A few years ago, I made a list of 101 Life Goals. I’ve actually done some of them! I love this list. When I’m feeling down, reading over it motivates me and cheers me up.
Now, you’ve got to be careful what you do with a list like this. Many times I’ve asked myself, “How in the heck did I wind up in Los Angeles?” Then one day, I realized that many of my life goals involved California! The universe works in mysterious ways.
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Visiting Sequoia National Park was one of the California goals on my list, and it was just a four-hour-or-so drive from our home in Studio City. We’d been to the Redwood National Park before, and we loved it. We wanted to see this one, too.
To get to the park from Vasilia, where we had a guest house rental (and where our dogs stayed), you drive for quite a while before you hit some switchbacks and start increasing in elevation. Finally, you see your first big trees.
When you get to the Giant Forest Museum parking lot, a shuttle takes you to other locations. We were there early on a Monday morning, so even though it was summer, the park wasn’t crowded.
The General Sherman Tree is the largest tree in the world.
It’s a little hard to see the scale of it in photographs, though this video I put on Instagram might help (I had trouble uploading it here.)
Here’s me with the General Sherman Tree.
There are a lot of hiking trails so you can wander around and take in the magnificent energy of these ancient trees. Some of them are 3,000 or more years old.
This is a great road trip from either Los Angeles or San Francisco (which would be about a 5-hour drive.) If you’re visiting from another part of the country—or a different country altogether—I’d include Yosemite National Park (about three and a half hours away from Sequoia National Park) as part of the same vacation.
It’s a beautiful thing that over the decades, we’ve become smarter about preserving such amazing trees and such important areas.
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Have you had the chance to visit any of the national parks in the United States? Or did this post remind you of some of the beautiful places in nature you’ve been? Let us know in the comments! Thanks for reading!
Beautiful. Our son went to UC Santa Cruz and I’ve never gotten over the immensity of the trees as well as the friendly deer, who will practically take food out of your hand.
Thank you for sharing your memories.
Um, Bryan, there is no freaking way you are old enough to have a son in college? Hahaha! What a beautiful area. I didn’t know that about the deer!
You are too sweet. He’s already graduated. 2 years ago with a Bachelor of Science Biology. We also have an almost 11 year old w?daughter.. Girls, as you know, are sooooooo different than us boys. She is aging me as I write this
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Beautiful photos!
Oh thank you, Felicia! It’s hard to take a bad picture there. 🙂
Hi Bryn. Thanks for the reminder of the beauty and amazing reality of this earth! I grew up in the mountains of southern Colorado. (Your setting in Sunrise Cabin touched me deeply.) Though the trees of my childhood home aren’t as large as the breathtaking Sequoias, their roots and mine are deep.
Fast forward to my adulthood. The first time I saw the Grand Tetons I was astounded. I was more impressed with them than I was with Yellowstone.
Oh Jessie, could you tell from Sunrise Cabin how much I love the mountains? 🙂 What a beautiful place to grow up! We still want to make it to the Grand Tetons!
Yes, Bryn, your love of the mountains comes through in Sunrise Cabin. Also I really connected with the childhood memories and the immediate grown-up connection in your book.
My dear Little Brown House lives only in the memories of the fortunate ones who fell under its spell so many decades ago.
Thanks for sharing your journey with us! It’s been years since I visited any parks. I think the last time was probably fifteen or so years ago. I definitely want to check some off my list.
Thanks for reading, hon! I bet you’ve been to the Grand Canyon. 🙂 We want to go back there sometime soon!
Yes, the Grand Canyon. My bucket list is to see it with a blanket of snow over it!
I’m so happy for you! I loved seeing this journey on Insta. I can’t wait to see where your next adventure takes you.
Aww, thank you, Erin! And thanks for following on Insta 🙂 I’m following you back!
It is a beautiful place. If you haven’t been to Yosemite yet, you might want to add that to your list.
Thanks for the suggestion! Although Yosemite wasn’t on my list, a few people have told me it should be…and now I really want to go there!
Thanks for the post. We have enjoyed many of our wonderful national parks over the years: Grand Canyon (twice), Yellowstone, Yosemite, Zion, Canyonlands, Arches, Bryce Canyon, Petrified Forest, Everglades along with many other places like Monument Valley (a must visit), Mt Rushmore, etc. Been to CA many times and will be sure to visit Sequoia on our next trip.
Hi, Bryn. The National Parks are a big deal to us. We were in Grand Canyon, South Rim, early summer this year. Also Zion, Bryce, Capital Reef, Monument Valley,, and Arches. They were all amazing. A few years ago we hit Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone, Crazy Horse, not a NP, but worth a mention. We fell in love with the Tetons. I agree with Jessie’s comment. We liked them more than Yellowstone. I’ve also been to several Civil War National Parks, and the usual NPs along the Appalachian Trail. The summer of 2017, we hit Glacier NP. That is my all time favorite. It is magnificant. I want to go back soon. Everyone should see it. Unfortunately, the glaciers are melting fast. In a few years they will be gone. We took the Red Bus tour up the Road to the Sun. It is amazing. We’ve also been to the North Rim of the G.C., and other lesser sites.
Your photos are interesting to me because we plan to hit that area next summer on a trip through northern California, Washington and Oregon.
I think Colorado may be my favorite state, and I agree, Sunrise Cabin ‘s beautiful setting took me back there.
Sorry this is so long. You hit a soft spot with me. We live in a beautiful country. We are truly blessed.
hey bryn! I’ve noticed that you are not only an amazing writer, but you are a publisher! As a twelve year old writer, I don’t know much about it, and i could use some help. if you were to have the time in the future once i finish my book, do you think that you could take a look at my book, and possibly help me with publishing if it is worthy? Dont feel pressured, though!