National parks that we have visited.
We visited Sequoia National Park in California, including the Foothills Visitor Center, the Tunnel Rock, the Giant Forest Museum, Moro Rock, and Tunnel Log.
An interactive map of our route:
Sequoia National Park historic sign:
Kaweah River:
Visitor center:
Tunnel Rock:
A very twisty route:
Interesting rocks:
Big trees:
Giant Forest Museum:
Auto Log:
Moro Rock:
Trees and hills:
Driving through Tunnel Log:
Our truck under Tunnel Log:
Tall trees:
We visited Sequoia National Park in California, including the Lodgepole Visitor Center and Grill, and the General Sherman Tree, the largest tree in the world by volume. And saw a couple of bears in a tree.
An interactive map of our route:
Relief map in the visitor center:
General Sherman Tree trail, a half mile (each way) path from the parking lot to the tree, through the Giant Forest sequoia grove:
Footprint of Sherman Tree:
Path and steps:
General Sherman tree, the largest tree in the world by volume:
Other big trees:
Tree cross section:
On the way back up the path, we saw a couple of black bears in a tree (not very close, fortunately):
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:
Visitor center:
Gift store:
Sequoias:
The General Grant tree, the third largest tree in the world by volume:
Gamlin Cabin:
Kings Canyon National Park is split in two parts, separated by Sequoia National Forest, which has some rather nice scenery:
Back into Kings Canyon National Park:
And on the return trip, back into Sequoia National Forest:
A small waterfall (at this time of year):
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:
Lembert Dome:
Tuolumne Meadow and a rainbow:
Pothole Dome:
Tenaya Lake:
The other side of Half Dome:
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:
Wawona Hotel:
Pioneer History Center, with stagecoaches:
A covered bridge:
Glacier Point:
Washburn Point:
Sunset over 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 Valley, with Half Dome visible:
Tunnel:
Waterfall (barely flowing at the end of summer):
El Capitan:
Waterfall:
Historic church:
Welcome Center:
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):
Heading out of Yosemite Valley:
We headed back into the valley a few days later, and explored some more stuff:
Ansel Adams Gallery:
Exploration Center and Theater (the movie was worth a watch):
Indian Village:
We visited Lassen Volcanic National Park again. The main visitor center was closed, but the museum was open, so we went there first:
And unlike last time, the road through the park was open, so we enjoyed the sights:
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):
It was nice to be able to see more of the park this time.
We visited Gateway Arch National Park in St. Louis, Missouri.
The NPS map:
An interactive map:
Map sign:
Old Courthouse, currently being renovated:
Gateway Arch:
Inside the visitor center, a model tram; eight of these go up and down each leg of the arch:
Exhibits:
A model of the observation area at the top of the arch:
Line to the top:
Boarding pass:
Waiting for the tram:
Our tram:
Looking through the windows in the tram doors to the inside of the arch:
Trams at top:
Top of the arch:
630 feet high:
Jenn taking a photo out an observation window:
Views from top:
Shadow of the arch:
Waiting for the tram for the journey down:
Selfie in the tram:
Inside the arch:
Out of the tram:
Tram waiting area:
Arch store:
Arch cafe for a snack:
Under the arch:
A rather unique national park.
We visited Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky. It is notable as the longest cave system in the world, with over 400 miles of passages.
Visitor center:
Mammoth cave has several guided tours available. We did the “Domes and Dripstones” tour, which required taking buses to a cave entrance:
Down into a sinkhole:
Cave entrance:
Looking down:
Underground ranger talk:
Not too bad a picture of me:
Lots of steps:
Historic graffiti:
Very flat cave ceiling:
Ranger talk area:
More steps:
The “Frozen Niagara” formation:
Vertical panorama of a dome:
An interesting cave, but we’ve seen nicer-looking ones. Just shows that size isn’t everything.
