We arrived at Sequoia National Park around lunch time and began the long and windy drive up to where the giant sequoias grow naturally around 5-6,000 feet above sea level after visiting the ranger station and getting the kids their junior ranger badges.
The drive was so windy that everyone started feeling a little car sick, so we made frequent pit stops to get fresh air and stretch our legs.
As we entered the grove, we started spying the sequoias in the midst of the pine forest because of their reddish-orange bark.
One of the first things we encountered was a paved outline of the largest tree in the world, the General Sherman tree.
With a trunk circumference at the ground of 102' and a diameter of 36', it is hard to comprehend just how big it is compared to other tree species. Because the tree is fenced off and no one can actually walk up right next to it, the paved section on the walking path helps visitors grasp the size.
Every bend in the path revealed stunning scenes and giant, rust colored trunks standing out in the grey forest. We walked through some living trees with giant holes burned through the trunks from a past fire and meandered past other giants just off the trail.
Scientists studying this cross section of a sequoia trunk cut down decades ago can pinpoint exact years in history for over 1,000 years.
After hiking for about 45 minutes, Claire was exhausted and fell asleep in the hiking backpack.
It was amazing to be amongst such ancient giants as they feel like a link to the distant past of our planet when seemingly every creature was a giant.
For dinner, we stopped at one of the few restaurants outside the park and ate riverside with the roar of spring snow melt thundering past.
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