And . . . Ampersand! (National Parks Trip #3)

This post represents another installment in the series documenting our West Coast National Parks trip in the summer of 2017.  Alan and I, along with our 18 year old daughter, Kyra, logged a total of 8,513 memorable miles of adventure over the course of five and a half weeks during the months of July and August.

Despite the fact that Alan and I have been huge fans of our National Parks for more than 40 years, we had never visited Yosemite until this trip in 2017.  It was, in fact, the Park around which the entire trip was built.  To say we were excited about our next stop was an understatement.

The Moro Rock Trail - Yikes! (National Parks Trip #3)

With 2022 in our rear view mirror and 2023 already promising to provide a number of exceptional adventures, I’m up to my neck in travel planning.  So, it’s time to settle down and get our most recent National Parks trips documented and put to bed.  This post represents another installment in the series describing our West Coast National Parks trip in the summer of 2017.  Alan and I, along with our 18 year old daughter, Kyra, logged a total of 8,513 memorable miles of adventure over the course of five and a half weeks during the months of July and August.

Before I begin today’s post about Day #12 of our journey, I have to admit that I’m truly, truly enjoying documenting our past travels.  I believe that I’m the luckiest of family members.  I get to enjoy and anticipate our trips as I plan them, then I get to enjoy them while we’re actually on them and then I get to enjoy them all over again as I document them.  I get a LOT of mileage out of our travels and that makes my heart happy!

I’m not, by nature, a true adventurer.  Yes, I’m an outdoor enthusiast, but my idea of fun-filled outdoor activities includes the more sedate ones.  I prefer hiking, biking and kayaking over activities like trail-running, rock climbing, mountain biking and white water rafting.  Add in a fear of heights and I’ll admit that sometimes I’m a plain ol’ scaredy cat.  Then along comes our daughter – a curious explorer, outdoor adventurer and bundle of bravery all wrapped up in one petite package.

The Nation's Christmas Tree & Other Confusing Tidbits - Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Parks (National Parks Trip #3)

This post represents another installment in the series documenting our West Coast National Parks trip in the summer of 2017.  Alan and I, along with our 18 year old daughter, Kyra, logged a total of 8,513 memorable miles of adventure over the course of five and a half weeks during the months of July and August.

Guess what!  Day #10 of our West Coast National Parks Trip was my birthday!  Because my birthday falls during the summer, I usually try to plan an outdoor adventure around that time so that my special day is especially special.  (Being the travel planner in the family does have its advantages.)  Although I didn’t specifically plan this trip to coincide with my birthday, as it so happened, we would be arriving at the first of our National Parks stops on my big day.  During our previous National Parks Trip in 2010, we were in Bryce Canyon National Park on my birthday.  This time around, we’d be celebrating my big day in conjunction with our arrival at Sequoia/Kings Canyon.