Sequioa National Park, Monteray, Tahoe and Northern California

As we have not been able to write for a few days, this is Jane writing on behalf of Josh! We went to the Sequoia National Park which is high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains about 3 hours north east of Los Angeles. It was about 7000 feet above sea level and we were up in the clouds which was quite beautiful but eary at the same time. Josh was having a sneaky pee behind a tree when a deer jumped out behind him - I do not know who was more frightened! We visited the worlds largest tree, a Giant Sequoia called the General Sherman, which is as tall as the Statue of Liberty and really wide at the base. The smallest branch has a diameter of 6 feet! It is not the tallest tree as the Californian Giant Redwood tree,, which grows on the Californian coast can grow taller. Josh completed a workbook about the National Park and was sworn in as a Junior Ranger and has been wearing his badge with pride.

We then headed back out to Monteray after a night in Fresno which is in the middle of California and was about 85 degrees. Monteray was much chillier on the coast just below San Francisco. We visited the Monteray Bay Aquarium which is the best Aquarium I have ever visited and was fantastic.

From Monteray we headed back into the hills of the Californian Gold Country. We stayed at a place called Sonora which is where The Little House on the Prairie was filmed (for those old enough to remember!). We visited the Sonora Fire Museum which had an old pull along fire engine on display.
After a night in the hotel and a dip in a very chilly pool we went to visit Columbia State Historic Park which is the best preserved Gold Mining Town in California. We saw the old stage coach which was pulled by 4 brown horses, we also dipped candles and Josh will bring his into school to show you. Josh also had a gold panning lesson from a man called Curly! Josh managed to get 4 tiny bits of gold as well as garnets, quartz and peridot so was quite pleased with himself - Adrian and I did not get anything!

From Columbia we set off to Lake Tahoe through the most amazing countryside. We were up amongst the snow and there were really high banks of it on the side of the road. The road was really winding and we all felt a bit car sick by the time we got to a straight bit of road. We reached Lake Tahoe in the evening and stayed with our friends Ed and Kim who were wonderful hosts. Their house is built over 3 floors in the side of the mountain overlooking the lake at 7000 feet above sea level. The air is thinner at this altitude and we got quite breathless going from floor to floor! The next morning we went for a 3 mile hike around Spooner Lake which is one of the smaller lakes around Tahoe. It was beautiful and we watched people catching trout. There was also still snow here. Later we went all the way around Lake Tahoe which is the second deepest Lake in the US and visited the beautiful Emerald Bay. After lunch we played Crazy Golf and Josh came second (Adrian came last!!!). Josh and Ed set a trap to try and catch a Chickaree which is like a chipmunk bit they didn't get anything. There were also bears about although we did not see one. There was a lovely frog chorus each night!

Today we have ended up in Klamath Falls which is in Southern Oregon. The drive through north east California was very long and straight! There was lots of hills and it was really like how I would have imagined the wild west of cowboys and indians. We visited the Lava Bed National Monument which is a beautiful volcanic landscape and although the volcano has not erupted for 1100 years it is still active and is anticipated to erupt again soon! It is also the site of the only Indian War in Califorina where the Modoc Indians fought the US Army to try and stay on their lands (unsuccessfully). We also saw indian rock writing and had a lesson from a Park Ranger about the local wild hunting birds which included Golden Eagles, Prairie Falcons and the Great Horned Owl.

Tomorrow we are off to Bend via Crater Lake which is apparently the deepest lake in the US.

Josh will pick up the writing again from here (depending on internet access!)