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In case your ever wondering the Kaiser in Selma is not open on Saturday. Why would I know this question you ask?? I know this because AJ wasn’t feeling well and were were in the middle of nowhere looking for a Kaiser. As it is AJ survived and today we were able to get him into a doctor’s office in Bakersfield. $35 dollars later, we have found out he has a really bad cold, oh well, you never can be too cautious with toddlers I suppose.

That was the detour yesterday, but the real trip was of course to Sequoia National Park. Which is ironically also a detour, because we are really on our way to Utah for a family renunion, but the park was free yesterday and there was a National Park Stamping Convention in town, so a detouring we went. Sequoia is a beautifull park accessed by a very winding road. The road into the park is full of switchbacks and rather slow but the views are gorgeous.
<%image(20090816-MoroRockweb.jpg|448|336|Moro Rock)%>
I am however glad that I am not John Muir and did have a road. Our first stop in the park was the Foothills Visitor Center, being a free day, the park was very busy.
<%image(20090816-foothillsweb.jpg|336|448|This was a very busy visitor center)%>
I asked about the Crystal Cave stamp but was only able to get the Foothills Stamp. On the way to Lodgepole we stopped briefly at the Giant Museum and I got another stamp and I got to see a big tree named the Sentinel (there are a lot of trees in this park). We then continued up Generals Hwy to Lodgepole where we got another stamp and saw a movie called Bears of the Sequioas, alas poor Yellow 26, your honey ran out long before your legend ever did.
<%image(20090816-lodgepoleweb.jpg|448|336|Elevation 6720 Feet)%>
We then went to Wasachi Lodge. At the lodge we attended the NPTC convention . Denise won some playing cards and I won a lapel pin. The guest speaker was a park ranger who spoke about the history of the park. The ranger had an interesting lecture about how we have come from looking at the park as an obstacle, to a place of unlimited resources (the wood it was discovered was not really good for much, too brittle), to a destination, and finally something to preserve. After the meeting we traveled to General Sherman tree trail. AJ was asleep and I was anxious so I went down the trail early. I sat down on a bench about 100 yards away from the General Sherman tree. From where I was sitting it was the people’s first view of the tree. Most people’s first reaction was that of awe. Many were in languages that I could not understand. My favorite quote was this lady who saw it and exclaimed “”Oh it is just like the one at Disneyworld!”” Denise and AJ came along and we made our way to the tree, meandered a bit, took a picture, and then made our way back up the trail.
<%image(20090816-generalshermanweb.jpg|336|448|Pedrozas at a really big tree)%>
After that we traveled up the Crecent Meadow Road to see more trees. One was called the auto log, named because people used to drive on top of the log, they no longer let you do that, but you can walk on it.
<%image(20090816-autologweb.jpg|336|448|It's a good thing we didn't put our car on this tree)%>
The log looks like it is slowly decaying. It was kind of scary just walking on it because I was holding AJ’s hand so he wouldn’t fall (the trunk is 10 feet wide), and I was also looking out for brittle spots. Needless to say we made it ok because I am typing this.
We proceeded to the Tunnel Log which is a log you drive through. As long as your car is shorter than 8 ft, which ours is so we drove through it twice (once up and once on the way down).

We then headed down, seeing Moro Rock again on the way. We had dinner with the NPTC club, we had fun talking and eating with the club members. It was fun being with so many people that were so pationate about travel.
<%image(20090816-nptcdinnerajweb.jpg|448|336|AJ really liked the fake rose.)%>
We stayed the night at the Three Rivers Hideaway and slept (all three of us) in a tent. It was interesting but we did all manage to get some sleep.
<%image(20090816-threeriverssettinguptentweb.jpg|448|336|John sets up the tent)%>
<%image(20090816-threeriverssetupweb.jpg|448|336|Three us slept where?!?)%>”