First as many of you know, Arda and I drove to Chicago to see Steve graduate with a Masters in Finance from the University of Chicago. We are very proud of him as he persevered for 36 months driving to Chicago, and back to GR every weekend, while remaining on the Dean's list the entire time. Jenny deserves a lot of kudos for her support of Steve… thanks Jenny.
While in Chicago, we also helped Petra celebrate her birthday. She too has undertaken a new endeavor. In January, she left her teaching job and went to work as a translator for a consulting company. Her first assignment was in Montreal where she found out that French and Quebequois are not quite the same. She is doing so well the company now wants to train her in Lean Techniques so she can be a full-fledged consultant. We are very proud and excited for her.
We left Chicago and went to GR where we "moved" into the house on Cascade Rd, picked up some papers so I could complete my taxes, and then headed back to AZ. It took us 28 hours to drive back to AZ… it was nice to get back in the warmer weather. While cheaper and more flexible to drive rather than fly, I wouldn't want to do this again anytime soon.
I spent the next couple of days riding and roping with Bob and Mark and Cheryl Lieurance who are from Iowa. They had come down to work with Bob and attend the Buck Brannaman Clinic… nice people. Arda spent her days playing tour guide for Kallie (Cowboy Tom's daughter) who was in AZ for her spring break… they had a blast! Kallie is a beautiful girl and I know that Cowboy is extremely proud of her… you should see all the videos he took! Well on second thought, maybe you don't want to.
In addition to all the other things Arda does, she finished a second cowhide vest for Bob King. Bob will use the brown vest for everyday use, as it will keep him plenty warm while he is in the saddle. The second vest, a little fancier will be used for dress-up occasions. Both turned out extremely well but then one wouldn't expect anything less from the Velcro Queen!
Our next activity was in Willcox, AZ at the Buck Brannaman Clinic. I watched all 4 days and learned so much I can't wait to try some of the things. Buck is really a master at horsemanship and works very hard at being the best he can be. He also has a knack of being able to break things down to a point where one can understand precisely what needs to change. Pictures are at this link… Willcox Clinic
After the Brannaman clinic, it was time to hit the road again. We left Goldminers' on April 6th and decided we would take 3 weeks to get to Reno where the Californios is held this year. We headed west and got as far as Wickenburg, AZ. It is a neat town with lots of history so we spent the day doing the tourist thing.
The next day we headed westward once again and drove to Ludlow, CA where we stayed at a 76 Truck Stop. We were able to park off in one corner and where not bothered by the trucks, which meant we had a good night's rest plus there was DQ across the road which helped soothe the body, if not the mind.
We went from Ludlow to Bakersfield where Buck Owens decided make his career and start the Chrystal Palace. We really did the tourist "thing" by walking around the complex, looking at part of the museum, and taking some pictures. At least we can say we were there.
From Bakersfield, we headed to Three Rivers, CA, which is just outside the Sequoia NP in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. We stayed the night at a beautiful RV park called the Sequoia RV Ranch. The campsites are generous with lots of big old oak trees. We will stay here again the next time we are in the area.
Friday morning we headed into the Sequoia NP. We are staying at a campground called Potwisha. Vehicles longer than 22 feet are not allowed beyond this location as the roads are too narrow and winding… lots of switchbacks. We will stay here for the next 4 nights and just drive around to see the sights. After setting up camp, we headed out for our first "tour". We drove to the "Giant Forest" where we able to see huge Sequoias, including the largest in the world - General Sherman. It is estimated to be around 2200 years old. It will grow enough in a year to make a 60-foot tree of normal proportions. Some other tidbits about Sequoias - they can grow to about 311 feet; age to 3200 years as they don't die from disease or fire as most die from toppling due to their shallow root system; they can weigh up to 2.7 million pounds; their bark can be up to 31 inches thick; branches grow to 8 feet in diameter; and their bases grow to 40 feet in diameter. They are one impressive tree!
Saturday we headed up the mountain again, only this time we packed a picnic lunch. This time we went to Kings Canyon N.P. where we saw more Sequoias. While we were only 14 miles from our campsite, we had to drive 43 miles one-way because of all the switchbacks. There is still a lot of snow on the mountains with many of the roads and facilities remain closed for the winter. We saw the General Grant Sequoia, which has the largest base diameter of 40.3 feet of any tree. It is also 27 stories tall, is as wide as a three-lane highway and weighs more than 700 large cars. Between the Sequoias and the Ponderosa Pines, it is an extremely impressive area!
Another lazy day. We got up late (9:00 AM) after coffee in bed and then took our time eating breakfast. We had decided to go to Three Rivers to pick up a few things at the grocery store and get fuel for the truck. We also treated ourselves to lunch at a local restaurant… the food was excellent! Today the weatherman was forecasting storms (rain and snow) in the mountains so the road over the top was closed at 4:00 PM. It is a good thing that we went up the mountain Friday and Saturday, as it was bright and sunny both days. We got back to the trailer a little after 3:00 PM and started our evening fire. Just as we were about to cook, it started to rain but since I am not made of sugar and wouldn't melt, we finished cooking anyway. The hamburgers were delicious!
Tomorrow we are back on the road headed for Yosemite NP but we may not get there as we have some shopping, banking, etc. to do so we may hole up in Visalia or Fresno for a day or so. I will up this whenever possible.
Monday we woke to snow on the mountains and rain in the valleys. We packed up and headed to Fresno to do some shopping at Wally-Mart… it has been a couple weeks since we hit the grocery store so it was time. We drove on to Oakhurst CA where we stayed at an RV park just outside the park. On Wednesday we will head into the park for several days where we don't expect to have phone or internet service.
That's all for now folks. You will find some photos from the past few weeks by clicking on this link… Sequoia National Park
Keep your loops open until next time.
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