SEQUOIA AND KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS, CALIFORNIA MARCH 2014

Going into Sequoia looking back down the valley

Looking down on the curvy road we just climbed into the park.

Sequoia Visitors' Center

Parker Group of trees...sign below and left has a description.

Gary driving the jeep through the Tunnel Log...see him waving from the driver's side window?

Lunch time in the the park with Gary the snail

Driving along the tree lined park road.

Description of the General Sherman Tree....

Gary and I in front of the General Sherman tree.

Kings Canyon National Park is located right next to Sequoia National Park

Descriptive sign for the General Grant Tree

Liz in front of the General Grant Tree

On our way to Sequoia and Kings Canyon...we stopped in Chowchilla, California to see our good friend Carol Calkins who lives in Santa Clara, California...we have known Carol for 47 years!   It was sooo great to see her.  

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK CALIFORNIA MARCH 5 - 8, 2014

Entering the Park!

View of Half Dome and Bridal Veil Falls

Historical sign  marking place where President Roosevelt camped with John Muir

Looking down the Valley....Bridal Veil Falls on the right

Our jeep with Half Dome on the right in the background

Merced River

Stopping at the Mariposa Grove Foot Trails...near the entrance to the park

 Picture from 1914 in the Mariposa Grove  ---descriptive sign to the right

The Grizzly Giant: 209' tall, 96'  circumference, and 28' at base.  Estimated to be 1,800 years old!

Sign about the Tunnel Tree 

Standing in the tunnel tree!

View of El Capitan

A coyote in Yosemite and below pictures are some of the other wildlife we saw there.

Ground squirrel

Steller's Jay

Lots of Bobcats in Yosemite

Deer

Entering the Ahwahnee Hotel to spend the night

In the early 1920's, Stephen Mather, the National Park Service Director, realized that the Park needed accommodations to suit the affluent and influential traveler. The concept of a hotel such as The Ahwahnee® became the impetus to draw such a visitor.

The site for The Ahwahnee, once a village of the native Miwoks, was chosen because of its exposure to the sun and stunning views of Yosemite's icons – Half Dome, Yosemite Falls and Glacier Point.

Walkway to the front entrance

View of the exterior of the hotel

View of Yosemite Falls from our room!

A basket weaver in the Yosemite Village museum...she was so still and quiet we thought she was a statue...but she was weaving  a basket!

A description of the basket on the right below.

View of Yosemite Falls

Another view of Yosemite Falls

View of the Upper Valley of Yosemite

YORBA LINDA, CALIFORNIA MARCH 3,2014

Entrance to Richard Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda, California.

Fountain in front of Nixon's library.

A view of the Courtyard at the library.

This was known as the "Kitchen Debate" with Kruschev 1959 ...we could use some of this attitude today.

February, 1972 President Nixon was the first US president to visit the People's Republic of China since it was established in 1949.

President Nixon was know for his foreign diplomacy. ..above he is with Chinese leader Chou en-Lai and on the right with Israel's Prime Minister Golda Meier.

"There were days and hours when we needed a friend and you came right in," said Meir. "You don't know what your airlift means to us."

President Nixon's Library is on the site of his birthplace and boyhood home. It was built by his parents in 1912. It was a Sears & Roebuck's home.   It is open for tours and is California Registered Historical Landmark.

As an interesting side note...this was the cookbook used by President Nixon's mother...fate?