Friday September 27

We left Tobin James Cellars around 9:00 am bound for Kings Canyon National Park. We had an interesting drive to Frezno CA, passing mile after mile of farm fields which appear to be abandoned and numerous billboards protesting the government for cutting water supplies. Not sure what that's all about although they have been in a drought for a year and maybe there is no water available?

This whole area is very arid and dusty. After passing Frezno, we approached the Sierra Nevada mountains. You can barely make them out in the hazy background in this picture.

We were in the foothill area where everything was a golden colour.

We arrived at the park at around 1:30.

We stopped for a picnic lunch and immediately noticed how cool it had become and a bit of light headedness due to the quick altitude change from near sea level to 6500 ft. Or, maybe it was all the wine tastings from yesterday?

After lunch, we checked into the John Muir Lodge for the next two nights.

We only has a couple of hours to explore today so we did a quick hike to Panorama Point near the lodge (7,520 ft elev.).

In the parking lot, I met the fellow from Google Street View that was photographing all of the National Park hiking trails. He showed me his backpack rig that he has to carry to record all of the trails.

His project was to do all of the Parks west of the Mississippi and this was his second last one. He was heading to Crater Lake next.

Some great views from Panorama Point.

After this, we drove to the Grant Grove to look at giant sequoias. These trees are 2,000 to 3,000 years old and are the largest by mass in the world.

This is the General Grant... 268 ft high, 107.5 ft ground circumference, 46,608 cu. ft. trunk volume.

Here is one that had fallen over centuries ago and is now a 250 foot tunnel.

We returned to the lodge and tried out the internet speed, verrrry slooow so won't be uploading any blog for a couple of days. There was a choice of one restaurant and no cooking allowed in the room. Played it safe with the burger selection.