Visiting the Sedona Vortex
My friend Becki has been telling us for years to get to Sedona, it is such a beautiful place. We finally went for my birthday and Becki was right, as usual. Upon arriving in Sedona, we were greeted with sprawling red rocks.
Some of the rock formations even have names.
We had great weather for our trip and did two hikes. The first one was Devil’s Bridge Trail.
The bridge is narrow with nothing underneath and forms an arch which gives it support. Many people were afraid to get on the bridge, but Scott and I walked right on out.
The second hike we did was Soldier Pass Trail. Features on this trail include:
- Devil’s Kitchen Sinkhole – which was caused by the underlying collapse of the weaker redwall limestone.
- Seven Sacred Pools – pools that are so deep that even in the summer five of the seven still contained water during our hike.
Chapel of the Holy Rock is a Roman Catholic Church built into the buttes of the rock. Services are conducted regularly at this beautiful place.
Channel Islands National Park
The Channel Islands form an eight-island archipelago along the Santa Barbara Channel in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Southern California. Five of the islands are part of Channel Islands National Park, and the waters surrounding these islands make up Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.
We took a cruise around Anacapa Island on a beautiful sunny day.
Anacapa Island
And the next day, went for a foggy boat ride to hike Santa Cruz Island from Scorpion Beach to Potato Harbor.
Santa Cruz Island
Wildlife
Since the Channel Islands have never been attached to the mainland they are referred to as the Galapagos of North America. Isolation over thousands of years has created unique animals, plants, and archeological resources found nowhere else on Earth and helped preserve a place where visitors can experience coastal southern California as it once was.
We saw dozens of dolphins playing as we cruised to the islands.
The rocky shores of Anacapa are perfect resting and breeding areas for California sea lions and harbor seals. The raucous barking of sea lions can be heard from most areas of the island.
Seabirds are probably the most conspicuous wildlife on Anacapa Island. Thousands of birds use Anacapa as a nesting area because of the relative lack of predators on the island. While the steep cliffs of West Anacapa are home to the largest breeding colony of endangered California brown pelicans, all the islets of Anacapa host the largest breeding colony of western gulls in the world.
Ventura Pier
We spent a couple of hours on the beach watching the surfers and enjoying the day on the pier.
Big thanks to friends Tim, Jenn, and Allison (sorry no picture) for driving so far to meet with us. We had a great time catching up. Hope we can do it again when we are back in California.
Next big stop will be Gold Canyon, Arizona. We will stay there for the remainder of the year to get some service done to our RV and relax during the holidays.
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
We stayed in Lemon Cove, California for a month to visit both Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. It was triple digit temperatures for most of our stay, but the National Parks were higher elevations and mostly comfortable temperatures for hiking.
Sequoia National Park
General Sherman is a giant sequoia and by volume, it is the largest known living single-stem tree on Earth.
A controlled or prescribed burn is a wildfire set intentionally for purposes of forest management. Signs for burns are all around the park.
Hike to scenic Big Baldy to a nice view of the park and through beautiful wildflowers.
During our drive to Moro Rock for a hike, we saw momma bear and her two adorable cubs.
As you enter Sequoia National Park, Moro Rock looms overhead, thousands of feet above the highway. This large granite dome is a spectacular geologic feature that can be enjoyed from above or below. A concrete and stone stairway leads over 350 steps to the top of Moro Rock.
Forestiere Underground Gardens
The Forestiere Underground Gardens, located in Fresno, California, are a series of subterranean structures built by Baldasare Forestiere, an immigrant from Sicily, over a period of 40 years from 1906 to his death in 1946. The catalyst for the construction of the underground abode was a result of the hot summers typical of the Fresno area. The inspiration lends itself to ancient Roman catacombs that Baldasare was infatuated with in his youth. Countless hours were spent excavating the hardpan layer that cements much of Fresno’s soil to create his underground home. It had a summer bedroom, a winter bedroom, a bath, a functional kitchen, a fish pond, and a parlor with a fireplace. Interspersed amongst the beautiful stone walls and archways are grottoes and courtyards that allow for pockets of light. The intricate pathways were created section by section, over a span of 10 acres, without the aid of blueprints.
Kings Canyon National Park
The General Grant tree, also called America’s Christmas Tree, is the second largest tree in the world.
Zumwalt Meadow and Roaring Rivers Trails are very close to each other and we did them together. Waterfalls, green meadows, and gray stone rocks.
Next stop is Ventura, California to see friends and Channel Islands National Park.
Yosemite National Park
We spent a month near Yosemite and loved it. One warning the park is incredibly crowded and spread out especially if you are staying outside the park like we did.
Glacier Point
Glacier Point is a viewpoint above Yosemite Valley at an elevation of 7,214 feet. The point offers a superb view of several of Yosemite National Park’s well-known landmarks, including Yosemite Valley, Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, Vernal Fall, Nevada Fall, and Cloud Rest.
Nearly everywhere you go in the park, you can see Half Dome, a remarkable granite formation that tops out at more than 4,700 feet.
Mist Trail
We decided to take the Mist Trail from the Valley of the park to Vernal Fall and continue onto Nevada Fall then return via the John Muir Trail. This is about a 10 mile hike with slippery stairs and steep inclines. Vernal Fall blankets hikers with spray so rain gear is essential. This hike is considered strenuous and it definitely was.
Bridalveil Fall is a 620 foot waterfall which is often diverted dozens of feet one way or the other by the breeze.
Mariposa Grove
Of Yosemite’s three sequoia groves, Mariposa is by far the largest and easiest to walk around.
Grizzly Giant, whose base measures 96 feet around, has been estimated to be one of the largest in the world. It is approximately 1,800 years old.
Bass Lake
The weather was so hot we rented a boat for a cruise around Bass Lake for the day.
Next stop is Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.
Celebrate Goodness – Vegas Baby!!
We traveled to the desert of Lake Mead and Las Vegas to celebrate birthdays and Father’s Day. My dad flew in to spend his birthday month with us and also Father’s Day
We took a cruise on Lake Mead and enjoyed swimming in the water and the beautiful scenery.
We also took the boat to the Hoover Dam to view it from the water.
While we were swimming in a little cove, my dad spotted these Big Horn Sheep.
My dad flew back home and our friends Mike and Julie flew in to celebrate Scott and Mike’s 50th birthdays.
Celebrating Scott’s 50th at the Wynn buffet. We ate our money’s worth. YUM!!!
An evening walk along the Las Vegas Strip
Yes, this is beer pong. You can play it on the strip. It’s not just for college anymore.
Getting back to nature next at Yosemite National Park.
Zion National Park
We loved Zion with its massive sandstone cliffs of cream, pink, and red that soar into a brilliant blue sky. We saw Big Horn Sheep, different species of birds, and a small rattlesnake during our stay. There was still a lot of snow melt so some hikes we couldn’t do.
Next stop Las Vegas.