2016 California Vacation
My vacation arose on somewhat short notice when I realized how much PTO time I needed to use or lose before year end. With just under a month to plan I jumped onto the NPS (National Park Service) websites to research Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks. I upgraded my AAA memership to take advantage of premier services. And, I purchased my airline tickets and car rental. I would fly into San Francisco, pick up the rental car, do a little city sight-seeing, get overnight accommodations outside of town, and the next day begin my road trip in earnest. The plan was to spend most of my time exploring Yosemite, get acquainted with Sequoia, and enjoy part of the West Coast on my way back up to San Francisco to fly home.
Three trees
Do these trees all look the same? I captured this shot because of how lighting conditions made the three trees appear slightly different. In fact all three are incense cedar trees, a very common yet beautiful tree in Yosemite National Park.
Sometimes tall cedar trees are mistaken for sequoias. But, sequoia trees are only found in three groves in Yosemite. "In the Mariposa Grove near the park's South Entrance, off of the Wawona Road (Highway 41), and in two smaller—and less visited—groves, the Tuolumne and Merced Groves near Crane Flat." (See "Giant Sequoias")
They are even more rare in Yosemite Valley—one planted by the old Superintendent's house, and four in the cemetery around the grave site of Galen Clark, an early visitor and later caretaker of the Mariposa Grove (See Wikipedia on Galen Clark)
