Day 46

We had a discussion with the kids the night before about when we would get up and leave the hotel. They, of course, wanted to sleep in. We talked them into getting up early so we could have some time at our next stop instead. It was only 2 more days we would have Dave with us so I wanted to maximize our fun time for sure.

We dragged the kids out of bed to get down to breakfast when it started. We were mostly packed up so we knew it could be a quick exit. They got their normal crazy hotel carb overload and 30 minutes of tv before we were ready to go and searching for Grammie to say goodbye. She was spitting from us this morning so we wouldn't see her or Lola for 2 weeks.

Leaving by 8am we were hoping to get to our spot by late afternoon to be able to enjoy a few hours. We had a long drive today but thanks to Dave's research we had a few interesting stops along the way. Our first stop was the world's tallest thermometer. It is 134 feet tall to record the hottest temperature every recorded in Death Valley in 1913. It was a tough shot to get everyone and the thermometer! For the record it has to be 158 degrees outside to fry an egg.















Just a few minutes later we were in Nevada and getting back off the interstate for our next stop. It was bright and very hot but totally worth it! This was called the Seven Magic Mountains and is an art installation by artist Ugo Rondinone. As we approached I couldn't get over the contrast in the art and the landscape.

Of course the kids had to add their own rocks to the rock garden!

 Since we were so close to Las Vegas we decided to drive to the welcome sign and down the strip. Dave and I got engaged here after I ran one of my marathons and he's been back a few times since on the annual Clarke family trip. It was slow going with all the people but it was neat to see how much it has changed since I'd been there. The kids thought it reminded them a little of Times Square with all the huge stores and digital displays. We had to get a picture at the sign to send to Dave's brother since they are headed out here for good!



We dipped into the bottom of Utah and decided to stop at a local spot for pizza. If you are ever in St. George Utah stopping at 700 Degrees is a must - the pizza was delicious and the service was outstanding. The kids would probably say they enjoyed the unlimited small batch soda the best!

After another few hours of driving through the canyons and Kaibab National Forest we finally made it to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. This is the place that started all these trips. Eight years ago I decided to take the kids to the Grand Canyon and ended up doing a whirlwind trip of 18 states in 32 days. I was excited to get back even for just a few days. Dave and I had visited the South Rim 17 years ago and I knew he'd enjoy the stark contrast of the North Rim.

We were able to steal a peek or two at the canyon but I wanted to save the full view for the next day on our hike to the lodge. After we set up we walked to the general store for a few things where Ryan found an interesting game that she wanted to buy with her trip money. By the time the kids ate it was too dark to play so we played a round of Squarrels instead.

The kids had brought giant glow sticks from home and finally decided to break them to light them up today. They wanted me to film a sword battle but it was so dark it would have just looked like two glow sticks dancing. Brayden had the idea to do some time lapse photography with them though that worked. I didn't even have to adjust the settings for time lapse since it was so dark the camera needed the time anyway.

The kids have been finding the numbers "222" everywhere since that will be our new address so that was the first success. Laney made a heart and Ryan made an infinity symbol too. Everyone was getting pretty grumpy by this point so I declared it bedtime. We had a whole new day tomorrow to explore, learn, and be together.          

Day 45

I woke up chilly this morning because we had the windows open for Brayden to have some fresh air. I noticed the quilt he had when he went to sleep was in between us so I recovered him and went into the car to write. I was hoping to get caught up on blog posts to not have to write to much the last few days before Dave leaves.

Dave looked like he wanted to get things going to leave but I climbed into the tent with the girls and told him we wouldn't be able to check in early at the hotel anyway so we stayed in the tent with them to chat for a little while. These days these conversations with them are few an far between with our schedules and their varied interests.

The kids had been looking forward to this next spot since I mentioned it in April. I was struggling with getting us across Death Valley without a 10 hour drive. There was no way I was going to camp there! So we ended up booking a hotel in Barstow for a night. Forget all the work I do daily for these guys on the trip, they just want to swim in a pool, sleep in a bed and gorge on free breakfast!

Brayden was smiling when he woke up and was hungry so that was a good sign. Before too long we were taking the 10mph hairpin turns south out of Sequoia National Park. Our first stop was Amphitheater Point - one of the CCC construction project. This spot had a lovely view of Morro Rock that we'd just climbed the day before. It looked quite a bit bigger from down here!

Next we stopped at Hospital Rock - a picnic area the CCC constructed but also a sacred place to the Potwisha as well as Native Americans before them. Here there were pictographs above the rock where the Potwisha had healed many people including several settlers in the area. There was also an area labled the "Community Kitchen" where Native Americans would grind acorns into meal to be used in different kinds of food. We'd seen this on several trails in California.

The girls were excited about seeing our next stop - Tunnel Rock. In the early days of the park people could drive under this rock. Today the road has been diverted around the rock but the girls still wanted to climb on top!

And of course no visit to a national park is complete without the photo at the entrance. We'd missed the small sign on our way in so we opted to stop for the way more interesting sign at the southern entrance!

Once we arrived at the hotel all the girls wanted to do was to see Lola and Grammie. We learned about their drive, Lola's refusal to pee in the southwest grassless islands, and her fear of elevators.  Poor Lola!

Dave was the first to shower and the kids washed their disgusting feet before putting on their swimsuits and heading to the pool. I put in a quick load of laundry in hopes it would be the last of our trip and took a much needed shower. I also plugged in all the things that needed reviving and prepped things for our early exit in the morning.

We had a Chili's about 50 feet from our front lobby so we opted for a quick dinner there instead of pizza. They don't have too much there for vegetarians but we found a few things to share and had our fill of chips and salsa.

The front desk upgraded us at check-in to a room that had a sofa bed so we were all able to claim bed space for the night. By the time I checked our route for the morning everyone was asleep so I decided to join them!

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 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!