We will visit both the National Forest and the National Park. We have reserved a spot for a week in the National Forest and a few days in the National Park - this will be our first significant experience boondocking (reliance on solar only and our tanks for water). There are many day hikes, groves, rivers and nature to absorb. I have to admit that I am a little nervous about Sister...being three going on sixteen, she seems to know better than her parents. This is nerve-wracking given the various dangers we may encounter. For instance at Sequoia National Forest we will camp along the Kern River which is used for recreational whitewater rafting. It is recommended that you do not swim in the river due to strong currents....She needs to listen to us about the boundaries we will set and the restrictions on her activities while in the campground. Basically we can't trust that she will listen to our instructions. I am sure that will change as she gets older (hopefully in a positive direction?) - but at this moment it is a concern.
There is so much to see! However the Sequoia National Forest website is a huge disappointment. Their maps and pdf links are broken and I can't find a list of mileage for the various hikes. I've resolved that I will not be able to plan much until we visit the visitor's center, obtain maps, and talk to the rangers.
The Sequoia and King's Canyon National Park website is much better than the National Forest site. One of the things I really want to see is the Crystal Cave - the website says the first day of the season is May 25th and we are scheduled to leave May 26th. I will celebrate my 42nd birthday in Sequoia National Park - That's the best BD in a while! Of course we will see the worlds largest tree, the General Sherman tree as well as the Tokopah Falls. All together we will stay with the Sequoias for 9 nights.
Only a week and a half until we leave! We have SO much to do before then! This weekend we are heading up north to manage personal property and check on our land. Next week we have to take the Hideout in for warranty work and will be staying a night in a hotel. We will be spring cleaning and organizing everything before we leave. While we are going to put over 6000 miles on our truck this summer it is interesting to note how few miles we have driven since we moved into the Hideout last summer. Living in town and taking the light rail has reduced our travel so much. It seems like we fill up the gas tank in the car about once every 1-2 weeks, that is the main vehicle we drive. We only use the truck to drive back and forth from the park n' ride when we take the light rail. Round-trip I think it is about 5 miles. Currently the truck has 17,000 miles on it and we will have had it three years in August.
Gas prices are going up - I signed up with Gas Buddy and am looking at other options to reduce fuel costs such as cashback credit cards. While I feel somewhat guilty about all this fuel consumption, we have taken many steps to try to make this as efficient of a trip as possible. We have a light truck (6 cyl.), a light trailer (up to 6,500 lbs fully loaded), and minimal personal possessions. In terms of the world of RVs we are on the efficient side for sure. One other thing we will do next week is get the rig weighed. After moving around personal property this weekend we should have the Hideout as slim as possible. After we pick it up from the dealership we will find a weigh station.
I am almost done with my semester...I have the final projects from one class left to grade and then I can upload all of the grades, attend some meetings, attend graduation, and be done! I am still waiting to get my offer letter for the summer contract...hoping that will come this week. Husband took a final exam yesterday and has one on Friday then he will be done. Brother will be finishing up his third grade year on the road with many field trips and nature experiences mixed in. Absolutely loving the flexible learning environments we have created!
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