31. Yosemite National P.
We walked a sequoia grove on the southern front of the park (Mariposa Grove). The largest was a sight, big gnarly bulky arms, a grizzley giant. Many of the trees had little name placards stuck into soil. Names like The Fallen Monarch (100 years dead), The California Tunnel Tree, or The Clothespin Tree. You could look into the belly of one, your could walk right through another, most of them had black scars from forest fires.
A short and steep walk through the grove up to the cabin-grove-museum sent my knee quaking. And Keil wasn't keen on hiking so we decided Yosemite an auto tour. We'd drive around and ride the shuttles, we'd car camp in the park.
We rolled down into that famous photographed arcadia of Ansel Adams, Yosemite Valley. El Capitan, Cathedral Rocks, Bridalveil Falls, Half Dome, and on. Such a glowing place that Abraham Lincoln decided to protect it. It became the nations first National Park. And in the 21st century, the Cruise America Company uses the very scene as one of their advertisements. And today, I happened to notice a Cruise America RV in the midst of the very magical spot depicted on its tail end.
