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.
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:
A bit of wildfire smoke in the area:
A glimpse of Mount Washington, a 7,795 foot peak in the Cascade range:
Smiley face on a tank:
We stopped at the Sunset Day Use Area of Lake of the Woods for a picnic lunch:
Another angle of Mount Washington across the lake:
A dog with shark fin, carrying a stick:
Ducks:
Back on the road, on highway 140 W:
Upper Klamath Lake:
Reservoir:
OR-66:
A nice drive.
A short timelapse of a pickup truck doing donuts then getting stuck in Emigrant Lake in Ashland, Oregon, and the subsequent removal.
