Forums » Smalltalk » California's Oldest State Park is GONE

Hello all, Winter here.

Almost half an hour ago I got off the phone with my aunt. I asked her about how some cousin's of ours up in Santa Cruz (CA for those who might not know) were doing, as I learned from my former choir teacher's Facebook page that SC was on fire.

That's when she told me some sad news.

Big Basin Redwood State Park, a famous place to go camping...GONE. The fires up in CA destroyed it. My mom and I used to go there once a year for a week, religiously, and it's gone.

Report: California's Oldest State Park, Home To Majestic Coast Redwoods, Is 'Gone'

This saddens me greatly. I hadn't been to Big Basin in years. One of those: I wish I could go there one more time. I went camping there with my mom and my, at the time, bff. I got to help a park ranger count people with the counting clicker thing, when we gathered to listen to a story. I got to see wild life up close, even if the animals weren't alive. I even remember being able to see my first real raccoon there, because it was coming from behind our tent when walking past it. We literally stared at one another for at least a solid moment, and then the raccoon scurried away.

My aunt said that there are prisoners usually are on fire duty, but due to this covid stuff, they didn't keep prisoners around, and now there's not enough people around, and too many fires.

I'm still reeling at the thought that such a great place, that held many memories for me, is gone. And it makes me wish I hadn't been an idiot, when I was back in CA and getting rid of most of my stuff that I couldn't/didn't want to keep, and tossed away the images of me at Big Basin.

I know. What's done is done. But, geeze. This is a right shame.