Grand Canyon National Park - the South Rim

September 10, 2017 - Sunday

We left camp by 7:30.  The temperature this morning was 50°.  We took 198 to 180 to 63 and several small roads into Visalia where we got on 99S.  In this area there were orange groves, pomegranite, and grapes.  We got on 58W in Bakersfield then briefly on I15E to Barstow/Calico KOA in Yerma.  It was 100° in Yerma.  On 58W we went through desert with lots of Joshua trees.

Joshua Trees

We took showers and called it a night.  This is a pretty nice KOA with desert mountain views, just hot.

Mountain view from campground

Palm tree in campground

September 11, 2017 - Monday

We left Yermo by 7:30 and got gas, breakfast, and coffee at a Shell/Subway.  We took I15E through the Mojave Desert.  It was not too interesting at first , but eventually we saw lots of Joshua Trees, barrel cactus, and yucca.

Desert view

Joshua tree, yucca, and barrel cacti

It was hot today running between 85° and 95°.  We got on 164 then 93 to connect to I40E.  We got off the interstate at Williams onto 64 which we took to the Grand Canyon.  It rained while we were on that road.  We are spending 4 nights in the Mather Campground Maple Loop #188.  It is a large, pretty nice pull through site.  Only negative is that we had to walk about 1/2 mile to the shuttle stop.

Maple Loop #188

Nice large campsite

It was pleasant out and had rained some.  We took it easy in the evening because we had 2 pretty long traveling days previously.  While setting camp up we discovered that the trailer step got messed up while traveling.  We think Mike drug that part of the trailer bottom when exiting the last gas station we used.  He was able to make the step work.  Later 4 elk walked behind camp - 2 cows, 1 calf, and 1 bull.

Elk at the back of our campsite

I stayed up late to look at stars and they were pretty impressive.  I even saw a meteor.

September 12, 2017 - Tuesday

I got up early, made coffee, and sat outside while Mike slept.  While I was sitting there a cow elk walked through our camp to the water spigot to get a drink, then walked back through our camp.  We watched her and her calf behind our camp until we got ready to catch the shuttle to the Visitor's Center.  It was fun listening to them calling to each other.

When we got to the Visitor's Center, we walked 1/2 mile to Mather's Point. This was Mike's first view of the Grand Canyon on the south rim. We both called our Moms since we had good cell service there.  While doing this we saw a California condor soaring over the canyon.

View from Mather Point

View of Mather Point

Mike on Mather Point

Mary on Mather Point

We went into the Visitor's Center after looking at the view - got hiking information and watched a video about the park.  We got lunch at the deli then hiked the rim trail 1 mile from the Visitor's Center to Yavapai Point and the Geology Museum.

View from Rim Trail

Another view

Mary on the edge

Mike is enjoying the view

Mike looking at the view

Mary sitting with view in back

After viewing exhibits in the museum we caught the orange shuttle to Yaki Point and Pipe Creek Vista.  We walked around some at both points looking at the views before heading back to camp.  We had leftover soup and cornbread for dinner and sat watching bats for a while.  Later we were able to see lots of stars, the Milky Way, and a meteor.

View of Colorado River at bottom of canyon at Yaki Point

Canyon View from Pipe Creek Vista

September 13, 2017 - Wednesday

We got on the shuttle by 9:00 and rode to the Bright Angel Trailhead.  We walked around the rim by the Village looking at canyon views and visiting some shops and exhibits before having a light lunch.

Art studio at the Village

View by Bright Angel Trail

View with building on rim

Mike in Bright Angel Lodge with Bright Angel over fireplace

After lunch we hiked 2 miles on the Trail of Time back to Yavapai Point.   There were great views of the canyon from this trail.

View from trail

Another view

View showing rock layers

Final view 

When we got to Yavapai there was a cow elk on the rim trail with her calf close by.  The cow elk stood on the trail until someone turned a water spigot on so she could get a drink out of it.

Elk on rim trail

Elk looking out over rim into canyon

 We caught the shuttle back to camp.  We went to take showers and while doing that it started to thunderstorm.  We drove to the Market to get supplies for the rest of the trip.  We had an early dinner at the Yavapi Lodge Restaurant (a hamburger that was just okay).  We had planned to go to the rim for sunset, but the storms prevented that so we had an early night.

September 14, 2017 - Thursday

Our last day at the Grand Canyon and the last real vacation day.  The next 3 days will just be driving days.  While we were eating breakfast this morning, 7 mule deer walked through our campsite.  We got dressed and caught the shuttle back to Bright Angel Trail head.  There we caught a red shuttle that goes to Hermit's Rest, stopping at 8 stops on the way.  We got off at the Trail View Overlook which had a series of stairs going down below the rim a short way.  We hiked that and had some really good views.

Mike at Trail View Overlook

Mary at the overlook

A shot of Bright Angel Trail.

View of The Village from the overlook

A view of the Colorado River

The clouds have started moving in

After getting back to the top we took the shuttle to Hopi Point.  We stayed there quite a while because the views of the canyon were the best we had seen.

A view from Hopi Point

Another view from Hopi Point

The Grand Canyon

We caught a shuttle planning to ride on to the Hermit's Rest, but a thunderstorm had come in and they evacuated that part of the rim.  Our driver packed the bus we were on as full as it could be packed before driving us back to the Village.  When we got back to the Village, Mike and I walked fast to Bright Angel's Lodge where we had lunch.  Mike had a stew in a bread bowl and I had chili in a bread bowl.  Both were really good.  After lunch we caught the shuttle back to camp.  We spent the rest of the afternoon resting and getting ready for the trip home.

September 15, 16, and 17, 2017 - Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

On Friday, we got up and broke camp.  We got coffee and breakfast in Tusayan.  We took Hwy. 64S to Williams where we got on I40E.  We were on I40E until Sunday where we got on Hwy 59 in Sallisaw, OK.  We spent Friday night at the Albuquerque, NM KOA and Saturday night at the Elk City, OK KOA.  Both Saturday and Sunday mornings we got coffee and breakfast after we got on the road.  We got home Sunday afternoon about 2:30.  We had traveled a total of 6,537 miles in 40 days.

Sequoia National Park

September 7, 2017 - Thursday

We left Yosemite National Park at about 7:15 heading to Sequoia National Park.  On the way out of the park the low tire pressure light came on so Mike pulled over and checked the tires.  The right rear tire was low 10 lbs. so we got air in Mariposa.  We took 140 to 99S.  We got groceries in Madera then took 180 to the King's Canyon National Park entrance.  After going through the entrance we took 198 (General's Highway) into Sequoia National Park and Lodgepole Campground where we are staying for 3 nights.  198 is a curvy road going up the Sierra Nevada mountains.  We went from just below 1000 ft. elevation to an elevation of 6750 ft. at our campground.  Our campsite is #48 just across from a mountain stream.  We drove o the Visitor's Center and Village at Lodgepole so that we could take a shower.  The showers were dirty, but we were able to get clean.  We had chicken tacos from a rotisserie chicken for dinner.  The weather was nice, partly  cloudy and cool for sleeping.

Lodgepole Campsite #48

Kaweah River next to camp

September 8, 2017 - Friday

After we had breakfast we drove to the Giant Forest Museum and looked at the exhibits.  When we left the museum we walked the 1-1/2 mile Round Meadow Big Tree Trail that starts at the museum.  We saw the Sentinel Tree there as well as many other sequoias.

The Sentinal - an average sized tree

A fire scar on a sequoia

'Fred and Ned' sequoias

A sequoia growing around a large rock

We stopped for lunch at a picnic area then drove to the General Sherman parking area.  We walked down 1/2 mile to view the General Sherman Tree - the largest tree in the world.  We walked on some of the Congress Tree trail before walking back up the trail to the parking lot.  All told we walked about 1-1/2 miles here.  We saw lots of really big trees.

The General

In front of the General

View of General Sherman from a viewpoint on the trail

When we got back to camp we made soup and cornbread for dinner.  The weather was clear and fairly cool.

September 10, 2017 - Sunday

We didn't get in a hurry this morning.  We cooked breakfast and cleaned up then walked to the Lodgepole Visitor's Center to look at the exhibits.  After getting back to camp we had lunch then cleaned up the car and trailer to get ready to leave in the morning.  We spent a lot of time sitting around camp.  The weather was clear and pleasant.  We are glad we went to Sequoia, but 2 nights would have been long enough.  Seeing the sequoias next to the museum was about all there was to do here. 

Yosemite National Park

September 2, 2017 - Saturday

We got up really early, made coffee, and ate a quick bowl of cereal.  We got on the road by 7:20.  We had to take a 1-1/2 hour detour to get to our stop for the night because part of 299E is closed because of a wildfire.  We took 101S.  We saw a large herd of cow and calf elk just before we got to Trinidad, in a field just by the ocean.  A little while later we saw a large bull elk right next to the road.  The largest elk I think we saw on this trip.  Just south of Eureka we headed east on Hwy 36.  This road was narrow, curvy, and hilly.  The first part went through a section of redwood by a couple of state parks.  It was pretty, but in places the road was extremely narrow because of the trees.  Later a part of the had road construction and was very narrow and curvy.

Section of Hwy 36 with road construction

After about 50 miles we got on 30N which took us about 60 miles to our campsite at the Trinity Lake KOA.  It became very smokey because of the wildfire.  At Weaverville, 30 miles south of our KOA, we saw a lot of firetrucks and firemen.  We got to our KOA at 1:30.  The KOA is okay, but too far out of the way.  It was the only place I could reserve for 1 night because it was Labor Day weekend.  Learned my lesson.

View of mountains on road to Trinity Lake

Another view from the road

It was about 60 degrees when we left camp at the Redwoods and was 95 degrees here.  Quite a difference.  I washed two weeks worth of dirty clothes then took a shower.  We had the last of the spaghetti for dinner then went to bed early because we had to leave for Mariposa by Yosemite in the morning.

September 3, 2017 - Sunday

We left Trinity Lake KOA by 6:50.  This was an extremely long driving day.  We took 3S to Weaverville where we got coffee, breakfast, and gas.  There were a lot of fire fighters and fire trucks in town assembling to go fight the Junction City wildfire.  I read that it was over 5000 acres and destroyed many homes and outbuildings.  We headed west on 299 until we got to I5 in Redding.  We went south on I5 until we got to Sacremento then got on 99S to 140W which goes to Mariposa.  On the way to Weaverville we saw 4 turkeys (2 hens and 2 poults), 1 deer and 1 bald eagle.  Traffic was pretty heavy all day after we got on I5.  It also got extremely hot (105).  On one very long mountain leading into Mariposa our car almost overheated.  We saw a lot of almond trees, some olive trees, rice fields, and row crops today.  Mainly lots of almond trees.  We spent one night at the Yosemite West/Mariposa KOA before going into Yosemite.  This KOA was okay.  Temperature was 97 degrees.  Glad we had electricity for air conditioning.

September 4, 2017 - Monday - Labor Day

We slept in this morning.  There was no need to get up early since it was only a 1-1/2 hour drive into Yosemite.  After breakfast we both took showers (once we could get into a stall, they were very busy this morning).  We left the KOA  a little after 10:00 expecting lines of traffic, but there was not much traffic heading into the park; mainly just out of the park.  On the way in there was a section of one lane road because of a massive slide.  They had to put 2 temporary bridges over the Merced River to route the traffic away from the slide.  Hwy 140 followed the Merced River all the way into
the park.

Rock slide we had to detour

Road into the park

When we got to the entrance we were able to get right in and to our campsite at Lower Pines about 11:30.  We are in site #4 which is very close to a shuttle stop.  The site was so long and level that we didn't even have to unhook.

Campground sign

Campsite #4

The Arches from our site

Merced River by Lower Pines

We ate lunch then rode the shuttle to the Visitor's Center.  We got information, looked at exhibits, and watched a video.  We sat outside and made some phone calls since there was cell service here but not at our campsite.  We took the shuttle back to camp and had dinner.  The weather was warm but bearable.  It was extremely smokey all day, but cleared off some in the evening.  We can sit and have somewhat of a view of the Arches from our site.  We sat out until dark then called it a day.

September 5, 2017 - Tuesday

I got up fairly early this morning, made coffee, then sat out looking at the views.  It was a cool, clear morning.  While I was sitting drinking coffee, a doe mule deer walked by about 5 feet from me.

Arches from our campsite

Another view from our campsite

We caught the shuttle about 9:15 and rode to the Lower Yosemite Falls trail.  This was a fairly easy 1 mile loop with only a very short steep section.  In one spot there was a good view of the Upper and Lower Falls together - the tallest fall in North America.  After seeing the Lower Falls up close, we took a short side trail to another view of both falls that was at the spot where John Muir built a cabin to live in.  It was a beautiful spot by Yosemite Creek.

Mike with Yosemite Falls in the background

Lower Yosemite Falls

Mary in front of Lower Yosemite Falls

Both of us in front of falls

Yosemite Falls

We caught the shuttle to the Visitor's Center where we ate lunch.  By this time it had begun to get smokey.  We rode the shuttle to the Vernal Falls Footbridge Trail.  It was paved, but a very steep incline up most of the 0.8 miles of trail.  It had gotten warm and very smokey.  It was a little difficult to make it all the way, but it was worth it. There was a view of Vernal Falls at the footbridge that was really pretty.  It started raining about the time we started down, which cleared some of the smoke out. There were a lot of people on the trail, some very pushy and in a big hurry.  One woman even almost knocked Mike off the trail.  Ridiculous!

Merced River

Merced River from the trail

Mike on the Vernal Falls Footbridge

Mary on the footbridge with Vernal Falls in the background

We sat around the campsite the rest of the afternoon until we went to Half Dome Village to get pizza for dinner at the Pizza Patio.  Really good pizza and good 'Half Dome Wheat Bear'.  We liked being able to ride the shuttle everywhere we went.

September 6, 2017 - Wednesday

Our last day and night at Yosemite.  We kind of slept late.  After breakfast we caught the shuttle about 9:30  and rode to the Mirror Lake Trail.   This is a 2 mile trail to view Half Dome at a small 'lake' on a stream.  The trail markings weren't good so us and several others hiked up the wrong side of the stream which was a pretty, but rather difficult hike to the lake.  When we got to the lake we could tell that we were on the wrong side, so like many others, we crossed over to the correct side on some rocks that in the past were used to form the Upper Mirror Lake.  The view of Half  Dome and other formations was spectacular here.  We walked the road back to the shuttle.  Much easier.

Mike on the 'wrong' side of Mirror Lake

Mary in front of Mirror Lake

Reflection from the 'wrong' side of the lake

Reflections in Mirror Lake

Mike with Half Dome in the background

Mary in front of Half Dome

Half Dome reflected in Mirror Lake

A view of Half Dome and Yosemite Valley

We took the shuttle back to the Visitor's Center where we caught the shuttle for El Capitan.  We got off at the El Capitan picnic area and ate lunch.  It had a good view of El Capitan and The Three Brothers, but the gnats were horrible and it was still smokey.

The Three Brothers

El Capitan

We returned to our campsite by about 2:00.  We rested and got things ready to head to Sequoia National Park.  We enjoyed Yosemite more than we thought we would.  We were afraid the crowds would bother us a lot, but the park is so well run that for the most part the crowds didn't matter.  We also liked how well they managed the recycling effort.  We wish all national parks were as good at this.

September 7, 2017 - Thursday

We left camp by 7:15.  It was very clear and we had the best views of some of the formations as we were leaving the park.

The Arches

El Capitan