It's James again. Today was another driving day, and another impressive one. We left the Wuksachi Lodge in Sequoia National Park trying to decide whether we would make a diversion to the Kings Canyon National Park (which would have involved some backtracking) on our way to Yosemite. That side trip supposedly would have taken us to see some waterfalls and glimpses of Kings Canyon, a glacial canyon carved out of granite, and one of the deepest in the United States (1.5 miles deep). After winding and twisting our way toward the decision point - where we would either turn left or right - Sarah Ellen decided for us. She mentioned that her tummy hurt moments before the turn, so I pulled to the side and she promptly threw up, groaning, “can we just go straight to Yosemite?” We did, of course, and were treated to more of the Sierra Nevada Mountains' best scenery along the way.
The route out of Sequoia featured more of those soulful old trees, standing like silent red giants guarding the forest. Between Sequoia and Yosemite, we traveled through the San Joaquin Valley, which again had orchard after orchard (mostly citrus trees and grape vines, from what we could tell). At the intersection of Hwy 41 heading North, just outside of Fresno, we stopped at a roadside stand and bought some locally grown peaches, black plums, and green plums. They were perfectly ripe, juicy, and sweet, and a nice break from all the eating out we’ve been doing.
The ride up into Yosemite was similar to Sequoia, thickly wooded with mostly evergreens, quiet, and cool. The temperature was in the 70’s, with crisp, clear air and blue sky. We drove the valley floor loop on our way to the Hilltop Cabins and saw a preview of what Yosemite has to offer – steep rock faces; the Merced River, with alternating sections of rapids and smooth water, and even some beaches; and really high waterfalls.
We went off-roading to get to our cabin. A narrow gravel road took us to a remote area on the edge of the park (we even spun the minivan tires a few times!), where we followed wooden road signs and other benchmarks to find a one-bedroom wooden cabin with a loft. It was perfect: somewhat isolated (there are other cabins around, but only one nearby), perfectly quiet, and thick with woods. We saw a snake as we were getting out of the car, so Lily, SE, and I approached it (once we saw it wasn’t poisonous) and saw that it had a lizard in its mouth! So cool. We weren't quick enough to get a picture, but we saw him a few more times before nightfall.
We grilled steaks (on a propane grill – not entirely remote!), boiled corn on the cob, and had fresh fruit salad for dinner. Yosemite is a hit so far!
In typical Taryn fashion, she picked the perfect place for us to stay (we passed a run-down old motel on the way that thankfully she had passed on), the perfect amount of time at the different parks, based on what they have for us to see (so glad we're here for 3 nights, and fewer at other places), and she keeps the girls so active during the drives with workbooks and flash cards (math and reading, etc.), reading, movie watching, junior ranger activities, sightseeing (mandated periods of looking out the windows every leg of the trip), and constant shuffling of dramamine, snacks, lunches, potty breaks, drinks, more potty breaks, gum-rationing, and refereeing. Most importantly, she continues to tolerate my pathetic, scraggly facial hair and burgeoning handlebar mustache. True love.
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