Day 44

We were awakened at 4am by Brayden who said he didn't feel well. He hasn't ever gotten up in the middle of the night on a trip so I knew this wasn't good. He said he felt better on our way back from the bathroom but I gave him a sick bag to take back into the tent just in case. I didn't go back to sleep again and was glad I gave him the bag at 6am. The kids had rarely been sick on the trip and now each of them had been sick on this one - yuck! Being sick is never fun, but on vacation in a tent has to be pretty bad.

He said he felt a little better when he got up a little later so we packed backpacks again after a quick breakfast. We met Grammie and Ryan at our visitors center to drive to our morning ranger hike. We decided to drive today because we wanted to get back a little quicker to fit in an afternoon hike.

On our way to the parking area we made sure to go under Tunnel Log - a sequoia that fell about 300 years ago. We were early to the hike so I took some time to read about the High Sierra Trail. This trail was 60 miles across the Sierra Nevada Mountains to Mt McKinley at more than 14,000 feet.

The hike to Tharpe's Log was easy and quick. The ranger stopped a few times to tell us a few things but most we'd already learned in our time there already. I was elbowed again as the kids spotted the ranger who is following us everywhere.

Laney was most excited to see the one-log cabin so Dave handed her the camera. According to historical accounts Hale Tharpe created this home inside a downed sequoia tree so he could bring his cattle in the summers to graze in the meadow just outside the front door. He befriended the local Potwisha Native American tribe who showed him all around the Giant Forest and Morro Rock. One more settlers came to the area they brought disease that killed most of the tribe while the few that remained left the area completely.











Brayden still wasn't feeling well so he walked back to the parking area with Grammie while the rest of us continued down the trail to Chimney Tree. The heartwood of this tree was burned out but the bark still remained. We all easily fit inside it was so big!

Our next stop was Morro Rock. This rock has been popular to scale since only the Native Americans lived in the area. Back them people scaled the granite rock by climbing in the cracks between rocks. Once it became a national park they added wooden stairs to the top. These stairs were rickety and had issues with rot from the snow during the winter. Finally an architect was called in who created steps carved into the rock or made of concrete. They snake around the rock to maintain the integrity and shape of the rock for visitors to enjoy.









We lucked into one of the 10 parking spaces and grabbed the camera for the climb. Brayden opted out so he sat in the shade by the trail head still looking miserable. The rest of us made the 400-step climb to enjoy the view of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the foothills of the park. We even spotted some of the hairpin turns we would be taking the next day when we left!

The car ride back to the campsite did Brayden in so he decided to lay down in the tent for awhile. Dave bought him some Gatorade to see if he could keep it down for awhile. The rest of us ate some lunch then Grammie and I got ready to hike a trail to Topokah Falls. Dave stayed behind with the girls and I was hopeful he would be so kind to do our laundry while we were gone.



The trail to the falls was beautiful although a little bit warm. We are used to hiking mostly in the forest and there were big open sections in the sun. The river we hiked next to was refreshingly cold though!

There were lovely meadows about every 1000 feet that grabbed my attention off the trail. The mountain we would be hiking to popped up into view in one of the meadows as well. The bees were happily buzzing to every single flower in the meadows so you could hear a constant buzz all around.

About an hour into the hike we made it to the falls! I was so warm I thought about swimming but wasn't thrilled about hiking back wet. The water fall was running well but I can only imagine how strong it was in the spring!










I said goodbye to Grammie at the trailhead and was greeted by the girls on my walk back to the campsite. They had been having fun with their Rip It journals while I was gone. Brayden didn't have as much fun since he got sick again. We tried graham crackers and bottled water to see if that would be better. Dave was (HOORAY!) away doing the laundry! I was able to finish my book before we made some veggie chili for dinner. Brayden requested a grilled cheese and we were all hoping he was starting to feel better.

The girls asked if I'd felt the water in the river and I said I had but I wanted to go put my feet in after the long day of hiking. They and Dave joined me for an extremely cold and refreshing soak. Ryan and Laney even got all the way in to their shorts!

Laney had enough after a minute or so but Ryan loved exploring the river. She found rocks for everyone and threw the ones back she didn't like. She might as well have gone swimming!

We had a visit from a few younger mule deer while we were eating but they didn't stay too long. We ate quickly because we had another program to get to tonight. This one was about the CCC in Sequoia so we were all very interested in going. Brayden even felt relatively well enough to go.

We have learned a lot at several parks about the impact the CCC had on the infrastructure and buildings in each park. We've also seen numerous buildings attributed to the hard work of these young men. It was no different in Sequoia with roads, walls, and buildings built by these guys.

This ranger's program was unique because she took us on a drive through the park and showed exactly what projects the CCC accomplished during their few years in the park. A few of the stops we would be making the next day on the way out of the park were on the list. Sequoia credits the CCC as making the biggest contribution to the park in its history. Shortly after the program started our friendly ranger that we see everywhere sat next to Laney. We joked after the program that she would be hanging out at our hotel next!

We forgot to bring headlamps to the amphitheater so we tried to walk real close to a few other people until they turned off to their site. This park was incredibly dark at night! The moon wasn't up yet so we slowly walked back until we saw our familiar neighbors.

About 30 minutes after we said goodnight Brayden was up not feeling well again. Dave offered to switch tents with him and that seemed to make him feel a little better. We tried a couple different things before he eventually got sick again. About an hour later I heard him breathing heavy finally asleep. Tonight was his night for using 2 sleeping bags but we ended up proping him up with one of them so I forfeited my hammock underquilt for his feet. I was hoping I'd be ok with just my sleeping bag and wearing a sweatshirt!

Day 19

When I am tucked down inside my sleeping bag the light of the morning doesn't affect me as much. The trees we are nestled also hides the morning light for quite awhile. So we all slept in a little.

I did the multitasking making breakfast and packing up thing until it was time to eat. All we had was Brayden's worst choice - oatmeal - so I added english muffins with pb&j. He ate 4 of the 6. And he'll be hungry again in 2 hours. I had just a big bowl of oatmeal and won't be hungry until afternoon!

Our little friend checked in with us this morning to see what we'd be leaving him. I believe he had a feast when we left of crumbs from graham crackers and english muffins. He was tucked under the nicest bear boxes we've ever seen!

We all packed up and took showers since we weren't sure when our next opportunity would be. They all walk to the shower grumbling about why they need a shower since they just took one 2 days ago with camp feet as brown as a tree. They come back happy and feeling great! I wonder when they will make the connection.

We had originally planned to visit the Point Reyes Lighthouse but it was being renovated so we visited the visitors center instead. They had a fantastic display of local animals and a fun quiz on tracks and scat that we all learned from. Ryan spotted the auditorium so we requested the movie. It was a great background of the history of the area as well as the current ecological challenges they are facing. In the auditorium was this intricate cutaway display of the ship Sir Walter Drake brought to the area. Laney can't figure out where they ate?!













Once we got back on California 1 the kids tried to write their postcards but the road dipped and turned like a tight roller coaster. And it didn't let up for about 2 hours. The kids were regretting eating so much for breakfast now! The views were spectacular and the roads were becoming our favorite - less traveled. We had massive farmland on one side and towering cliffs to the ocean on the other.

The kids were relieved to get out and walk around once we got to the tiny 6-building town of Anchor Bay. I'd picked this spot to quickly do some laundry since this day was mostly driving. There was a small general store across the street so I also picked up a few groceries as I wasn't sure when we would have the opportunity next. The dryers didn't want to cooperate with us so it took a little longer than usual, but we finally made it back on the road. They kids had lunch while we were at the laundry so they were less than thrilled to get back on the windy road. I was loving this part of the drive - so fun!

We made it to our spot just in time for dinner. It was 6:30 and only 56 degrees there so we decided to bundle up together in one tent for the night. This was the first spot I didn't have cell service of the trip so I had no idea how low it was getting at night! We hadn't used the rainfly in a little while so we could see the stars but tonight it would be secured to keep the heat in!

The kids voted to have Trader Joe's chili for dinner and the girls jumped in to help. Brayden goes back and forth between being engaged with us and doing the sulking teenager thing. He enjoys kicking the soccer ball around listening to his music so I just wait until he joins us again.

Ever since we pulled into the spot and the kids investigated the little river behind our site the kids were saying they were going to cross it on a log that spanned the water. After dinner Laney and Ryan decided to try first when Laney was reintroduced to stinging nettle. She bowed out and cheered from the sidelines and Ryan went to try. Brayden took a look at the other end of the log and declared he wasn't doing it either. So Ryan make it about halfway, sat down, and came back. The water below was COLD!












Everyone grabbed pants and sweatshirts to settle in for a game night. The kids changed their mind about Rank and decided to play blackjack instead. They are ready for Dave to get here so they can play poker with him.

Once it started to get dark we went to the bathroom where Ryan informed me that she was not dehydrated. Our first few stops in California bathrooms had posters showing how to determine your hydration level according to your pee color. I guess she does read some things!

We climbed into the tent a little early to get settled and all bundled up. Brayden and Ryan had a sleeping bag and a quilt, Laney had 2 sleeping bags, and I had my super warm backpacking sleeping bag and underquilt for my hammock. Ryan shared her quilt with me and before we knew it we were all toasty warm lulled to sleep by the river behind us.

Day 13

We had some goals for the day and hopefully it wouldn't include all that much driving. Everyone slept in pretty late after our late night. We shared some oatmeal and headed out for the morning. Our first stop was the Ya'i Heki' Regional Indian Museum. On our drive up from San Diego I noticed a bunch of small pockets of reservations - super tiny towns with signs about a mile apart noting which tribe called them home. This was much different from the huge reservations we'd driven through in Oklahoma, Arizona, and Montana.

This museum was a fantastic learning experience about the Indigenous peoples of inland southern California. The three main tribes we learned about were the Cahuilla, Cupeno, and Luiseno.  They didn't have and written language so the customs, morals, and history were passed down orally through generations. We played some of the games the kids played to sharpen their hand eye coordination and learned about several more. The kids were practicing for hunting at a very young age.

One of the docents took us under her wing and basically led us around a good portion of the museum and shared so much of her knowledge. We learned so much!   The kids recognized some plants from their horticulture studies that they use for all kinds of different natural remedies or food. 

We learned once Europeans moved in the tribes lost their ways to provide for their families so the men became ranch hands for these new people and many of the women began to weave intricate baskets to sell. These baskets were highly sought for their designs and craftsmanship. We also learned this art has almost disappeared from their cultures because the resulting hourly wage from creating a basket for what they can sell them for currently is not near enough to support a family. 

They also had a fabulous display on loan from Washington D.C. about the service of Native Americans in the military through all the wars. We decided we might need to go back to D.C. to visit the museum as it was just being built when we were there.

Ira Hayes was one of the men raising the flag at the Battle of Iwo Jima.  One in four Native Americans volunteered to serve in Vietnam while only one in twelve of the general population did so. Many grappled with the hypocrisy of killing and taking someone else's land when just that same thing had been done to their people.

 We learned about many of the tools they used in their daily lives - many we had never seen before. Even in our world full of technological advances we were impressed by the ingenuity of their tools to solve the problems they were facing.

The docent also happened to have a rattle snake skin so we learned a little bit about those guys too. We haven't seen one on this trip yet and were fine if we didn't!  We were also hoping not to see a mountain lion in the wild either. This stuffed guy was enough for us!


The view on the porch facing the lake was beautiful too so we took a few minutes to enjoy it too.

Next up was laundry. It definitely is lowest on our list of chores but we were about 2 days from running out of clothes so we carved out an hour to get it done. I love the laundromats that have the capability to wash our 4 loads all at one time in 20 minutes!


Once we got back to the campground we had lunch in the tiny bit of shade we had then headed straight for the beach. Tempers were flaring between all three kids so water was often my solution. It was hot again today and everyone else there thought so too. The beach was the most crowded we'd seen it but we found a little spot that we could call our own for a little while. People were bring these giant 20-ft floats that were crowding everyone and then they weren't even using them! After about an hour or so we headed back to the campsite to get ready for what I'd been looking forward to - a twilight hike!

When we arrived to the parking area there were at least 100 people there. We aren't used to these crowds! Thankfully the interpreters were expecting it as they had three different options for us to choose from. We chose the 2 mile hike up to a 360 degree viewpoint including education on history of the Native Americans in the area. It must be our theme today!

This hike was level at first but the incline changed dramatically as we kept on. The interpreter had perfectly timed stops to let us recover and learn a little more about the culture.

The view was breathtaking once we reached the top. We saw parts of the lake we'd never seen before! We hung back for a minute as everyone left to enjoy the view and get a unobstructed picture of the view.

It was quiet and dark by the time we got back to our site - perfect for a fire! Brayden started the fire and they all whittled roasting sticks for marshmallows.  We were all too tired to stay up and enjoy the fire too long so we decided to leave some of the wood for the next people and get some sleep. We had big plans the next day!

Day 7

It was chilly when I woke up this morning - just perfect for a long sleeve t-shirt. I woke up at 5am again and noticed on the campground rules that quiet hours were from 8am-8pm. What was I going to do for 3 hours?? The entire campground was asleep so I decided to hike down the nature trail.

This trail went down to the visitors center or the long split went down to the entrance of the park - probably about 3 miles. I didn't think everyone would be asleep quite that long so I just decided to hike for about an hour.

The first spot I came to was the old foundation of the CCC quarters inn the park. We've run into CCC works all over the country and the things they accomplished at this park were no different. Young men needing jobs who worked hard creating trails, buildings, and roads that we use today while they received $25 per month with $20 required to go home to their families. They also received an education - many learned to read or learned a trade. Brayden and I love learning about this program.

As I passed through the meadow jackrabbits were darting into and out of the grass. This meadow was natural and high so there was probably much more wildlife hiding in there! Up ahead I saw a blur on the trail and once I realized what it was and pulled my camera up, it darted across the boulders into his little home. I guess this wasn't the ringtail I was going to get for my birthday. Of course my camera was still in landscape mode so he's just a blur in my picture. See him kinda?

The trail weaved around a dry river for quite a while until I reached the homestead where I'd decided to turn around. This homestead was built by a husband and wife and was expanded over the years to accommodate their growing family. It survived an earthquake and many harsh winters.

I can't imagine waking up to this view every morning!














While I was hiking I was trying to figure out the time difference. It was 5am when I woke up and very bright. I know I hadn't seen a Pacific Time Zone sign but the time here was definitely an hour earlier. It finally hit me that Arizona doesn't participate in Daylight Savings Time! I'm so used to falling back and springing forward I'd forgotten there were some states that don't! So once we get into California I may still wake up at 5am but maybe the sun will be just rising?



By the time I got back to our site there were several families around us awake so I thought it was safe to start making breakfast. Since it was so cool we'd decided on me cooking pancakes on my stove instead of Grammie running her generator to cook. The girls slowly got up and made their way to folding their laundry and helping cook breakfast. Our trips aren't all fun and games!






After we cleaned up and packed up we got on the road toward our next spot. Today would be another 6 hour drive but we would be making our first Trader Joe's stop. The girls were excited to grab a Redbox movie and be in charge of shopping. We ended up with lots of snacks and lots of fruit - typical for them! On our way out of Tucson we drove by a massive Amazon building that had about 75-100 planes parked next door. I'm assuming it is a distribution center? The girls wanted to go in and shop!

The scenery was the same the whole way with distant mountains and dry desert. Phoenix was a stressful city to drive through - I didn't realize it was quite so big! The traffic was a monster on this weekend day. I can't imagine if we'd driven through on a weekday!

Once we made it off the interstate we had about another hour to drive. The temperature was 112 and seemed to be rising. Our next stop was Buckskin Mountain so I was hopeful we would be driving up into a nearby mountain for some relief. I realized we would be able to swim in the Colorado River so I'm guessing we wouldn't be.

When we reached the entrance to the park it was 116. It was a flat park right on the river and our spots were the only ones with trees. Not that they helped at all! The girls and I made the executive decision to forgo setting up the tent and head straight to the water. It was perfectly chilly and provided so much relief! If I'd had a raft I would have tied it to a tree and floated there all day!

We took in the view and watched the skiers go back and forth along the river while the kids played all kinds of games in the water. We were just happy to be cool!

I dragged the kids out of the water to eat dinner and after about a 20 minute settling of food we went right back to the water.  There were a bunch tiny bats flying all around us eating bugs and skimming the water to drink.  They even buzzed our heads a few times!

I'd checked the weather after dinner and it was supposed to cool down over night to 95. Definitely not something I was interested in being in a tent for! There was a breeze but it was so hot it felt like it was coming from inside an oven. We walked up to the campsite once it was dark and I declared it impossible to sleep so we grabbed pillows and headed to Grammie's RV. We were SO very thankful to have that option!

The air conditioner had been running since we'd gotten there and it was still warm, but so much cooler than outside. We didn't expect to be sleeping on beds this early in our trip! I tried to read but only ended up finding the spot I'd left off last time before I gave up and went to sleep.