USA Trip Week 3

Moved onto Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park. The Montecito Lodge that we stayed at was situated on a lake where we canoed every morning before breakfast and venturing into the park. The lodge offers many activities like climbing walls , tennis, archery, mountain biking and riding (just like year 6 residential).

They also have a hot tub outside where you could watch the stars in the cold night air and hot water! (Year 6 may not have had this on their residential - why not Mr Madeley?)


There is one main road (The Generals Highway) that runs through the park area but the other 2 main areas Kings Canyon and Mineral King are along roads that follow deep canyons cut by rivers and glaciers.
Kings Canyon is said to be deeper than the Grand Canyon.

There are many hikes passing waterfalls and meadows in the canyons. Sometimes the hikes are above the canyons to granite domes with steep cliffs and stunning views like this one from Moro Rock. Not a place to be in a thunderstorm!

Always on the lookout for wildlife such as squirrels , deer and bears. Keep your eyes and ears open and you may see them.

Mrs Lockwood nearly walked into this bear. We saw 3 this day and 3 the day before in the Giant Forest part of Sequoia National Park which has some massive trees.

Some of the large trees that have fallen in the Giant Forest have had holes cut in them so you can drive through them. The largest tree ( by volume) in the world "The General Sherman Tree" is in this part of the park.

Mule Deer (note the big ears) were seen regularly in every part of the park, by the lake whilst canoeoing, in meadows or in the forests. This one was spotted high up in the Alpine Meadow of Mineral King.

Even in San Francisco you can see wildlife. These California Sea Lions arrived on Pier 39 in the main waterfront tourist area after the 1989 San Francisco earthquake. They are very noisy when they are all barking together.

San Francisco is famous for its cable cars (trams) and hilly streets many of which have featured in blockbuster movies involving car chases. You can ride the tram sitting down or you can hang on the footplate leaning out experiencing the thrill.

San Francisco is also famous for Alcatraz Island. "The Rock". Made famous in numerous Hollywood Films with Clint Eastwood and Sean Connery making daring escapes from the island. Alcatraz started life as a fort before becoming a military prison and finally a federal prison. It housed many notorious criminals from the gangster era before it closed in 1963. Nobody is known to have escaped from Alcatraz other than movie stars. The last escape in 1962 involved 3 people who dug their way out of the cells using spoons. Their whereabouts is unknown but many assume they drowned on the mile and a half swim to the mainland which has treachorous currents.