California # 2- Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks

I was going to do a blog post on these two parks and Yosemite but there was so much to see today that I need to do two posts. 

  

First, I need to mention the National Parks Senior Pass.  There was a $20.00 admissions fee to enter the parks.  With our pass, it was free.  Anyone who is a senior and plans to visit our national treasures needs to go to a park and get one.  It costs a one time fee of $5.00 and it's good for life.  It pays to be old.

 

We entered the park at the Big Stump entrance on Route 180. 

 

 

 

  The Sierra Nevada Mountains are some of the most beautiful in this country.  These trees only grow in this range at elevations between 5000 and 8000 feet.  They are found nowhere else on earth.

 

The drive through the park looked like this during the entire day.  There were many 8% grades hairpin turns and switchbacks on the road. 

 

 

 

 

There was quite a bit of snow on the sides of the road at the higher elevations but the temperature was in the 60's, very comfortable. 

 

 

 

  For the first half of the day, we had the park practically to ourselves.

We stopped for lunch at the Montecito-Sequoia Lodge.  We were the only ones eating except for the staff.

 

 

 

  This was the view from the deck while we had a cup of coffee and waited for lunch to be served. 

 

 

 

Then we headed for the big trees.  This is a tree that fell many years ago.

 

A tunnel was cut into it so people could walk through it on the way to The General Sherman Tree.

 

This is the largest tree on earth for sheer mass.  There are other taller and older trees but the General Sherman is the biggest.  It's over 2000 years old and 102 feet around at the base. 

 

 

 

 

These trees are massive.  They are very fast growing and can produce enough new wood to make a 60 foot tree of any other species every year.

 

 

These trees can grow to be over 3000 years old. 

 

 

We reached the top! The views are breathtaking!

(and so was the drive down)

 

 

 

 

These are views of the San Joaquin Valley. It was full of fog today.

 

 

 

 

 

This view of Kings Canyon shows the beautiful spectrum of colors in the sky.

 

 

 

We drove the length of Generals Highway through the park and exited the Ash Mountain gate at the south end of the park. 

 

 

We followed the river down the mountains to the valley below where the dam makes a lake which is a great playground for visitors.

 

 

We had a very full day but one we won't soon forget.