I didn't get up quite as early as I'd intended, but I did manage to grab breakfast before checking out of the lodge. Before I left, I took pictures of the view from my room.  To the west I could see a high snow-capped peak. I was able to catch glimpses of it all along the winding road to the park.

My first hike for the day was Moro Rock, a huge granite dome in the center of Sequoia National Park. After passing quite a few large sequoias, I found my way to the trailhead and proceeded up the winding staircase carved into the rock. It was about noon and it was starting to get pretty warm out. I stopped occasionally along the way to snap some photos (and catch my breath!). I made it all the way to the top and ventured out to the very edge of the rock. According to the visitor info, the snow-capped mountain I had admired earlier was Alta Peak. Behind it were the even taller (and snowier) peaks of the High Sierras. To the east (where I'd entered the park) was a river carving a gradual canyon through the mountains. It turns out that this canyon is actually deeper and wider than the Grand Canyon, however, the walls aren't as steep so it doesn't look quite as dramatic. I spent some time taking panoramic photos. A couple of people came out to the edge (protected by a guard rail on 3 sides). One woman was absolutely terrified, but was inching her way out, clutching the railing and trying not to look down. I am SO thankful I'm not scared of heights. (Carey would have HATED this hike.) The entire mileage of the trail (roundtrip) was only about .5 miles, so I had time for another hike.

Next on my list was the Congress Trail and the General Sherman Tree, the largest living thing on earth. I hiked down to see the tree - definitely the most popular site in the park. After taking a few photos, I proceeded away from the throngs of tourists and on to the quiet Congress Trail. The path wound around and led me past may giant sequoias, some named after US presidents, as well as the "President" tree itself. Along the way I passed groves of enormous trees simply called "The House" and "The Senate." I stopped for a little while and ate the sandwich I'd brought with me, then made my way back to the car (stopping to get a couple more pics of the General Sherman tree from a distance).

The giant sequoias are simply amazing. If you've never seen one in real life, you would be amazed by the sheer size of their trunks. These trees reportedly grow to the age of about 3,000 years. I had a hard time leaving this park - the smell reminded me so much of Yosemite (that spicy cedary scent) not to mention the breathtaking mountain views. But I knew I had to get on the road soon to make it to Death Valley before it got late.

This 7-hour drive (the longest so far) led me back through Fresno and south past the southern tip of Sequoia NP. I honestly had no idea how beautiful this part of California is until this road trip. I could tell I was getting closer to the desert because my ambient temperature thermometer on the dashboard kept going up and up. On the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada, I passed by Red Rock Canyon State Park, and then through a small town outside of China Lake Naval Weapons Center. It started raining again, but the sun was still out. Sure enough, not too far down the road I spotted a rainbow. I wound around on this road for a couple of hours, then suddenly I came around a sharp curve and this amazing valley stretched out before me. Later I learned this was the Panamint Valley, parallel to Death Valley (laying just to the east). It's bordered on the west by the Argus Range and on the east by the Panamint Range. I could see white salt flats in the distance, and the sky was a brilliant pink-orange as the sun was starting to set. The road curved west for a little while (so I got a couple of pics of the sunset) before turning sharply to the east and taking me into Death Valley National Park.

By the time I reached the park entrance it was pretty dark, but the drive was incredibly hilly, taking me from 4,000' elevation to sea level, and back up and down. I finally made it to Stovepipe Wells Village and checked in. The nice woman at the front desk upgraded me to a room with a view of the sand dunes. It was too dark to see them that night, but the stars were just incredible...