Thursday 30 August 2012

August 30 28th day OTR

Today's planned outing was to drive up to the Seqouia National Forest.  We stayed at the Fresno KOA which is still a work in progress but it was at the right place last night after a long drive and an even better place this morning for the trip up to Sequoia.

The climb on Highway 180 is not bad, windy but not anything worse than we have already driven.  We went to King's Canyon to see the General Grant tree.

We took several short hikes, always taking Otto;s knee into consideration.  We had our picnic lunch at Museum of the Giants and then proceeded down the other side of the mountain.  Well, we were in for a treat.  And not in a good way.  198 down the other side of Sequoia is a winding, hairpin curve kind of mountain that eats brakes.  We got part way down and were stopped by construction.  Our brakes were overheating so badly that the flagman came over to tell us that our 45 minute wait would cool them down and then to use only low gear.  What a ride that was.

We got to the KOA on the downside at Vasila and Otto immediately cracked open a beer, then two.  And we went for a swim.  If you have never smelled over heated brakes, it is not a pretty thing.  After this trip is over we will have the brakes checked before our next big drive.

Sequoia was interesting, especially once we were driving through the Big Trees but I am still more impressed with the redwoods.  The only thing is, Sequoias can only grow in a very specific climate and soil and a narrow strip of the Sierra Nevadas is the only place they grow.  I am glad we went even with the brake issue.  There are claw marks in the dashboard that I will have to try to remove before we can trade the van in.

Tomorrow we head for Needles and a little bit of old Route 66 and Vegas on the weekend.

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