LYFE IN TOW

Before taking the weekend to camp and visit Sequoia and Kings Canyon National parks, I spent about a week with my friends Chris and Allison and their family in Sunnyvale, CA. Chris and I met in business school (pretty much day 1) in Ohio, but he now has a killer job at Google. I may have mentioned this before, but getting the chance to spend time with my friends and their kids is remarkable. I got the opportunity to fold into their lives, spend some QT with Allison, and get to know their children. And the kids LOVE Addie, so it was a win-win.

We had a lovely day in Monterey (hey, that rhymes!). We drove the famous 17-mile drive through Pebble Beach and had lunch in Carmel-by-the-Sea. We stopped in the afternoon for a little beach time for the kids. I loved Carmel-by-the-Sea.

Visiting Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks was a treat; for a few different reasons:

1) My friend Chris joined me visiting these two sister parks.

2) I didn’t do any research on these parks (Chris did…), so I had no expectations going in.

In short, often, low expectations equals pleasant surprises.

Because campgrounds are few and far between (see my previous post), we made campground reservations in the Sequoia National Forest, but each night at a different campground, due to availability - one night at Upper Stoney Creek Campground, and the other at Princess Campground. Not staying in the same campground meant we were towing the Airstream around with us for most of the weekend.

Per Chris’s park research, I learned that Sequoia trees are the largest (by volume) globally. With a depth of 8,200 feet, Kings Canyon is one of the deepest canyons in the United States. These parks also host two of the largest (by volume) trees in the world: General Sherman and General Lee. The General Sherman Tree IS the largest in the world (275 feet tall and over 36 feet in diameter at the base), and the General Lee Tree is the second largest of the Sequoias in the Grant Grove section of the park, and 11th largest in the world.

We started by visiting Grant Grove, which is home to the General Lee Tree. We were blown away not only by the size of that tree, but also by all the other trees in the area. The bases of these trees were massive!

The trees were enormous - but the views driving through the park were equally as impressive. Chris and I took turns driving. I have to say; it was nice to be in the passenger seat for a change. I got to look out the window at the sights without having to pay attention to the road.

Chris and I did the perfect nine-mile hike. I hate to admit it, but we took Addie with us, despite it being against the rules. The path seemed “less traveled,” so I took the risk. The trail was called Mist Falls, and it snaked through lush greenery, riverbanks, and at the end was a beautiful waterfall.

The last day in the parks, we hiked up Moro Rock. From the top, our vantage point afforded us views of both parks - nearly in entirety. We also couldn’t leave without driving through the tunnel log.

Lastly, here are a few shots of us with the National Park signs. After Addie and I got a photo next to the Sequoia sign, she insisted on being in Chris’s picture as well. She ran up to him as he was standing next to it!

These sister parks were stunning and although I had now expectation for them, they blew me away.

It’s funny. Many people I meet ask me what my favorite park is so far. It’s not a simple answer. Being a favorite depends on so many factors: the weather, where I’m camping, if Addie is with me or not, if I have a special treat like a friend joining me, how crowded the park is, the ease on navigating the park, etc. It’s way more about the experience in its entirety that makes it a favorite or not. I’d say these parks were definitely a favorite.