily amused, and I, myself, had to fight the urge to constantly check my phone for texts. But by the time we reached Humboldt County, a week into our trip, I felt we were all beginning to shed our tech dependency.

Early one morning we met Justin Legge, who offers private tours of the park’s ancient forest through Benbow Historic Inn. Considered the tallest living things on Earth, redwoods—some more than 2,000 years old—thrive on the Pacific coast between Big Sur and southern Oregon thanks to all the moisture and fog.

In Founders Grove, Justin invited Devan and Diya to touch, and even hug, the trees and climb over fallen logs. He prodded us to examine the emerald-green ferns and three-leaved redwood sorrel spread around the base of the trees like a carpet.

As we walked, Justin pointed to the lichen growing on the tree limbs and quipped: “Alice algae met Freddie fungi and they took a lichen to each other.” We all laughed, feeling at ease. Later, Justin showed us how to take vertical panoramas of the soaring redwoods and we posed for family photos.

Before leaving the park, we drove on the Avenue of the Giants, which runs alongside US Highway 101 and the Eel River. No YouTube video can match the magical forest landscape that scrolled past in real time. By the end of the day, we could tell from our children’s calm demeanors that they were falling under nature’s spell. As a parent, I was feeling smug about slaying the tech monster, even for a short while.

Study after study touts the positive benefits of time spent outdoors—everything from improved physical and mental health to increased cognitive function. While growing up in the New York suburbs, my hardworking immigrant parents had little free time to take me on forest adventures, so I was especially eager for my kids to have these experiences.

Towering trees aren’t the only amazing living creatures to behold in Humboldt County. At Sequoia Park Zoo in Eureka, we met the 2 resident red pandas, Sumo and Cinni. Accompanied by a zookeeper, we were allowed to enter their enclosure and assist in feeding chopped apples and grapes to the curious creatures. While watching the pandas, Diya recalled seeing a red panda on the cover of a Nat Geo Kids magazine, but this was so much better: The pandas were right in front of us.

We learned that in the Himalayas, the pandas spend most of their time in trees, so they are in their element among the redwoods. We got a chance to see the forest from a panda’s perspective on the zoo’s new Redwood Sky Walk, a series of 9 platforms and 8 bridges suspended 100 feet above the ground. Diya and Devan observed the trees’ bark, leaves, and sap drippings from each platform before scurrying across the wobbly bridges. Mitul, an avid bird-watcher, appreciated the bird’s-eye view.

“We’re up so high,” Diya squealed as she traipsed along the walkways. “I’m a little scared. But it’s fun!” 

After a couple of days of exploring forests, we were ready for a change of scenery, so we headed toward the coast and the charming beach town of Trinidad (population: around 320). Late-1800s pastel-hued Victorian-style buildings dot its pint-size downtown. On the long wooden pier, locals fish for salmon, halibut, and Dungeness crabs. 

The fog cleared just as we arrived in the early afternoon to reveal a small beach with jagged rocks. At College Cove, we rolled up our pant legs and made a game of jumping over waves as they rolled in. We drew pictures in the sand using twigs and driftwood. We collected seashells, including a white grooved shell the size of a pinkie nail that Devan proclaimed was the tiniest he’d ever found. Nature entertained us for the entire afternoon. No devices needed.

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Visiting Humboldt County

Visithumboldt.com has information on the redwoods, beaches, hiking, towns, and more.

What to do

Get your bearings at Humboldt Redwoods State Park, about 220 miles north of San Francisco. Start at Founders Grove, stopping to see the fallen Dyerville Giant, then make your way to the Rockefeller Forest, which has an easy 0.7-mile loop trail.