Sequoia National Park

This summer we spent the 4th of July in Sequoia National Park--home of the world's largest tree.

"In volume of total wood the giant sequoia is Earth's largest living tree. In all the world, sequoias grow naturally only on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada, usually between 5,000 and 7,000 feet in elevation." (National Park Service Pamphlet)

We began our exploration at the Giant Forest Museum where we took a shuttle bus to the General Sherman Tree which is estimated to be 2,200 years old!

Do you see the tiny people at the bottom of the photo?

We then followed the Congress Trail wandering through the Great Forest for about 2 miles.

There was plenty to discover along the way.

"Sequoias don't die of old age and are resistant to fire and insect damage. Most die by falling over [due to their shallow root system]." (NPS) 

It is the sequoias' thick bark that insulates them from most fire.

Many of the trees bear fire scars, but fire is vital to sequoia regeneration.

It was a beautiful and peaceful place.

Sulphur Mountain

When Brian was 14 his family moved to Santa Paula--a small agricultural town in Ventura County. This is where he took me three months after we met and where we officially became engaged.

(Santa Paula, California, 2013)

We had toured Brian's hometown when the kids were very young, but it had been 29 years since we had set foot on Sulphur Mountain.

(View from Sulphur Mountain, 2013)

(2013)

This grassy knoll was the spot where Brian and his dad spent many a Saturday (during Brian's teen years) flying radio-controlled airplanes. The wind was usually perfect here.

(Brian in front of his Santa Paula home, 1981)

(1981)

(Brian's Dad, 1981)

(1981)

(View from Sulphur Mountain, 1981)

When I first visited Santa Paula Brian took me "flying" as well. Of course, we went to his traditional mountaintop site.

(Me on Sulphur Mountain, April 1984)

(Brian on Sulphur Mountain, April 1984)

Brian crashed his plane that day. He claims I was a bit of a distraction. :)

Zuma Beach

No trip to Southern California would be complete without a trip to the beach, and Brian insisted we go to Zuma Beach in Malibu.

As a kid living in Woodland Hills, Brian remembers his mom dropping him and his friends or siblings off at Zuma Beach for the day and picking them up again at dinner time.

The water was chilly, but not too cold for my land-locked kids. They had a great time.

The photo, below, is my favorite of the whole trip.

I DO love the ocean.

Passing Time

We did a lot of waiting and passing of time as we traveled to Southern California for our family vacation and especially while we were in Disneyland.

Abby, ever the creative genius, gave herself a manicure of silver gum wrappers. She separated the shiny outer layer from the paper, rubbed it on her nails, and ta-da . . .

She went blue on the return trip.

Kellie's speciality this summer was taking advantage of every possible moment to study for the MCAT. . .

whether it was while in line to ride Grizzly Rapids or while lounging at the beach.

Travis? Well, if he wasn't eating, he was simply being Travis.

Me? I did a bit of crocheting,

took pictures of Abby's in-car artwork,

and enjoyed my view from the front seat.

Griffith Observatory

After visiting La Brea Tar Pits we traveled through L.A.'s Koreatown to our third stop--Griffith Observatory in the Hollywood Hills.

There were impressive views of L.A. from the observatory.

But, one of the best surprises were all the free exhibits inside. The scientists in our family were definitely in their element.

Brian explained how a Foucault pendulum works.

This periodic table was pretty cool too.

It was a good day!

La Brea Tar Pits

La Brea Tar Pits was the second stop in L.A. that Brian wanted us to see. Like our first stop, Brian went here on a field trip when he was in elementary school. At that time, however, it wasn't in the middle of a city.

"Asphaltum or tar (brea in Spanish) has seeped up from the ground in this area for tens of thousands of years. The tar is often covered with dust, leaves, or water." (Source)

Brian remembers these life-size models of mammoths. The poor mother has been caught in the tar! A sign posted by the pit states, "These seeps became unique death traps for countless Ice Age mammals and birds, making Rancho La Brea the world's richest deposit of Ice Age fossils. Over 100 tons of fossil bones have been recovered."

See that colorful house in the distance?

The crocheted facade was awesome.

Who knew I'd find this at the La Brea Tar Pits?