Summer Vacation Trip - Day 3

We were both awake by 0600 and rested in our room.  I explored a little outside and discovered that the loud "white noise" that had helped me sleep was caused by a roaring river that came up to the yard behind the Lodge.  The air was crisp, the sky was crystal blue and there weren't any clouds at all.  Mollie commented that she was very happy that we’d made the late night drive because it cut down on the early morning driving.  In other words, we were already inside Kings Canyon National Park and just had to make our way out again while everyone else was arriving at the main entrance. We got packed and then (0655) went down to the Cedar Grove Lodge Café, where we enjoyed a delicious breakfast (pancakes, biscuits and gravy).  We then explored the river bank and nearby campground.  Retracing the part of the drive when I passed the Lodge the night before, we drove east toward Roads End.  We were treated to amazing views of the canyon walls (including North Dome) and the rough rapids of the King River; we took hikes on the River Trail (both at Roads End and then at the Zumwalt Meadow parking area).  Unfortunately, the river had swamped the area and, even though we waded through some streams and mud, we couldn't get all the way through to the wildlife area.  We did get treated to the sight of a mule deer that swam across from Zumwalt Meadow to where we were.  After we reached the car again, we drove a short distance to the Roaring River Falls.  The mist coming off of the crashing water was cooling and energizing.  At 0900, we returned to the Cedar Grove Village and located the small Visitor Center (so we could get another NPS Passport Stamp for Mollie).  We reviewed some of the brochures and decided that we really wanted to see the Grants Grove area (near the park entrance) so we headed west on CA-180.  Along the way, the daylight revealed the route we'd driven in the dark during the previous night and it was shocking to see the curvy, edge-of-the-cliff road.  Despite the nature of the route, though, it provided spectacular vistas of the beautiful canyon and breathtaking drop offs.  There were more than 30 miles of scary switchbacks but, fortunately, there were almost no cars going in our direction.  We took our time and really tried to appreciate the whole experience.  We decided that Kings Canyon National Park was sort of schizophrenic because it had beautiful trees, canyons, remote and inaccessible areas but the "villages" inside of it were separated by vast distances.  From the map, it was clear that everyone often had to leave the park property to reach each area.  During the drive, Mollie told me some stories about school and summer plans with her mother.  Several of the interesting places on the park map appeared to be closed for the season, so we didn’t stop very much during the drive back to the park entrance.  At 1100, we arrived at a famous landmark on the edge of Kings Canyon National Park called the Grant Grove, a forest of Giant Sequoia trees that were preserved in the Nineteenth Century.  After our trip through Redwoods National Park (and the Sequoia Sempervirons) last year, we wanted to see these genetic relatives that thrive in areas between 3000 and 7500 feet in the Western Sierras.  For the first time on the journey, we had trouble getting a parking spot (we expected that would be a common theme for the rest of the trip) but our patience eventually paid off.  We took a short walk through the grove and marveled at the huge trees, which were very different (shorter and thicker) from their coastal brethren.  The forest below them was also populated by different trees due to the elevation.  We found a downed (hollow) tree that we were able to walk through and it gave us a real appreciation for the overall size.  Since I'd just finished a book about Ulysses S Grant, the stop to visit the redwood named General Grant was very timely.  As we were finishing our visit, Mollie got very excited when we encountered a team of Hot Shots.  Just after 1200, we departed to the southeast, bound for Sequoia National Park.  We didn’t have to drive very long before reaching the first roadside attractions (more Sequoia groves).  We enjoyed the lazy, curving road (called “The Generals Highway”) and were immediately convinced that the NPS unit was much more focused and compact (not counting the backcountry, where the PCT went) than Kings Canyon had been.  The road took us through over 40 miles of forest and we loved the scenery.  Mollie discovered that we had free Sirius-XM Radio and this added tunes to our drive - the only thing missing was a convertible top!  We stopped at lots pull offs to walk in remote redwood groves.  The trees were soft and sounded hollow when we knocked on the wood.  At one stop, we met a young couple from another country (Nordic?) and took pictures for each other.  Mollie and I later explored Wuksachi (a place from which I tried unsuccessfully to obtain lodging before the trip) and then drove to the Lodgepole Visitor Center. Mollie got another NPS Passport Stamp.  We found out that there was a convenient shuttle bus route that we could use from there so we boarded the next bus that arrived.  It drove us to Sherman Tree area and we got off at the main parking lot.  We then took a walk on a nice path down the hill through another Sequoia grove.  Along the way, we saw huge trees, including some that had grown close together until they looked like double and triple trees.  The pine trees nearby, which apparently liked the shade that the redwoods provided, were also massive.  We marveled at the General Sherman tree, which is considered one of the largest trees in the world (measured around the base).  There was fire damage evident on almost every tree but the Sequoias apparently thrive in that type of environment, continuing to grow for up to 4500 years (despite the hardships).  We found the shuttle bus again at the bottom of the hill and took it back to our car.  From there (1330), we drove a short distance, eating our lunch (snacks) on the way.  We stopped at the Giant Forest Museum in Three Rivers so Mollie could get some more souvenirs (1400).  It had become very crowded by then so we didn't stay too long, instead opting for a drive up the Moro Rock-Crescent Meadow Road.  We encountered the Tunnel Log there, which we were allowed to drive through (multiple times).  We drove over near the Moro Rock but couldn't park (too crowded) so we "settled" for a stop at the Crescent Meadow.  We found the trailhead for the High Sierra trail there (60 miles of hiking to the summit of Mount Whitney!)  I told Mollie that it looked like something new for my bucket list.  Mollie and I walked about 50 yards of the trail but then settled for a short trek around the beautiful meadow, spying an occasional Sequoia (both standing and fallen) as we walked.  We encountered some people who were talking to a park ranger about "Can Kings Canyon and Cedar Grove be done in a day?" and his response was "you might not think it is worth all the effort" (I thought that was funny).  We walked the entire circuit (most of it by ourselves) and we got to see a yellow-bellied marmot (the other people nearby thought it was a beaver.  Back at our car, after lots of hiking and a full day of mountains and trees, we decided it was time to head back to civilization to find a place to stay.  We took the Generals Highway (it eventually became CA-198) down the mountain, making only one more stop (at the Foothills Visitor Center) before leaving the park.  On the way back to the Central Valley, we talked some more about our day and people back home.  We were still in good spirits as we reached civilization, even though the temps had soared into the high 90s (ugh...).  We drove west to Visalia and then took CA-99 to Fresno.  Mollie called Nicky so she could chat about our trip - it was a short call.  Afterwards, Mollie and I talked more about current events, our trip itinerary and relationships.  After thinking about our plans for the next day, I suggested to Mollie that we stay near the campus of Fresno State and she agreed. Mollie helped a lot with directions and lodging searches and we checked into the University Inn (1800).  We immediately unpacked and got ready to go out to eat.  Based on the hotel clerk's recommendation, we wanted to try the Dog House Grill.  Unfortunately, it was too crowded and we were uncertain what to do.  Before driving away, I noticed there was a Buffalo Wild Wings next door and Mollie told me that she’d never been there.  We ended up eating a really good dinner (special drinks, 20 different wings, sides and dessert) and we even had leftovers.  After a satisfying meal, we went back to the room (1930).  We were very tired from all the driving but both agreed that it had been another exciting day of exploring.  We read and watched some TV in the room until it was time for bed (2230).