Kings Canyon National Park

We visited Kings Canyon National Park in California, including the Kings Canyon Visitor Center, General Grant Tree, and a scenic drive through the canyon.

An interactive map of our route:

Relief map of the canyon:

Relief map of canyon

Visitor center:

Visitor center

Gift store:

Gift store

Sequoias:

Sequoias

The General Grant tree, the third largest tree in the world by volume:

General Grant tree

Gamlin Cabin:

Gamlin Cabin

Kings Canyon National Park is split in two parts, separated by Sequoia National Forest, which has some rather nice scenery:

Sequoia National Forest

Back into Kings Canyon National Park:

Kings Canyon National Park

And on the return trip, back into Sequoia National Forest:

Kings Canyon National Park

Sequoia National Forest

A small waterfall (at this time of year):

Sequoia National Forest

Yosemite National Park: Tuolumne Meadows and Tenaya Lake

We took another drive into Yosemite National Park, to head along Tioga Road to the Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center, with a brief stops by Tenaya Lake and Olmsted Point on the way back, which featured the other side of Half Dome.

Pywiack Dome:

Pywiack Dome

Lembert Dome:

Lembert Dome

Tuolumne Meadow and a rainbow:

Tuolumne Meadow and a rainbow

Pothole Dome:

Pothole Dome

Tenaya Lake:

Tenaya Lake

Interesting rocks

The other side of Half Dome:

Half Dome

Rock

Rocks

Tree

Half Dome

Yosemite National Park: Wawona and Glacier Point

We took a drive into Yosemite National Park to visit the Wawona Visitor Center and Yosemite History Center, then on to Glacier Point, with a nice view of Half Dome.

On the way, a stop at the Tunnel View point:

Tunnel view point

Selfie

Wawona Hotel:

Wawona Hotel

Pioneer History Center, with stagecoaches:

Stagecoaches

A covered bridge:

Covered bridge

Pioneer history center

Glacier Point:

Glacier Point

Washburn Point:

Washburn Point

Sunset over Yosemite valley:

Sunset

Yosemite National Park: Hetch Hetchy

We took a drive into Yosemite National Park to visit the Hetch Hetchy reservoir.

Hetch Hetchy dam

Yosemite National Park: Yosemite Valley

After arriving at Thousand Trails Yosemite Lakes, we took a drive into Yosemite National Park to visit the Yosemite Valley Welcome Center, and take some photos of some interesting rocks.

Yosemite National Park entrance sign

Yosemite Valley, with Half Dome visible:

Half Dome

Tunnel:

Tunnel

Waterfall (barely flowing at the end of summer):

Waterfall

El Capitan:

El Capitan

Waterfall:

Waterfall

Historic church:

Church

Welcome Center:

Welcome Center

Yosemite Valley map:

Yosemite Valley map

We had dinner at the grill, with a couple of ravens watching us (and looking like sitting on my shoulder for a moment):

David with ravens

Heading out of Yosemite Valley:

Yosemite Valley

Tunnel

We headed back into the valley a few days later, and explored some more stuff:

Yosemite Valley

Ansel Adams Gallery:

Ansel Adams Gallery

Exploration Center and Theater (the movie was worth a watch):

Exploration Center and Theater

Indian Village:

Indian Village

Baseball: San Francisco Giants vs San Diego Padres

We attended a baseball game between the San Francisco Giants and the San Diego Padres, playing at the Giant’s ballpark, Oracle Park in San Francisco, California. What we thought would be our last game of the year (but actually only our last game of the regular season), and the 8th ballpark we’ve visited in our stretch goal of visiting all of the ballparks (six new ones this year, plus re-visiting the Mariners’ park a couple of times).

Jenn’s game summary:

The Giants lost after 10 innings. The Padres had a large number of fans in attendance, and it was difficult to distinguish the chants for each team. The weather was very changeable and I got a little sunburnt on my neck. Ramos hit a home run into McCovey Cove, so that was fun—the first right-handed hitter to do so. Tatis Jr. came out to pinch-hit in the 8th and sent the first pitch over the wall. It’s a nice park with lovely panoramic views of the Bay, but not much entertainment between innings.

Bay Bridge:

Bay Bridge

Oracle Park:

Oracle Park

Team store:

Team store

Oracle Park

Three times world champions:

World champions

Concessions:

Concessions

Burritos:

Burritos

View from outfield:

View from outfield

Big Coke bottle:

Big Coke bottle

Big glove:

Big glove

Cable car:

Cable car

Ferry next to the ballpark:

Ferry

View from outfield:

View from outfield

World Series rings:

Rings

View from our seats:

View from our seats

Orlando Cepeda memorial:

Orlando Cepeda memorial

Mascot:

Mascot

First pitches:

First pitches

View from our seats

Pitching

Batting

Out at first:

Out at first

View from our seats

An advertising boat circled for half the game:

Boat circled for half the game

Batting

Exploring Oracle Park:

Oracle Park

Bridge view

Exploring

Boats and kayaks next to the ballpark, waiting for a splash home run:

Exploring

Our traditional ballpark dessert:

Our traditional ballpark dessert

Submarine pitcher:

Submarine pitcher

Runs score:

Run scores

That was a new splash hit home run:

A new splah hit home run

Final scores:

Final scores

Padres win, sorry Giants:

Padres win, sorry Giants

Lassen Volcanic National Park

We visited Lassen Volcanic National Park again. The main visitor center was closed, but the museum was open, so we went there first:

Museum

Seismograph

And unlike last time, the road through the park was open, so we enjoyed the sights:

Lassen

The Sulphur Works area was like a tiny Yellowstone. I know many people don’t like the sulphur smell, but we enjoy it, probably thanks to that association (and with Rotorua in New Zealand):

Lassen

It was nice to be able to see more of the park this time.

Ashland, Oregon

Some miscellaneous photos around Ashland, Oregon.

Ashland Springs Hotel:

Ashland Springs Hotel

Oregon Shakespeare Festival gift store:

Oregon Shakespeare Festival gift store

We enjoy the hills around Ashland:

Hills

Varsity theater:

Varsity theater

Creekside restaurants:

Creekside restaurants

Lithia Park pond:

Lithia Park pond

Lithia Park bridge

Lithia Park pond

Scenic drive along Dead Indian Memorial Road and Green Springs Highway

On our last day staying in Ashland (a Saturday), we took a scenic drive along Dead Indian Memorial Road and Green Springs Highway (OR-66), along the historic Applegate Wagon Trail, through the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.

An interactive map of our route, traveling clockwise (with a fuel stop first, then a stop at the “Boat Launch” waypoint; the other waypoints are just to force the route:

We really like the Ashland area, and Dead Indian Memorial Road is one of the favorites, the kind of terrain we enjoy.

Some interesting rocks:

Interesting rocks along Dead Indian Memorial Road

A bit of wildfire smoke in the area:

View from Dead Indian Memorial Road

A glimpse of Mount Washington, a 7,795 foot peak in the Cascade range:

Mount Washington

Smiley face on a tank:

Smiley face on tank

We stopped at the Sunset Day Use Area of Lake of the Woods for a picnic lunch:

Lake of the Woods

Another angle of Mount Washington across the lake:

Mount Washington

Lake of the Woods

A dog with shark fin, carrying a stick:

Dog with shark fin

Selfie

Ducks:

Ducks

Duck

Back on the road, on highway 140 W:

Highway 140 W

Upper Klamath Lake:

Upper Klamath Lake

Reservoir:

Reservoir

OR-66:

OR-66

A nice drive.

Oregon Shakespeare Festival

We attended a couple of performances of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland.

Back when we had a homestead, we used to be members of OSF, and did annual visits to Ashland to attend performances and enjoy the town. (Though we do plan to be back in Ashland next year, and probably every year, so we could resume our membership.)

This time, we attended a performance of Jane Eyre, and of Much Ado About Nothing.

“Allen Elizabethan Theatre, America’s First Elizabethan Theatre”:

Allen Elizabethan Theatre