Sequoia & Kings Canyon
Roadtrip with my mom, to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park.
September 10, 14:15
It’s travel day back to the USA today! I spent the summer with my family in the Netherlands, and it was so good to be back. To relax, to recharge, to spend time with my family and friends. I hadn’t been home in a year and a half, so I was long overdue for a visit. But after seven lovely weeks, a new adventure begins. I’m at the airport with Mike and my mom, getting ready to board the plane headed for Los Angeles.
September 11, 21:33
Today was the first full day back in the US, and also the first day of traveling together with my mom. And strangely enough, it felt a bit like coming home. The first time I came here, I had to get used to everything - the big cars, endless highways, enormous supermarkets, and talkative people. But now I know it. And now I actually enjoy it. Funny how your experience in a short while can change so much.
Today we drove from Frazier Park to Sequoia National Park. It wasn’t a long drive, so we were able to do some groceries and fully unpack our things. Our home on wheels is ready. And we are too, almost. But first, it’s time for a good night’s sleep. Good night!
September 12, 21:45
WE SAW BEARS! For the first time in my life, I encountered bears in the wild! We were walking the Congress trail in Sequoia National Park when suddenly I saw something move strangely. First, my brain couldn’t comprehend, so I thought it must have been a human. But then I saw it again and realized it was something much more interesting. A bear was walking towards us. I remembered having read that you need to keep 4 bus lengths distance, so we slowly stepped backwards while simultaneously trying to take photos. Half panicking, half extremely excited, cause we were about 1 bus length away from the black bear. We were whispering to each other how cool this was, and figuring out what we had to do because the bear kept moving towards us. We then realized we had to do the exact opposite, and make noise to make ourselves known. And soon after, he moved away from the path and walked into the forest. What a crazy experience! And to make it even better, later that day, we saw another bear with a cub, and also a momma deer with her baby! You can see all of my wildlife in the USA photos here.
September 13, 21:40
Friday the 13th, but definitely not an unlucky day for us. It started with a chill 1,5 hour hike in the morning. We went off the main path to a trail, which brought us up a hill, down past Sequoia trees, and back to the path, all without a map or any idea of where we were going. Pretty good of us if you ask me. Then at the next stop, we found public showers. So all fresh again, we left Sequoia National Park and drove in the direction of Kings Canyon National Park with the hope of finding a campground somewhere along the way. And so we did! Only three first-come, first-served spots were available, and we got one! All this, plus it’s perfectly located in Sequoia National Forest between the two national parks.
Big trees of Sequoia National Park, California, USA
September 14, 21:06
Oh my god, I am tired (but satisfied). We spend the day in different areas of Kings Canyon National Park. We did the hike Buena Vista Peak with a view over the Redwood Mountains, had lunch at Grant Grove Village, went on a long and beautiful drive over the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway, did another hike at Zumwalt Meadow and to Roads End, stopped to look at a waterfall at Grizzly Falls, and finally found a free camping spot off the scenic byway. We were actually hoping for a campsite at the Cedar Grove area so we could do a longer hike in the area tomorrow, but only one of the four campgrounds was open, and that one was fully booked. But honestly, as I am lying in bed right now, it’s totally okay. We’re both really tired, and a more relaxed day tomorrow might be just what we need. You can see all my California photos here.
Panorama view of Kings Canyon, California, USA
September 15, 17:05
We’re on our way from Fresno to a lake north of here. This morning, we left the campground early to go for a short hike in the Grant Grove area and have a final look at the giant Sequoia trees. Then we left Kings Canyon and drove nervously to the nearest gas station. We didn’t get any gas in the last four days, since there is nothing available in the national parks, but we thought it would last long enough. We thought so, until the low-on-gas light turned on this morning. Shit. Okay, keep moving slow and steady. There should be a gas station right outside of the park, right? Nope, wrong. We had to drive for another half hour, at least (my mom thinks an hour) until we finally arrived at a gas station. So, not a super relaxing drive this morning, but lesson learned: no gas in or around the National Parks.
The afternoon we went to Fresno, so I could get some work done. Besides no gas stations, there is also no service in the parks, so my work had to wait a couple of days. But it’s done! In the meantime, my mom did some groceries and got some much-needed stuff for the RV, like small coffee cups and wine glasses. And now we’re headed north in the direction of the next National Park: Yosemite!
September 16, 19:48
We have parked the RV in a parking lot just outside of Yosemite National Park, in the Sierra National Forest. We had a super chill day today. Showered (yes, that’s special), caught up on finances, checked our road trip plan, had lunch at Bass lake and drove into Yosemite. Originally, we wanted to go to Glacier Point today, but since the gas station on our way didn’t take foreign cards, we were scared we wouldn’t have enough gas for our time in the park. (Live and learn, baby) Then we thought, let’s go for a hike in Mariposa Grove, but the shuttle bus had mechanical issues, so we had to wait for another bus, which we didn’t want to do. So we just took it all as a sign to have a nothing day and left the park to find a free camping spot. (All the campgrounds inside the park were already fully booked for today, another sign!) So we just had dinner, played some cards, and are now waiting for the water to boil for a cup of tea. And then it’s bedtime cause tomorrow it’s bye-bye chill day and let’s go active day.
