Sequoia National Park

Saturday July 14, 2012

Getting up this morning we ran into some real trouble. Everybody but me is having a digestive disorder of some sort. Audrey seems to be having the worst of it and is very nauseated. I feel a little guilty for being somewhat skeptical of the seriousness, but all doubt was removed when she ran for the bathroom to "unload". Unfortunately, Jill just happened to be in the bathroom with her own issues that were manifesting in more of a southerly direction when Audrey popped in to make her contribution. I'm not sure what happened in the bathroom, but I am sure they'll laugh about it one day.

This is not good, but we have no choice but to load up and get going. Staying in a Motel6 in Bakersfield is just not an option.

On down the road a ways, we stop again for Audrey to purge herself. She did feel a little better afterwards and we're hoping the worst is over. We continue on to the park.

Sequoia National Park isn't that far from Bakersfield, so we're arriving early in the day. That's good, because we don't really have a place reserved for the evening and with Audrey sick, I would like to get her settled early if possible.

First up for photos at the park entrance sign is Jill. I'm just about to snap her photo when she dashes to the side to purge. This came on suddenly and now we have two travelers down with what appears to be food poisoning. Now we're wondering what could be the cause of this. We're thinking the hot dogs, except we all ate hot dogs. Was it the hot chocolate at Terrible's? We'll probably never know for sure, but I'm leaning to the hot dogs since Audrey and Jill had two each.

 

Oh No, Patient Number Two

After some time, they managed to put on a brave face and pose for a picture.

Putting on a Brave Face

There's really nothing to do at this point but try and make them as comfortable as possible. We have to move on though, cause there's nowhere to stop at this juncture. I do regret the nature of the roads as they are mountainous and very curvy. Hopefully that won't aggravate the already queasy stomachs of the back seat occupants.

The scenery is very nice in the park and really starts to get interesting at the higher altitudes. The trees are magnificent and we are upon the giants in very little time.

Land of the Giants

We park in the lot for the shuttle that goes to the largest living tree in the world: General Sherman. The tree is about a half a mile downhill on a path from the parking lot; we can hike or take the trolley. Audrey and Jill have to rest before attempting either, so we find a nice shady spot and set up some chairs.

Resting Before the Hike

After quite some while, I insist that we must do something other than sit in the shade of the parking lot. Jill is not quite as bad as Audrey so I take her first on the trail to the tree. It's a struggle, but she makes it and manages to muscle her way to the photo spot.

Jill and General Sherman

After a while, I sit Jill on a bench and head back up the path to see what has become of Debbie and Audrey. About half way up, I find them sitting on a bench. I hate to be the bad guy, but somebody has to get this show on the road or we'll be here all day. After much prodding, Audrey drags herself up and we continue down the path. Finally, we make it.

Debbie, Audrey and General Sherman

Mike, Debbie, and The General

Being a southerner from Georgia, I'm not crazy about the name of the tree. However, it's still an amazing sight and a wonder of nature. BTW, if anybody sees Harvey Updyke wandering around this or any other tree with a Yankee name on it, call the authorities immediately.

Now all we have to do is wait for the trolley bus to carry us back to our van in the parking lot. Hopefully, nobody gets sprayed on the bus for the short trip back.

Back in the van, we're seriously looking for a place to stay for the evening. I don't like it, but the only good choice at this time is to camp. It takes quite some time to find a spot due to the busy season. Ultimately, we find a camp site on the far end of the park and set up before it gets dark.

After setting up camp and getting the girls into their beds and comfortable for the evening, Debbie and I settle down for dinner. It's a little unusual this evening in that I'm boiling our roast beef that was in the cooler. We're concerned that the food poisoning may be from the cooler. The beef was actually pretty good that way and nobody got sick.

What is wrong with people? There's appears to be a large international contingent at one of the larger campsites. They are literally partying and screaming until midnight. Perhaps no one hipped them to the rules about being quiet after 10:00PM. To make things worse, our tent is on a down-hill grade and I keep sliding to the edge cramming my feet into a ball. I don't think I'll sleep very well tonight.

Photos