Just a little post no food, but lots of nature.
Just chillin on a tree
Never have we been faced with such a dilemma that didn't involve food. Checking out the national park websites for any driving condition notifications, we came across a little snag in the plans whilst deciding on which park to camp in. Do we go with sequoia national park, where a warning had been issued stating that the 41,000 acre fire they had been fighting with, would likely be causing some harmful smoke intake? Or do we go with Yosemite national park, where there is plague warning? Hmmmm tough call, well any normal person would of course have stayed clear but well, we sort of don't like letting things get in the way of our plans so, smoking forest it is. ( Mum's, we know you are not very impressed but we were having a little laugh to ourselves at the image of you guys having to be flown out to America and being told your children had decided to camp in the middle of a forest fire, had smoke inhalation and had contracted the plague..hahahah..ok so it wouldn't have been very funny we're sorry xxx)
Just a bit of smoke
We were thoroughly excited as it was leaving San Francisco, as our hire car was real snazzy and had 'sport' in the name. Cruising along, we try hard not to focus on the massive smoke cloud forming before us, signalling the mountains and the fires that we would soon be camping around.
Family of black bears
Now on a winding road, heading towards the park entrance it's pretty hard to distract ourselves from the 'extreme fire' warnings and the 42 (I'm not even exaggerating) multicoloured fire engines that have just passed us. We're pretty sure any minute now someone is going to tell us to ' get the hell outa here you nut cases' but it never happens. We reach our camp and set up the tent, only to be told that there is a bloody bear running round the campsite, 'just bang some pans together and chase it away' ok...I don't think we'll be sleeping tonight.
Not sure why the tree groves are named after government officials....doesn't really suit them
This national park contains the world's largest trees, these trees are up to 3000 years old and can up to 300 ft tall. I know this isn't about food but I just wanted to share with you guys our experience of these massive Giants in the forest. These trees thrive from fire, the heat causes their little cones to dry out and drop to the floor so they can spread seeds and grow, the fires also clear the forest floor of dead wood and give it a lovely fertile soil. The Rangers actually start small fires purposely for this, not the one that is currently burning, that was a lightening strike.
The trees don't burn because they have a bark that is so thick and virtually no sap so nothing really flammable.
Yosemite national park
This is one of the most magical places we have visited and it's sort of humbling to be in the presence of something so beautiful and such an amazing feat of nature.
In case you're wondering what we ate this time round, we were lucky enough to be staying beforehand, in an airbnb with a kitchen, I say kitchen but when you are given an oven with no pots or pans that can go in that oven, your planned lasagne suddenly becomes pasta with cheese chucked on top...it got us through but I'm not even going to tell you what the scones came out looking like, not our finest culinary moment.
Moving on to Los Angeles next, looking forward to a real bed and showers!
G & S xxx