“On the road again…” as the song goes finds us heading to
the U.S. Southwest exploring with the motor home for two months.
The first two weeks of this fall journey
has brought some cool stops along the way. Kings Canyon and Sequoia National
Parks south of Yosemite NP in California has made it off the bucket list after
all these years. It is quiet an amazing place and much less impacted than
Yosemite.
There
are 75 groves of sequoias in the world and thirty of them lie within these two
national parks.
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| Giant Sequoia Sherman Tree |
These oldest trees in the world each average the weight of five
blue whales and have survived between 2000 to 3000 years. The tallest is the
General Sherman Tree spanning 40 feet in diameter and a height of 275-feet
which is taller than the Statue of Liberty. Their majesty leaves one in awe.
Kings Canyon climbs 4000 feet up the western slope of the Sierra
Nevada, then drops 3700 feet into the geological wonderland of the canyon
depths. At Junction Overlook there is an explosive view of the impressive
canyons of the Middle and South Forks of the Kings River.
At the Roads End we see a
ranger back country permit office for information to the numerous trails.
Hikers so inclined can link to the Pacific Crest Trail in the high country of
Kings Canyon which is said to be deeper than the Grand Canyon. Along the Kings
River at the base on the canyon we noticed to the north, glacial abrasive scarred
granite North Dome (8717 feet) and Grand Sentinel reminiscent of Yosemite
National Park.
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| Kings Canyon |
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| Joshua trees galore |
Miles to the south in the Mojave Desert are acres of another unique tree
known as the Joshua Tree. We decide to spend two nights in
Joshua Tree National Park so we could enjoy a full day exploring around in the
Jeep. We
spend much of the second day driving through the park on unpaved roads to grasp
a true sense of desert. An air conditioned car is a blessing even in the fall. A
most memorable experience was a drive off an unpaved road at dusk.
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| New moon with shadows of a Joshua tree and agave cacti |
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| Jumbo Rocks at Joshua Tree NP |
It was a
great chance to catch the shadows of the Joshua trees, cacti, and rock
formations against the colorful glow in the sky after sunset. This being the
desert one doesn't expect JTNP to be so beautiful with its huge rock
formations. At 800,000 acres, this park is almost incomprehensible in its vast
open space. It is a surprise what one can see out on the trails.
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| Cottontail |
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| Morning Sunrise | | | |
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Kings Canyon climbs 4000 feet up the western slope of the Sierra
Nevada, then drops 3700 feet into the geological wonderland of the canyon
depths. At Junction Overlook there is an explosive view of the impressive
canyons of the Middle and South Forks of the Kings River. 
