Day 47

We decided to take it slow this morning and let the kids sleep in. We made a giant breakfast that finally pulled them out of bed and talked about what we wanted to do today. Our first order of business was to play Ryan's game now that we could see. Once we got the hang of what we were supposed to be doing I was very impressed with the caliber of the game! It was very fun and sneaky educational teaching the kids about predators and prey. I learned a bunch about the animals of the Grand Canyon!

We hiked to the Grand Canyon Lodge next and got our first views from the North Rim. The hike was just as I remembered with stunning views along the way and dips back into the forest.

The lodge was beautiful inside and we all took a few minutes to look around. The girls learned about Brighty - the mascot of the North Rim. He was befriended by a boy living here back in the late 1800s and began to help him do chores. His payment for his hard work was a stack of pancakes every day. He gave rides to kids and they all rubbed his nose for good luck. We did too!














They also had an interesting display tucked away in the corner that I enjoyed reading. It explained all the levels of rocks in the canyon. The kids realized now why the canyon walls were different colors.


We supported the park with a big purchase at the gift store and t-shirts for everyone except Brayden who only liked a white one. White t-shirts and our children don't mix well. We checked out the visitors center next and got some information on hikes and programs. We decided against hiking more trails in favor of some downtime together at the campground and a couple programs later in the day.

We hiked back to the campground and I was able to take the photo I remember most from eight years ago. Brayden also remembers this spot the most because he was apparently terrified but I had no idea! He was probably double in size now so it must not have bothered him as much.

If there hadn't been a sign I wouldn't have noticed this historical stop on the hike. This was the summer home for ancestral Puebloan farmers of the North Rim. They were able to take advantage of the snow here to harvest their summer crops and move to a warmer spot in the winter to harvest two more. I can't imagine waking up to this view every morning!





We played a few more games then everyone dispersed for some down time. Ryan-the-maker created a strange looking bird that she decided to jump and throw off the picnic table, Brayden and Laney swapped out with my hammock for reading, and Dave read and prepped to leave the next day.


I made us an early dutch oven dinner I'd been trying to make for a few days but finally had time - spinach ravioli bake. Brayden and Ryan ended up having a pine cone war and I'm not quite sure who won. I made half what I normally make and it was just enough for all of us to share. Good thing the boys weren't starving!



















Next up was the California Condor program. We knew absolutely nothing about these birds other than they aren't the most attractive. Our ranger was very knowledgeable and we learned a ton! She started with general facts about the condor and how they lived in this area. They are giant birds with wingspans over 7 feet! Check out their feathers on the tips of their wings compared to the same feather on a turkey vulture and a raven!

Condors were near extinction due to habitat loss and the use of DDT with the count at only 22 birds. They began a breeding program and now that number stands at close to 400. Condors only lay eggs every other year because they take care of their young for a year or more. Scientists working with birds in captivity in the breeding program now take an egg from the pair after it's laid and they will lay another one the next year so their numbers bounce back quicker.

The things threatening condors now are of course people - our garbage and lead from bullets. They eat our garbage and can't digest the plastic and metal in it. They eat the insides of the carcasses of hunted animals and get lead poisoning from the bullets used.

Our ranger ended the program with introducing all kinds of animals around the United States that are also endangered or at risk of being added to the list. Some of the animals I'd never heard of but some like the Key Deer and Alabama Beach Mouse are close to home.

We had an early dessert tonight since we would be attending the evening program at the lodge. S'moreoes are always a hit and so much easier than regular s'mores! They are just as messy though!

The evening program was on the Mexican Spotted Owl. These guys live in caves or small ledges in the canyon and blends in quite well with the color of the walls. They have silent flight like other owls and giant claws to grab unsuspecting mice and other small creatures.

They are also endangered due to habitat loss due to logging. Our ranger brought this heated debate into our program and opened up conversations surrounding which side is right. He showed pictures of the loggers claims of needing to support their families and retain their jobs. Visitors were to pick a side and explain which side was to be the priority.

He extended the conversation to other endangered animals just like our last ranger. He showed pictures of the last male ============================ rhino that died making that species extinct soon. He also showed a very small portion of the list of endangered animals with their numbers and reasons why. It all pointed back at people.

He ended the program on a positive note about things we could do as one person that could make a difference. With more than 7 BILLION people on the planet if everyone could just pick one thing to change just imagine the impact! We all wrote down our answers and some shared their ideas - voting for people who value the environment, supporting causes you believe in that make a difference, consume less, leave a smaller footprint, or spreading knowledge learned like this program.

He ended the program with a surprising statistic that 90% of visitors spend 30 seconds or less at the Grand Canyon. They take their instagramable picture, hop back in the car, and continue on. While I understand that people have different interests and don't have the time we have to explore and enjoy a park, I can't imagine spending such a brief time here.

We talked about this as we drove home and I thought about how fortunate we were to be here. Most people couldn't believe we were spending more than 50 days in a tent traveling in the country and claimed they couldn't do it. I would definitely prefer to stay in a cushy lodge in every park but I wouldn't have seen half the things I've seen or learned half the things I've learned.

We decided on an early bedtime in order to be packed up early to get Dave to the airport early. We had a long drive to get around the canyon to the airport and that was only halfway to our next spot!

Day 43

We woke the kids up this morning with Dave's famous hashbrown breakfast. Ryan was thrilled! And it was definitely delicious. We had a long day ahead of us so we packed lots of snacks and water in backpacks and walked to the visitors center.

The exhibits as usual were very interesting. The kids and I spent at least 20 minutes digesting this display of how every living things needs each other. When people interfere and try to help by removing or adding something to the mix it messes all these things up!

We watched a very interesting movie about tourism in Sequoia. Once it became a national park there were cabins, campgrounds, a lodge and other comfort buildings built in the middle of the Giant Forest. At one time there were more than 300 buildings. The trees started to suffer because of many reasons but mainly the addition of plumbing, pollution, and  people. Some sequoia trees were even cut down because they were threatening to fall on cabins. Finally someone realized this wasn't a great idea so the buildings were all torn down and taken away in the 1980s. There were amazing before and after photos that showed the area's gentle return to nature. I was excited to see it today!

Ryan and I decided to watch a quick movie about prescribed fires.  There were these type of fires often where we live so we are familiar with them but I learned a little more how they prepare and execute the fires. Sequoias are trees that thrive after a fire with added sunshine to the forest floor and the opening of their cones.

The movie in the auditorium was about bears in Sequoia so we stayed for that one as well. Through all our travels we have learned so much about bear safety and what parks are doing to try to keep bears wild. This movie was more of the same with footage of car breakins and campground raids.

We hopped on the park shuttle next destined for the General Sherman Tree. I was thrilled to not have to drive and find parking in the popular areas. I would think this option is much better for the environment as well. I wish more parks would offer this to their guests!

The trail down to the tree was an easy walk on a paved path into a grove of sequoias. General Sherman tree is actually dead on the top but is still growing at the bottom to be the earth's largest living thing.  This guy is a young 2,200 years old!

After walking around the whole tree we checked out the rest of the grove. There were twins where you could see fire scars from different years. The fire scars were so big we could fit inside them!









There was also a tunnel carved out of a fallen tree that you could walk under. Us short people didn't even have to duck!




I was excited to see there was a program on the Buffalo soldiers this afternoon so we headed there next. The presenter was an intern that seemed to have a ton of knowledge about one of the leaders who visited Sequoia for a sunmer, Charles Young. Before there were national parks these protected areas were managed by the military. A few summers they were managed by a group of Buffalo Soldiers that accomplished more in one summer than other had the past three years.  This was definitely a topic we were going to add to our homeschool list as I had no idea this program even existed! We were joined at the end of the talk by our ranger from the program the night before. She added a few facts that she could share as well.

Dave noticed there was a food truck in the parking lot so we grabbed a quick lunch next before hopping back on the bus to the Giant Forest.  In front of the museum was a tree called The Sentinel that was considered an "average" sequoia tree. It was heavier than 2 fully-loaded jumbo jets. It was as tall as the path to my kids way down there at the end!





We still had about 45 minutes until the ranger hike we wanted to go on so we explored the museum for a little while.  We learned how difficult it was for the sequoia seed to make it into a mature tree - a 1 in a billion chance! We all took turns spinning the wheel to see if our seed would survive but none of us were successful.

Our ranger, Zoe, met us outside the visitors center for a hike around the Giant Forest.  We always seem to learn so much so fast during these programs! Our first stop was the junction with the Bear Hill trail. Back in the mid-1900s this was the garbage dump for the park. Seeing an easy meal, the bears would come at nights and get their fill of all the leftovers they could eat. Pretty soon after the park saw interest from the public to watch this so they built stadium seating. It wasn't until the bear got aggressive with eachother - fighting over the food and killing cubs who got in the middle of it - that park rangers put an end to this practice. We have learned this happened at other national parks as well and it appears we are still trying to fix the damage we did.

As we were listening to our ranger tell us this story, Dave points behind her and informs all of us that there is a bear a little up on the hill behind her. At first I thought he was kidding and I'm sure she was too but sure enough he was there! This was another yearling that at first seemed very interested in getting some grubs from a fallen tree but his attention turned to us. We watched and took pictures as he walked around peeking at us over branches and through bushes. Once we were all past him the ranger went back to try to shoo him away. They played peek-a-boo around a large pine tree a couple of times until he finally decided he was done with us.

I was elbowed by the kids as we continued our hike as we passed the ranger from the progam the night before. She was following us!

A few minutes later we were walking around a meadow and the ranger spotted a yellow-bellied marmot on a log next to the trail. This was a great wildlife day for her! He is a little hard to spot in this picture since he is in the sun but take it from the girls' reaction of "Awwwwww!" that he was very cute!










Ryan spotted this giant pine cone next to the trail. She found out it is from a sugar pine - the tallest conifer with the largest pine cones. It was bigger than her head!










I was having a difficult time spotting younger sequoias since their bark isn't red yet and the leaves looked so similar to other trees in the area. Our ranger took the time at our next spot to show everyone the difference between the incense-cedar and sequoia. We also stopped at a grove of what looked like baby sequoias at about 3 feet tall. She estimated they were a young 40 years old. They were in a shady spot so those sun-lovers probably weren't going to survive to the size of an average sequoia.

We took the shuttle back to our area to shop for post cards, stickers and such. Grammie shuttled back to her campground and we spend the afternoon exploring, reading, and playing cards. Ryan decided to eat dinner with us and go to our campground program that sounded fun - Capitalists, Cons, and Conservationists!

Dave and Ryan explored the area behind our campsite to add more pages to her Scavenger Hunt book. She'd brought it along on the trip to add some interesting items but until now she'd refused to do it without Dave doing it with her. For the second project Dave convinced her to work with Laney on an art project with something the found that was broken. They decided on making a stained glass sequoia tree with a piece of plastic they found in the road.



As I was getting ready to cook dinner we had some visitors. Just that afternoon I'd mentioned we hadn't seen any deer since we'd been at this park. Within an hour here was a bachelor group of mule deer. Laney took pictures as we stood and watched them for a few minutes.

As the sun was setting we learned about Hale Tharpe - the original settler in the area and his relationship with the Potwisha Native Americans. We learned about the government's idea to bring camels to the west, fake gold and silver mines, and the Kuwea Colony who first named the Sherman Tree the Karl Marx tree. So much history in one night! 

Day 42

Dave and I were up early to get things organized to get back on the road today. I worked on the bear box and the inside of the car while he packed up our tent. It's so nice to have another adult!! Once breakfast was ready we got the kids up and Dave started working on their tent. We made it to Grammie's spot with time for a couple holes of mini golf while she filled up with propane. Grammie had an audiobook she thought all the kids would enjoy so they all hopped into the RV with her for the drive.

Our route today was to take us through the southern portion of Yosemite toward Sequoia. There were several tunnels along the way - one marked at 10'4" - that we were all nervous about the RV making it through. We had seen many RVs past the point of the tunnels and had also traveled on a tour bus through them so we hoped all would be fine.

We were leading so as I looked back in the mirror going through the first tunnel marked at 13' it appeared to me that she still had 6 more feet of room. They do mark the tunnel height from the top of the curb to the lowest point of the arched top. Meanwhile Grammie's GPS is screaming at her to warn her of the low clearance the entire time.

Next was the lowest tunnel but at least it was short in length. If necessary she could move to the middle of the road at the highest point of the roof to make it through before meeting oncoming traffic. She didn't really need to though because as I held my breath and looked back she still had at least 4 more feet of room. No problem! We beeped our horns for Ryan and a little bit in celebration of making it through tunnel #1 and #2.

Each time we'd driven or been driven into Yosemite we'd all noticed this farm in a valley. There weren't many pull offs so I managed to snap a picture as Dave slowed down just before a turn. I learned these barns were all built in the late 1800s and are the last remaining barns in the park. They are unique because they were built in the "Mormon Pole Barn" style unusual for this area of California.

Tunnel #3 was an easy high one then we turned south and stopped at the popular Tunnel View spot just before out last tunnel. This overlook was created in the 1930s by the CCC to give visitors an amazing view of Yosemite Valley. It was crowded but provided a lovely view of the valley. It wasn't near as good as our view the night before at Glacier Point though! You can see El Capitan on the left and Half Dome far back on the right. We also spotted Bridal Veil Falls - one of the hikes we decided to skip.

The last and longest tunnel I didn't even get to see Grammie go through as she went on ahead without us. We did find her on the other side with all her parts so all seemed well! We stopped at the Wawona Visitors Center to get the kids' passports stamped since I'd forgotten them our first day. There was a ranger outside doing a program on coyotes so we listened for a little while. Did you know coyotes are found in every county in every state today? We touched the coat she had displayed - it was so soft!

About halfway through our drive we stopped at Walmart for a resupply and gas. We had three days ahead of us in Sequoia National Park and now we had a jam packed full cooler. I even had to disassemble some containers so everything could fit!

I set the GPS to our campground as we followed Grammie but it wasn't very happy with her route. I finally muted her and just watched the scenery. We made it into Kings Canyon National Park after about an hour when the real crazy roads began. We traveled the winding General's Highway until we reached Grammie's campground.

We grabbed two kids and continued on to our spot to set up. I routinely consult a website for site reviews and suggestions on the best campsite in a campground. While this spot was tough to find a flat space for our tents it had loads of exploring potential for the kids up the rocky mountain behind us.

As we drove in I noticed a sign with the number of days since the last bear incident. They'd had 5 bear break-ins in the last 7 days. We were definitely in some strict bear country! All food and anything else with a smell including our laundry soap, first aid kits, and unopened drinks and water had to be stored in the bear box at our site. We were used to storing our shower bags and food but wow! Families with toddlers were even advised to pull out their child's car seats and place them inside or on top of the bear box. With our resupply at Walmart that day I wasn't sure it was all going to fit!

Dave and I discussed some different dinner options on our drive today and I remembered I'd brought our dutch oven and had barely used it! Tonight we decided on dutch oven nachos which excited everyone! We made a giant spicy pile and a giant non-spicy pile and we all dug in. I would venture to say these nachos were better than the ones we make in the kitchen at home! Of course, everything tastes better in the woods.

With full bellies Dave, Ryan, and I decided to go searching for the campground amphitheater. While I was cooking the ranger stopped by to tell us about the program and she told me simply it was "just down the hill". We walked down the hill for at least a mile and had only found one vague sign pointing straight ahead so we decided to turn around and drive there when it was time.

The whole time we were walking however we noticed a park ranger patrolling the area as well as the Bear Management team. I assumed it was a normal patrol with everyone cooking dinner and the smells coming from every site. Once we saw the park ranger for the fifth time I decided it was a little more. We were almost back to Grammie's loop when we saw the Bear Management guys out of the truck talking to the ranger. One guy had what looked like a shot gun (rubber bullets I'm sure) and the other was wearing a giant backpack and holding a radio receiver antenna. We were finally going to see bears this trip!

Next to the road in a small meadow next to the woods was a yearling rustling around in the grass. I was bummed I didn't bring the camera! We'd learned on previous trips that these younger bears are often the ones who make the riskiest decisions being away from mom now. We watched him head back toward the woods as the shot gun guy walked into the meadow and that is when we saw another bear hanging out on a log watching him. They had a stare down for a minute or so before he retreated as well. These teenagery bears must be familiar with the rangers and their rubber bullets.

The program tonight was excellent detailing the history of the area and much about how the park came to be. Our interest about the Buffalo Soldiers was piqued and we learned about Morro Rock which we'd be visiting our second day in the park.

We left Grammie and Ryan with plans to meet back up in the morning and utilize the park shuttles to hit the not-to-miss spots on our list. It was already chilly as we zipped up our sleeping bags. Did I mention this is my favorite weather?

Day 41

We slept in a little this morning with a different plan than normal. Since Grammie had power she was making homemade biscuits for all of us! I was up with the sun to write but the kids slept in until 8:30. They were much happier this morning when they woke up!

We didn't have a tight schedule today so we were able to linger at breakfast and really enjoy the morning.  Grammie cooked enough biscuits for an army so we were all stuffed by the time we got up from the table. I took the kids to the game room with plans to play 2 games of ping pong, 2 games of foosball, and 1 game of pool. The kids were so awful at ping pong I shortened the games to 10 points and it still took us almost an hour to finish! There was lots of doubled-over laughter throughout the games as they got used to the rules, the paddles, and the bounce of the ball.

Next up was foosball which we'd played many times before so the games were pretty quick. Ryan and I blew away Laney and Brayden so Brayden and I joined forces. We were beating them so horribly we played facing backwards with our arms crossed. Talk about some serious brain coordination happening! Once they made it within 2 points of us we played facing forward
but still with our arms crossed. My brain was so slow to react as goalie that we almost lost it. We played a third game with Laney and I teamed up and it was definitely more even than any other matchup with a final score of 9-10.

On our drive to Yosemite we'd gone through the tiny town of Groveland. Brayden noticed a couple pizza places and I noticed a general store so we decided to drive back and explore for the morning. I was assuming there were a few gifts stores we could walk through or maybe a small museum. Unfortunately it was already pretty hot and the stores were a flop. There were more taverns than anything! We just dropped post cards at the post office and headed for pizza.


Once we walked into the pizza place I didn't have very high expectations but it actually was very good. The crust and sauce were delicious and ours was piled high with veggies. I asked the owner if there was a laudromat close and this was a good day to do it but it was more than 20 more minutes away. I noticed on my plans we were to have laundry at our next stop and Grammie already had laundry at hers. Our to-do-laundry or not-to-do-laundry quandry solved itself.

The kids were interested in swimming and I'd noticed a spot called Rainbow Pool on my map in between our sites so we headed that way next. With it being so warm and a Sunday the place was absolutely packed! We drove through anyway just to see the swimming hole then continued on to drop Grammie at her laundromat. We still had a few days of clothes left so the kids went to swim at the river and I relaxed and read with Lola.

I was rudely taken away from my book about 45 minutes later and close to napping with wet hugs from Brayden and Dave. They wanted me to come down to the river so we put Lola back in the RV and walked down. The girls were wrapped up in towels by the time I got down there but I talked them into going back in to jump off the rock. It was a nice little spot with colorful rocks but the water was COLD. There was no way I was getting in any higher than my ankles.

Once the kids got in dry clothes we headed back down to the game room for a few last games. It was a little more crowded now so the kids settled on playing pool. The kids are getting better but I don't think we'll have pool sharks any time soon.

After dinner we made the not-to-miss drive up to Glacier Point. This was supposed to be the best view of the valley and mountains in the park and I was hoping we would be able to time it to make the ranger program and the sunset. It looked like we were going to just make the program until the traffic came to a complete stop about 100 yards from the parking lot. We inched and inched closer and finally were at a point where everyone could hop out and I could find a parking spot. The parking lot wasn't too small, everyone had just been waiting for people to leave and holding up the rest of us.

I joined up with everyone after a few minutes and we walked the trail to the point. This was a spot Lola could join us so she was thrilled. It's been almost like everywhere we went we were missing someone until we are allowed to bring her too. Brayden not be as thrilled as she sat in his lap during the more than hour drive up!


We caught the last few minutes of the ranger program about fire then explored the point while the sun dipped behind the trees. There wasn't much color to the sky but it was still beautiful to see Half Dome from this perspective. On a rock by the edge I spotted a survey marker for our spot. We were at 7,214 feet.











The Santa Cruz Astronomy Club was all set up in the Amphitheater with a bunch of giant telescopes all aimed in one of two directions. There was still enough light to be able to easily see so I didn't
expect much until it got dark. Boy was I wrong! We saw Jupiter in all it's color with 4 moons in two of the telescopes. Then we saw Saturn as clear as if we were looking at our moon in the others.  It appeared so close it seemed fake!

There was a night sky program scheduled next but once we did the calculations of when we would actually arrive back at our campsite we decided to skip it. I could only imagine how brilliant the stars and planets were at this perfect spot. Ryan had been eyeing a rock ever since we got here and it was finally empty for her to climb. I promise this picture wasn't taken at JC Penney - it just got dark on us!

About halfway back to our spots I was so very glad we had opted out of the sky program. There wasn't any traffic but I was so tired I was yawning those big, noisy yawns that meant it was time for me to be horizontal. With the help of the cold wind on my face we made it back and all sunk into our sleeping bags for the night.