Our drive took a very different look today. So far we have driven through the Mohave Desert and skirted Death Valley. Temperatures hover around 110 degrees. Today the landscape changed. We headed up Highway 99 through central California, with almond trees lining the roadway. Fortunately they weren't blooming. When we went through a couple years ago they were and I could barely see to drive as allergies hit.
We turned off the highway and took country roads through the diverse farming area. Crops ranged from grape vines to corn, lettuces and other leafy vegetables, and citrus trees. Group of cattle and other livestock was scattered between farmlands. So much diversity! Our vision of California is beaches and southern cities. This is definitely a different vibe.
Our destination today is Sequoia National Park. Due to winter storms and snow melt, we must enter from the north. The more direct, southern entrance road is washed out. The northern route worked out for us since we have to go north anyway. It also allowed us to drive through part of Kings Canyon National Park on our way to Sequoia.
The drive was filled with curvy, steep mountain roads, but it was fascinating. The mountainsides were covered in dried, brown grasses with an occasional green shrub of a tree breaking up the pallet. It reminded me of a Grant Wood painting. As the elevation increased, the temperatures slowly dropped. As we passed over yet another ridge, the massive canyon below was filled with green trees. Just beautiful. We opened the car windows and roof and enjoyed the cool, fresh mountain air!
Kings Canyon and Sequoia are next to each other. The views at 7,000 feet elevation are spectacular as we look over vast canyons. Yet there are towering mountains in the distance with snow remaining on their peaks...in July! The roadway had picturesque limestone cliffs with colorful spring flowers. At one point, we crossed Halstead Meadow, a beautiful green grassy expanse.
Our final destination was General Sherman, the large sequoia tree famously wrapped and saved from raging wildfires a couple years ago. Evidence of those wildfires was all around us. It appears fire came within a mile of the iconic tree. Yet, it stands, very tall, with a buffer of sequoias around it. Doesn't Papa look tiny? Can you find in front of the tree?
We did put a number of miles on today. It was time-consuming because of the slow driving on curvy, mountain roads. As we descended the mountains and came to the end of the curvy roads, we were ready to drive directly to our oceanside motel for the evening. Tomorrow The U.S. Women's Open, which I posted about two weeks ago. What a wonderful event that was. So grateful we were able to experience our first professional golf tournament.
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