Sequoia National Park..Bears and Caves!!

We have just finished our latest adventure..and that is what they are turning into. Grandpa and I have very little experience with this camping thing, but we are learning along with the kids..lol!! Last week-end we went to Sequoia National Park with the intention of visiting  Crystal Caves. Now after our last 3 adventures Grandpa and I drove up to the park for the day, a week ahead of time to check everything out..we did this because we have learned our Grandchildren need the security of knowing we know what we are doing! What a difference this made on our trip, I am guessing that teenagers today have no tolerance for inactivity.  That may come from the fact that in a video game do overs are processed with friends online and require no real investment in time or energy, or just may be the impatience of youth, which after a 20 year break of raising them I must of forgotten about.

We headed up after work on a Friday night, kids, us and the trailer( which I am beginning to think we need a name for, other then the turtle shell) actually knowing where we are going this time. We are also heading up with a new game plan..decision making for the older ones creates uncertainty, Kane who is 5 and a natural born leader has no problem with it, but the teenagers have a real issue with this..so only Grandpa and I are leading this trip. what a break and release this turned out to be for Jordan, after all he is always responsible for his brothers until his Mom gets home from work. I should of recognized this much sooner since this was the position Dave was in..but as I said I had a 20 year break from this kind of thing.

We camped in Dorst Creek campground on opening day in space 45, which when we return we will use again. From our other camping adventures I had learned that the "FUN" food being up for grabs is an issue, so each boy had his own basket of fun food limiting any arguments about who got the most chips(yes I know, teens are very protective of this kind of junk food, but as I said I had a 20 year break)!!

The following morning we headed for Crystal Caves after buying our tickets at Lodgepole visitor center, which turned out to be an exciting adventure on it's own. As we are heading down the middle third of a very twisting road a large BEAR dripping wet sprang into the road in front of us, barley giving us enough time to stop, even only we were only going about 15 miles per hour around the curve..The reaction was fantastic!! 

The bear sprang to the middle of the road, sprang to the edge of the road making eye contact with Jordan and then sprang out of sight...what do you say at this point, I no longer had to remind them there was to be no food in the car and when we arrived at Crystal caves they were the first to put our snacks into the bear boxes provided!

Crystal caves is truly something worth seeing if you have the chance..just the hike down to the cave is worthy of experiencing!! Kane was proudly carrying his Junior ranger book and filling it out as we went..but then we got to the caves and silence was all we heard as we entered!

The boys were awe struck, followed directions and vowed that this was the best cave yet!! Kane worked on his Junior Ranger book and made friends with our guide Miles who is a student and working with the caves. 

Now this is becoming the trip of a lifetime..here Miles is talking with Kane who is so proud of learning about the caves and the "up-stairs bat rooms". I so hope Dave is watching his son grow in such self-confidence..He would be so proud!

After the caves finding a place to park became an issue so when we did finally find one we opted to use the shuttles to finish our adventures!

We finished with the "trees"...well the trees are okay, but the caves are AWESOME" ..I think when we set up everything after Nov. it will include caves..LOL

The Great Grand Canyon

As I have shared in past post's, we are now camping once a month with our Grandchildren. May was our trip to the Grand Canyon! This is a wonder I have wanted to see all my life and a long week-end seemed to be the perfect time to do so. The original plan was to leave in the wee hours on Saturday and return late Monday night. Now we all know how original plans work out...how ever I did not know they can go from plan A to plan F in a heart beat!!

As it turned out the boys arrived here on Thursday night and we left on Friday morning. It seems that in raising our own boys I had forgotten how up-setting last minute changes of a plan can be when a boy is 15..after all they are starting a life which is slightly removed from the main family and do not always adapt well at the last minute!

We started out well enough..we had the boys, the food( this time I had more then enough) and the travel trailer. I did check the weather before leaving and all 3 web sites did warn about the wind storms taking place along our route..but we get wind here too??  No, we do not get anything like we ran into along our trip!! The wind blew so hard we had to eat in the trailer, push against it walking to the restrooms at rest stops and stop for gas..and gas..and even more gas!!

When you are 3 boys sitting in the back seat a common question is why are we going so slow? Anything over 45 felt like the pick-up and trailer were leaving the ground!!! We were going faster then the trucks and buses but not the small cars hugging the road..shouldn't we be keeping up with them?? We all were happy to stop for the night at a rest stop between Needles Ca. and Kingman Az.

In the morning we are on the road again..early..hoping to get some time before the wind picked back up. As we crossed into Arizona we were thrilled to see the price of gas drop by an entire dollar..good news for a family wondering just how much the bill for the gas was going to be..lol

Finally we arrived at the..Line.. to enter Grand Canyon National Park!! We could see nothing from the entrance but a large plateau and cars, cars, and cars. We entered and headed for our campsite. As we were driving we had to wait for the park service to fell a tree, and a heard of Elk to cross the road, from the back seat comes.." Why are we stopping? I do not want to wait!!" from the red faced frustrated oldest one. I was so impressed with Grandpa, his only reply was " I am not going to run over the man standing at my hood with a stop sign"

After camp is set up and we have had lunch it is time to choose what we are doing for the day..this is where my concerns for the older boys start! The oldest is still pissed about his Thursday night plans being changed, the middle boy like most middle children is the peace keeper and comes up with the plan for the afternoon and K who is 5 is just excited to be out of the car to check out his new environment! For Grandpa and myself..we just want to see the Grand Canyon!!

The park offers a great shuttle service..provides maps and locations, times and information you did not even know you needed. We decide to take the shuttle to the market place, connect with the red shuttle and check out the rim and the points of interest along this route. Then with this information we can make hiking plans for  Sunday( our only full day in the park) and hopefully see the sunset on our way back to camp. Thank you N for a great plan!

So off we went..Our first view of the Canyon was breath taking..there is no way to describe it!! Pictures do not do it justice but it is engraved in my mind now forever. The shuttle drivers are very helpful so we got off at all the points of interest..took our time looking at them and then back on the shuttle we went..However as I shared the oldest was still pissed about his change of plans on Thursday night..so before long he wanted to go back to the campsite..The rest of us agreed ( who wants to continue with some one who is so unhappy, we can always do something else later).

We boarded the shuttle, headed back as he turns to Grandpa with the question of what we are going to do after this. Grandpa looks at me and asks what there is to do..I suggested the free movie at the IMAX at the visitor center. Finally some sign of interest!! " Really" he says. " What is playing? " I reply it is about the Grand Canyon............oh my, this was not the reaction we were hoping for!!!!!!!! Grandpa tells him he is sorry, I also say the same thing ( my concerns are growing). Now he goes off, it really makes him mad that we would say this..he is having fun. Now I know in our Savior's desire for us, and this is not fun..no wonder Mom brought him early..lol

That night as we are settling down, Grandpa comes in to us( I was being taught how to play Texas Hold-em) and says he wants to share some information with us! My fears pick up..was it something that happened that would change our trip..were we going to learn of a problem? No it was a blessing!! Two young college students were trying to camp but the camp ground was full..and he said they could share ours..so he just wanted everyone to be considerate of them being so close! Blessing Blessing Blessing!! Well this was fine with the older boys..they had no interest at all in these people..so on the night went.

In the morning Grandpa and I had a chance to visit with the two girls we shared our spot with..wow, both from Europe, 18 and 19 and students at San Diego..how brave and Independent  they were..and what insights they had about our country and theirs!! To bad the boys slept through it!!

That day the older boys took off to hike on their own and we took K hiking with us..this is the most fun Grandpa and I had. K explored everything from Rocks and feathers to making friends with everyone he met! Then along came Ranger Rick..yes that is his real name..and invited K to become a Junior Ranger!! Oh my, what a honor he held in this hand, the activity book he would need to complete in order to qualify! He shared this with shuttle bus drivers.. museum docents and any one else who would listen to how important this was!! He was going to earn a badge and help protect the park!! He never slowed down, but Grandpa decided he was going to need a snack so back to the visitor  center we went  only to find out we had been gone 5 hours..how could that be..it had gone so quick! My heart so hopes that D in heaven was watching him that afternoon..he would be so happy!

Instead of leaving the next morning after watching the sunrise we had hoped to see..J informed us he must be back early in order to rest up for his weight lifting on Tuesday..this was not the plan but after the time we had spent hoping he would participate we decided to just get him home!! The wind was at our backs and the only stops were for gas..we had him back by 5 much to his Mother's surprise!!

Our next trip will be to Sequoia National Park where K will be able to earn his next badge and it is his turn to bring a friend..I so look forward to this and if J needs to be on his own I so support that, learning the line between independence and being with others is never easy.............but mostly I have come to respect peace-keepers! There job is not an easy one but done well as N did on this trip is a joy to behold!!

So on into the future we go.........with.concerns... and with the enthusiasm of a 5 year old....thank you boys for quite and adventure!!

Grandma D