If we thought the two days we spent in Death Valley National Park flew by the fighter jets that surprised us overhead on our way out suddenly made us feel like time stood still.
A low rumble that seemed to be in the far off distance was upon us before we could look up. By the time we managed to get out of the car they were gone, but not for long. It was as if they saw us there and came back around for an encore performance and yet we still were caught unprepared. Mark was able to get a partial clip of the second fly by. It turns out that Airforce and Navy aircraft from local bases use this area and canyon for training. What a perfect send off for an incredible adventure in Death Valley.
After the excitement we settled in for the long drive to Three Rivers which is a small town in the Sierra Nevada foothills right outside the Ash Mountain main entrance to the Sequoia National Park. We had reserved the Sequoia Getaway Airbnb as our lodging for the next two days.
As we turned off the main road we passed an organic farm and began our slow drive up the winding mountain shared driveway. Unsure of where this road would take us we made sure to keep our eyes on the wooden directional signs that were posted on trees while at the same time taking in the natural beauty all around us. As we made our final turn into the private driveway that would bring us to our guest cottage we quickly realized that we may never want to leave and we had not even entered the cottage yet! We were greeted warmly by the hosts Sarah and John and their beautiful dog Hazel.
It turns out Sarah and John are runners and provided us with some great ideas on running locations in the area. Although we did not get any runs in on this trip they did mention the local race that John directs and of which Sarah is the Course Director. The Kaweah Country Run 5k & 10k www.kaweahcountryrun.com . This race is definitely being added to our bucket list. Checkout the link and maybe you should add it to yours as well.
Our first dinner in town was at the Buckaroo Diner www.theolbuckaroo.com we both had the veggie burger and a cocktail in the great outdoor space.
We had a full day of adventuring ahead of us so it was back to the cottage before it got too dark! (Also we were not ready to attempt the winding drive in the dark).
The drive into Sequoia National Park the next morning was short and I soon realized that we were only going to touch into a tiny portion of the park on this trip. We are already looking forward to coming back!
First up was the climb up Moro Rock. Sounded simple enough until I saw it from the road over and over and over again as we winded our way up the mountain to get there. I started panicking a little bit about how I was going to achieve this as you all know I do have a fear of heights. (Overcoming this fear is all part of the adventure right?) Moro Rock is a granite dome that has 350 stairs to climb to get to the top and actually it was not as difficult or as scary or life threatening as I imagined it to be. Whew!
This park is home to some of the world’s largest trees so there was a lot of stopping and hopping out to take pictures. It was at the first stop after Moro Rock that we spotted our first bear. I should say Mark spotted the first bear. He was on the backside of a tree and calling me but it was so big that I could not even hear him. By the time he came around the bear had walked up the mountain a bit which was just fine with me. I liked admiring him from a distance, where I could not really see how big he or his teeth were!
We had our second bear sighting while we were driving to the Giant Forest. The shuttle bus in front to us slowed to a stop and that is when we saw him along the side of the road. He was partially covered by the guard rail and was totally oblivious to all the cars and attention he was getting. He kept slowly walking along the road and then lifted his head to grab some leaves off a branch never giving us as much as a glance.
We made it to the Giant Forest which is home to some of the world’s largest trees. The clouds rolled in as we were walking the Big Trees Trail and it actually got chilly. I was happy to have a fleece jacket on and had to pull my hands inside the sleeves to keep my fingers warm. The star of this trail is the General Sherman tree which is the world’s largest by volume at 275 feet tall and 36 feet in diameter at the base and it is approximately 2000 years old!
Another wild life sighting but this time not as intimidating was the Yellow Bellied Marmot or Rock Chuck. He was busy scurrying around his little piece of paradise on the Big Tree Trail. He was very aware of us and if anyone tried to get to close to snap a picture he would duck back inside his log home for a few seconds.
As this full day was coming to a close we realized we did not have a plan for dinner and that is not good when you are tired and hungry. We pulled into the Gateway Restaurant parking lot and thought we would check out the menu but were not expecting to be blown away. As we walked up to the front door we noticed a little side patio with small tables and chairs that overlook the Kaweah River. I immediately thought this is exactly where we should end up tonight. After looking over the menu we decided that yes this is where we would finish our day and asked for an outside table. The side patio is unavailable for meal service but we were able to grab a cocktail and wait there for deck seating to become available. Well it just kept getting better as the deck had even more spectacular views of the river. I was pleasantly surprised by the wine list and chose a red from Buena Vista Winery which we had visited previously while in Sonoma! We both enjoyed the ravioli of the day which was spinach and cheese and yes we were blown away!
Another morning arrived and it was once again time to move on to our next adventure. Looking forward to warmer temperatures in Kings Canyon National Park we packed up the car and headed out. We would have a full day in the park before we headed to our next Airbnb to check-in.
The plan was for this to be a leisurely drive with many stops by the water. The river was fueled by the snow melt and was roaring furiously. It was glorious!
Several short walks were mixed in between river stops. In Cedar Grove we attempted the Zumwalt Meadow Trail but a portion was closed due to flooding. We made it approximately ¾ of the way around but then turned back the way we came along with just about everyone except maybe a few more adventurous than us.
In the Grant Grove there were several landmarks to see. The General Grant tree which has been named the Nations Christmas Tree. The Gamlin cabin and the Fallen Monarch. The Fallen Monarch fell over 300 years ago after it was hallowed out by fire. It had been used as temporary shelter by cattlemen Isreal and Thomas Gamlin as they were building their cabin. It also served as a hotel and saloon and later as a stable for the Calvary that was patrolling the park. You can get a real understanding of how big these trees really are when you are walking through one.
A Ranger suggested the North Grove loop trail to us as a trail that does not see many hikers and offers a great up close and personal view of the trees. This is a loop trail just under 2 miles and he was not kidding when he said it was secluded. We were the only two on the trail and suddenly I felt very vulnerable and expected to see a bear at every turn. Mark suggested I pick up two sticks and bang them together so the bears would know we were there. So for almost 2 long miles there I was banging these sticks together on the lookout for bears. I felt such an urgency to be off this trail but Mark felt none of the same threat as I and therefore continued to stop and take pictures and enjoy himself, the nerve!
With enough excitement for the day we left the park and grabbed a bite to eat and headed towards our cabin. We had Sweet Mountain cabin #3 at the Clingans Junction Coffee & Cabins Airbnb. It was definitely sweet! A Complimentary specialty coffee and pastry item each morning were included with the stay. Two fresh baked cookies were left in the room for us to enjoy upon our check-in. There was even a table and chairs on our own private patio. Finally we could enjoy the wine we purchased at the beginning of our trip.
Day two in Kings Canyon was off to a great start with a delicious latte and vegetarian quiche on a bagel. We purchased two scones to take with us to fuel our day. Have I ever mentioned how much I adore scones? These were amazing!
Another relaxed day in the canyon was underway once again with many stops along the river.
The first big stop of the day was at Grizzly Falls. We had viewed many waterfalls over the past few days but this one was the most spectacular by far. It was so powerful you got soaked in a matter of seconds. I was very happy that it was sunny and warm. We sat at a picnic table to dry off and ate our scones!
Later in the day after touring more park museums and trails we stopped at the Cedar Grove Visitor Center & Village and the Cedar Grove Lodge. This lodge was right off the water and provided lounge chairs which we took full advantage of.
Then as another full day was nearing its end it was once again time to eat. We chose to have dinner at the Grant Grove Restaurant in the park. We both enjoyed a really delicious vegetable lasagna and then returned to our cabin to relax on the patio with a glass of wine.
I was trying not to think about how the majority of this trip was behind us and stay in the moment. We had a great time in these two national parks but it was time to close this chapter and head into the last few days of this adventure. It was going to come full circle as we make our way back to Vegas Baby!
To watch the video of this portion of the trip click play below & enjoy!