On this morning, we had to say farewell to Rett and Donna, who had a prior commitment. We will miss you two!
After a nice continental breakfast at the hotel, we all lined up for a drive into Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. We stopped at Subway to pick up our sandwiches for our picnic lunch and were on the road. We had a nice winding drive through some farmland, and then began climbing, and climbing, and climbing. We entered King’s Canyon National Park, and there they were...red giants. This is the Land of Giants. This landscape testifies to nature’s size, beauty and diversity---huge mountains, rugged foothills, deep canyons, vast caverns and the world’s largest trees. In these groves of giant trees, we all seemed so small. Our cars were like little matchbox cars against a backdrop of these massive trees! The stillness in these groves was deafening. To take a moment to stop and listen meant you could possibly hear what these giants were whispering to each other and to us. The smell of the pine needles was intoxicating. To experience this was to breathe in nature...to be reminded what a beautiful earth we have, right here in the United States. <sigh>
After a nice continental breakfast at the hotel, we all lined up for a drive into Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. We stopped at Subway to pick up our sandwiches for our picnic lunch and were on the road. We had a nice winding drive through some farmland, and then began climbing, and climbing, and climbing. We entered King’s Canyon National Park, and there they were...red giants. This is the Land of Giants. This landscape testifies to nature’s size, beauty and diversity---huge mountains, rugged foothills, deep canyons, vast caverns and the world’s largest trees. In these groves of giant trees, we all seemed so small. Our cars were like little matchbox cars against a backdrop of these massive trees! The stillness in these groves was deafening. To take a moment to stop and listen meant you could possibly hear what these giants were whispering to each other and to us. The smell of the pine needles was intoxicating. To experience this was to breathe in nature...to be reminded what a beautiful earth we have, right here in the United States. <sigh>
We saw massive trees like General Grant Tree. The tree was named in 1867 after Ulysses S. Grant, Union Army general and the 18th President of the United States (1869–1877). President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed it the "Nation's Christmas Tree" on April 28, 1926. Due in large part to its huge base, the General Grant tree was thought to be the largest tree in the world prior to 1931, when the first precise measurements indicated that the General Sherman was slightly larger. On March 29, 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower declared the tree a "National Shrine", a memorial to those who died in war. It is the only living object to be so declared. In a nutshell, this tree was BIG.
From this grove, we were on our way to Zumwalt Meadow for a picnic lunch. Picnics are such a special way to enjoy our parks! We were alongside the King’s River, and visited by beautifully colored stellar jay birds. No need for music! The music of the babbling river and the singing birds was a beautiful symphony. <sigh>
After lunch, we were on our own to explore! We drove into Sequoia National Park to visit the General Sherman Tree. The General Sherman Tree is neither the tallest known living tree on Earth (that distinction belongs to the Hyperion tree, a coast redwood), nor is it the widest (both the largest cypress and largest baobab have a greater diameter), nor is it the oldest known living tree on Earth (that distinction belongs to a great basin bristlecone pine). With a height of 275 ft, a diameter of 25 ft, an estimated bole volume of 52,513 cu ft, and an estimated age of 2,300–2,700 years, it is nevertheless among the tallest, widest and longest-lived of all trees on the planet. We had quite a walk down hill to see this giant. And an even longer walk back UP this hill to the car. But it was worth it to be in the presence of these massive giant trees.
On the way out of the park, we had a nice little greeting from a tiny Sequoia National Park resident: a bear cub! Wow---what a nice surprise. We snapped a few pictures and drove off before mama bear decided to appear and possibly mistake the Plum Crazy Challenger for a scratching post.
What a wonderful experience here in two of my favorite National Parks! I have a feeling that they are the favorite parks of many of our tour participants as well!
We headed back to the hotel and headed to dinner at Salsa’s Cantina across the street. It was delicious. No nightly meeting tonight--too tired! Tomorrow, we head to the ocean and another castle awaits!
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