Redwoods

In many ways, the Redwoods seem like the dream American sight-see.

For one, it's an American experience- as much as the term 'American' can be invested with anything, 'big' seems about the right fit. The Redwoods are big, the biggest around, the biggest on Earth, the tallest living thing on Earth.

(That said, blue whales are pretty darn big too, and I'm not sure if you stood up a blue whale next to a redwood which would reach further into the sky.)

The trees are so tall you have to stretch out over the dash and crane your neck to the very edge of the field of vision of the windscreen, just to grasp the magnitude of their height.

For seconds, it's a car experience. Roads wind through groves thick with these trees, themselves ancient, sacred monuments for native American peoples that lived in the area. You needn't leave your car to enjoy the trees- you can drive to Jedediah Smith National Park, drive through, and drive back home. And here's the part that sealed it for me -
You can even even drive through a tree itelf

For $5, straight through a car-sized hole at base of the tree scored on the inside with technicolour stripes from close scrapes, straight through to the gift shop on the other side.

I took an early morning dip in the Pacific, 20 metres away from the door to our hostel. It was so cold my muscles ached and I didn't shiver when I came out not 3 minutes later, instead tingled all over.

That evening, as the light weakened over our black sand beach, I found myself in the water again. Champ and I played cards, drank beer and ate chips, and then suddenly saw two fins arc through the surf in front of us. They crept closer, dipping under and reappearing in another location, until it seemed they could get no closer. Trousers off, t-shirt soaked and waves towering over, I halved the distance between me and the dolphins before they didn't resurface, scared off to somewhere else. I got out once again, this time shivering.