Tag Archives: travel
Day 2 in Giant land
We spent Sunday night at the Montecito Sequoia Lodge located inside the Sequoia National Forest. The building was built years ago, added on and added on, the interior was a maze of twisting halls and stairs. Yet our room was quaint and comfortable – and without a TV!
Which was fine as we were exhausted and feel right to sleep.
Monday morning we were back visiting the giant sequoias, this time in search of General Sherman, the largest living tree (in terms of sheer mass) in the world. On our way down the many steps to the tree we came across a stone mosaic that showed us the size of General Sherman in a way that made it easy to understand.
The stone tiles are in the shape and cover the same size as the base of General Sherman. The tree is 109 feet around. Amazing, and hard to see when you’re right up next to the real tree.
So here he is, looking from the ground up.
Truly awe inspiring. I said to someone today that I have run out of descriptive words for these trees. They are, in fact, indescribable. You just have to be there.
These trees, thousands of years old, remind me how short our own lives are. They’ve been here, sitting right here long before I came along and they’ll be here, sitting right here for a thousand years after no one remembers me at all. That might make me feel insignificant, but in fact it gave me comfort to think that some things continue on.
We walked around a meadow in the forest too…
…which offered a bit of relief from the overpowering strength and shadows of the giant trees. Yet in the woods surrounding the sunlit meadow were hundreds more huge trees waiting to be discovered. They weren’t named like the trees in the giant grove, yet they were just as impressive.
And you could get right up and touch them, no fences between us and these sweet giants. We also learned on the walk around the meadow more about how fire helps in the restoration of the forest and aids in the birth of new sequoia trees.
Everywhere we looked we saw the cycle; the new seedlings, the tall but immature trees, the mature giants, the burned stumps and the roots of the fallen. It was sobering to be walking alone among these trees that have lived such long and good lives.
And for a break from the trees we decided to climb this:
This is Moro Rock. There are only 350 steps to the top of it. Think of it like God’s stairmaster…without the gym membership.
And when you get to the top it looks like this:
And you get to see views like this:
And this:
And then we climbed down the 350 steps to the car, while giving encouragement to those beginning their ascent. I knew better than to lie and tell them they were almost there. But I could promise them the climb was worth it.
Oh. And we saw bear! A mama bear and her two cubs down the hill from the road. The cubs were darling, but no pictures, we only got a glimpse. Then a bear walking down below the parking lot at Moro Rock, but we only saw him through the trees, more a shadow than a real bear. And finally one walking down the road in front of the car in front of us.
I got a couple quick shots of him (or her)..mostly bear butt shots, but this one was when the car in front of us was passing him slowly and the bear decided he didn’t like that.
And this shot through our driver’s side window shows a disgruntled bear kind of ticked off to be the center of attention.
Blurry, but proof we saw a real bear. We also saw these guys. They were cute and stood still for their portrait.
Where to tomorrow? I don’t know. But it will probably involve more driving and less climbing. I’m pretty sure.
Though you never know.
Giants
Sunday’s adventures revolved around big things. Really big trees, located in the Sequoia National Forest and really big mountains in Kings Canyon. And on our way out to the parks we stopped in Visalia, a small town known for it’s giant murals.
We couldn’t find a map that told us where they all were so we wandered the town and found a few of them.
Then we headed up into the mountains to find the trees for ourselves. It was a beautiful trip through farmland filled with orange groves and grapefruit trees and miles and miles of grapes.
But I digress. I’m sure what you really want to see are the trees – yes? You won’t be disappointed.
Aren’t they magnificent? There were lots of them, each beautiful. I wish I could live in a small house out in the middle of these trees. I loved them all.
I also wish I could show them all to you, but there were so many. You just have to add this park to your list of places to visit. After we toured the giant trees we headed over to the park right next door called Kings Canyon. The mountains were awe inspiring. Everywhere you looked was something stunningly beautiful.
We were lucky too that the parks were open for free this weekend in honor of Veteran’s Day. Can you believe it? All this splendor and no entrance fee!
I told my husband this was better than visiting Disney World. I could have stayed taking photos all day.
The good news is we stayed at a lodge right in the park Sunday night, so Monday we’ll get to explore some more. It’s all just amazing. I can’t wait to show you!
Remembering Reagan
Saturday we visited the Reagan Library in Simi Valley. It sits high on a ridge overlooking mountains and valleys. What a beautiful location. We sat for quite awhile on the terrace just enjoying the view. (Click on photos to see more detail.)
Peaceful
Whether or not you liked Reagan you come out of his library thinking that he had some pretty rational ideas. One in particular feels like it’s still appropriate today:
Can we learn from history?
The economy, when he began his first term, sounds a lot like the way things are now. Unemployment, uncertainty, people unhappy with the way government was working. I remember those days like they were yesterday. In some ways I guess they were yesterday. It felt a bit uncomfortable looking at history that I’ve actually lived and it made me feel old to watch parents explaining to their children the importance of Reagan’s agreement with Russia.
“Tear down that wall!”
We walked through the oval office replica, and through Air Force One which was smaller than I thought it would be, yet huge inside it’s very own glass hanger.
Forever flying.
We paid our respects at Reagan’s final resting place too. Once again I felt old as a young girl stopped, read the marker and exclaimed “He was born in 1911??” then twirled away down the sidewalk as another little girl said “I was just a baby when he died.”
Truth
Can you see what it says? Let me read it for you: “I know in my heart that man is good, that what is right will always eventually triumph and there is purpose and worth to each and every life.”
True Mr. President. True.
Mural at library.
We left Simi Valley and headed north, the late afternoon sun making the hillsides glow. Another perfect day
Stunning.
I don’t know where we’re going tomorrow — that’s the best part about this vacation. No deadlines, no commitments, we just look at the map every evening and head out when the sun comes up.
Perfect.
Oval Office history
Really?
You’re sending me where??!!
I don’t like you Mama
When is here good enough?
Home
You know I suffer from wanderlust. I’m a lot like Katie that way; give me a place to go and I’m ready. If I had my way there would be somewhere new to visit every weekend; errands, housework and the yard responsibilities would melt away. Some people, particularly someone I’m married to, probably think I’ve already abandoned all household responsibility. He would be close to correct.
The road calls me constantly and it’s hard when I’m out not to just keep going. So I found it refreshing Sunday afternoon to feel content and happy just standing on our deck watching the birds swoop in and out of our freshly filled feeders.
My brave little titmice were first to zoom in, even before I retreated from filling the feeder.
Brave little guys
The chickadees soon followed…
What you lookin at?
…and the goldfinches, now a subdued green were happy with the full thistle feeder.
Greedy goldfinches.
And as soon as I was inside a whole gang of cardinals arrived to party.
Party!
It’s good to know that I can be content here too. Even if it’s only for an evening. I know that the call of the road will be singing loud again soon.
But for a moment it was good to be home.
Supper!
The big adventure
At a rest stop.
Katie here. I just have to tell you about my big adventure. I’d have told you while I was adventuring but I was having too much fun to blog. And then I was so exhausted that I had to sleep. A lot. Mama had to wake me up just to type this. She is wicked that Mama.
So anyway, you know how my Mama is always taking me on adventures? She gets me all excited and then we just go to my park (which I like and all, but it’s hardly an adventure!) or to the store, or worse, we tour the back yard. Well this time when she told me we were going on an adventure she wasn’t kidding around!
We drove and drove for about forty days and forty nights. (OK, it was 4 hours, maybe a little more.) We stopped at 3 rest stops along the way and I liked all the new smells a lot. But still it was a long car ride.
My chariot.
When I was just about to explode and tell her off we were there! Guess what? We went to visit Ricky! Yes, THAT Ricky!
Little Ricky!
And he has a cool fenced in back yard and we got to run through his tunnel and jump over his jumps and everything! (No pictures of that because we were all having too much fun to remember the camera.)
Ricky and I got along just fine. He showed me lots of stuff, like how to do stairs. He has a lot of stairs at his house. I don’t do stairs, unless I have to when Mama isn’t looking. But mostly I don’t have to because, as you all know, I am a princess. So my Mama carries me up and down them because I whine about it. It’s a skill.
Mama! Come get me!
But you know what the best part of the trip was? We went to Ricky’s park. It is sooooo wonderful! It has woods and a ravine and a creek and gardens! There are so many things to look at and sniff I could hardly stand it!
Me and Ricky.
Ricky and I and our Moms spent a long time there and I didn’t complain once about having to walk so far.
Pretty gardens!
And I sat in the back seat of Ricky’s Mom’s car without trying to crawl into my Mama’s lap! See? I can be a good girl.
We sat in the back seat. Together.
Ricky is a good influence on me. He’s also a good friend, and so is his Mom and Dad, cause they let me stay in his house and sleep in his room on his sofa! Well. He might not know I did that, so maybe we won’t tell him.
Our ride home was very long too…and I did not sleep not one bit. OK. maybe a little. But I didn’t put my head down until we were almost home!
Just resting my eyes.
It was a wonderful trip. Next time my Mama tells me we’re going on an adventure I hope it’s as exciting as this one. Though I don’t know how she could top it.
I don’t get my feet wet either. Just saying.
I’m off to take another nap now. Gonna have the best dreams ever!
Thanks Ricky!
Night music
Ceiling
I was lucky this weekend. I got to attend a Columbus Symphony concert on Saturday night. You know how much I love to listen to live symphony music, so it was a treat to visit Columbus, sit in a beautiful venue, and listen to such lovely music.
The program contained three pieces. The first, Brio: Toccata and Fantasy for Orchestra, was written by a relatively young composer, John Estacio, born in 1966. It felt like a lush movie background, perhaps the sound you hear behind one of those motion films seen on giant screens, where you’re in an airplane flying low across the country. At the beginning I could see herds of horses racing across the prairie, the majestic Rocky Mountains touched with snow. I felt the plane dip low into the Grand Canyon, then glide gently across farmland, barns glowing in the sun. Soon I was on the East Coast, swinging through New York’s Central Park, where the frenetic sounds of millions of commuters began to infringe on the calm. The piece ended, for me, in the streets of that city with people and taxis moving together in the crazy race of city life. I know these images are likely not the inspiration the composer used when he wrote this piece, but I thoroughly enjoyed imaging it my way.
Second on the program was Rachaninoff’s Concerto No. 2 in C Minor for Piano and Orchestra, Op.18. It starts melancholy, contemplative, but my favorite part was the second movement, so sweetly gentle, such a familiar melody. You’d recognize it if you heard, (I linked so you CAN hear) and you’d smile. I smiled.
Ornate
The last piece of the night was also familiar; Brahm’s Symphony No. 4 in E Minor, Op. 98. I thought my favorite movement of the four was the first. It’s so lush, so full, so familiar. But it turns out my favorite was the third movement with it’s grand entrance, jubilant and exultant moving into a playful dance.
Warming up
I was thinking, on the walk back out to the car, that if everyone could experience an evening like this just once in awhile the world would be a better place. There are so many bad things going on both here at home and across the world. Music like this is like comfort food. In fact I’ll risk calling it comfort music. I could feel the stress flowing out of my neck and shoulders as I sat and absorbed the music into my soul Saturday night.
I wish, truly wish, everyone could experience music live. If you ever get the opportunity attend a symphony concert one evening, even if you don’t think you like this kind of music. Just go. Close your eyes and let your mind float free. See how you feel. See what you imagine. It will expand your mind. It will let you breath.
Comfort music. We could all use a little more of it.
Weekly photo challenge: From Lines to Patterns
Last Friday the latest WordPress photo challenge was issued. I was immediately intrigued. I had some ideas, but no time this week to execute them. Now here it is Wednesday night and the Friday deadline is looming.
I was thinking about one particular photo I had in my archives from our trip to Washington DC last may. As I searched for it I realized there were a lot of shots from that great city that spoke to lines and patterns.
So I followed the instructions from WordPress to create a tile filled with multiple photos. If you know me you know how hard that technical stuff is. So I’m thrilled to show you a photo collage of lines and patterns in Washington DC!
From top left first row: Ceiling of Jefferson Monument; Arches inside the National Cathedral, apartment buildings. Second row from left: Roswell metro station; stairway in Senate building. Third row from left: Treasury building at night; Arlington office building reflections from our hotel room.
This was fun. I still might head out sometime looking for more rural lines and patterns. Or head into Detroit to see what’s there. You’ll be the first to see whatever I come up with. Sooner or later.
No respect
I woke this morning to the news that someone has vandalized the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC.
Mr. Lincoln
One of the beautiful things about our monuments is that you can visit around the clock. Wandering them late on a warm summer night, when they are all lit up, when they are quiet without the hundreds of tourists, is a gift. Perhaps it’s a gift we won’t always have.
Climbing to meet an important man.
All I can say to the person or people responsible is this: If you don’t have any respect for yourselves at least have respect for your own history.
Number 16
Change Is Hard 