California Road Trip: Part II

Big Sur had been everything it promised to be and more, and it was with heavy hearts that we left the coast for the Sierra Nevadas and Sequoia, Kings Canyon & Yosemite National Parks. As we crossed the San Joaquin Valley, the cool sea breeze gave way to a stifling heat neither of us had felt before. Barren desert stretched to the horizon as the sun beat down her heavy rays, the sky a stark blue and the searing heat unrelenting. Four hours later we pulled into our campsite on the banks of Lake Kaweah, to find it riddled with rattlesnakes and slowly cooking at 45 degrees. We were as uncomfortable as we could be and had already had 2 snake encounters before the night drew in. Keeping our hair wet however, we managed to keep our bodies relatively cool and heat exhaustion kept us sleeping soundly until dawn.

The forested canopies of the mountains were such a welcome sight, as we drove into Sequoia National Forest. Trees predating the Roman Empire and standing 4 stories tall towered above us, as we explored this ancient forest. Perhaps the most beautiful and striking moments were standing at the edge of meadows - huge areas of wild grasses and plants; surrounded by the giant Sequoias and mountains, these were like something out of a fairytale. We saw three beautiful bears in this incredible landscape, and wondered how on earth a zoo could even begin to compare.

Sequoia, Kings Canyon and Yosemite revealed to us some of the most incredible landscapes we've ever seen, and we spent a week travelling through their wild interiors. We encountered a bear from 10 ft, we hiked through forests painted with wildflowers and of course, drove through a tree. Dramatic and mind blowing, it's hard to put into words the raw beauty of this small part of the world.