In her Sentinel article, Anne Parker mentioned our open invitation to Q&T patrons to join us for a casual stroll through the redwoods with our comical troop of Dwarf Nigerian goats. We usually take the goats out for a walk in the woods after closing time, weather and social schedules permitting. No leashes required! The goats stick together and with us out of primal herd instinct – nobody wants to be left alone in the deep dark woods!
If we linger in one spot for too long (about 15 minutes) the goats will get comfortable and start to spread out through the underbrush which can make it a little more difficult to persuade them to get moving again.
Simple solution: keep moving! A casual stroll gives them plenty of time to munch on oak leaves, redwood and fir needles, and all sorts of other forestry foodstuffs while still tickling the “don’t get left behind” instinct.
If you’re interested in joining us for a “goat-guided tour” of the redwoods, mention “Goat Tour” in the comments section when booking your online reservation or by phone. The goat walk takes place after we’ve concluded our tea service for the day, so book your tea time towards the end of the day – 3pm is ideal.
Wear sensible close-toed shoes appropriate for walking unpaved, unimproved, up and down sloping forest trails. Some folks prefer to change into hiking shoes after tea to avoid clomp-clomp-clomping through the tea room. Bug repellent is a good idea, as is a light weight long sleeve shirt or pullover – it gets chilly in the deep shade of the redwoods even in mid summer, and sleeves help keep the bugs at bay. Goat-like hill climbing skills are not required but the trail does involve up and down slopes with the usual forest debris.
Goats really, really, really dislike getting wet. If it’s raining or even lightly drizzling at goat walk time, they won’t come out. If the rain stops by mid afternoon, there’s a fair chance that the goats will be in a better mood and available for “walkies.” We appreciate your understanding if we have to cancel a goat walk due to weather.
The forest trail is not wheelchair accessible, but the goats certainly are. Give us a call and we’ll figure out a route so that everyone in your party can enjoy time with the goats.
Trail length is approximately one mile (can be shortened) and total ascent about 500 feet. A goat walk typically takes about an hour to complete.
