Visiting America's Newest National Park and the Land of Giants

Salinas Valley vegetable growing

Leaving Salinas, we passed through the Salinas Valley which is noted for its vegetable growing farms.

Where Jane's wine comes from

We were headed for Pinnacles, N.P. the 59^th and newest national park. Originally a national monument, the park was established in January, 2013.

It's a park now

We drove through the rich farmlands of the Salinas Valley before entering a more hilly and barren landscape.

Pinnacles rock formations

Pinnacles, N.P. features rock domes and formations created by volcanic activity along the San Andreas Fault.

Along the San Andreas Fault

In fact, we were going to view the western half of the formation with the eastern portion located approximately 230 miles to the southeast, a testimony as to how the two tectonic plates along the fault have moved in relation to each other.

Unusual rock outcroppings

The park was a surprise. We arrived at the visitor’s center after traveling along a one lane road for about 15 miles. At the center we collected the stamp, talked with the ranger, and watched a video about the park.

Dirt eating cattle

Then we headed down a narrow, winding road that took us to an area where we could see the pinnacles perched atop the high hills. Viewing the landscape around these formations, one realizes just how unique they are. We left and made our way back to Soledad, then headed into a really barren and hilly landscape on our way to Fresno.

Ever changing California countryside

The land looked as if it would not support any type of farming, but as we drove on, we saw some herds of cattle that appeared to be grazing on dirt! We could not determine any type of grass available, and wondered exactly what they were eating and how they survived in these conditions.

As we entered the rural outskirts of Fresno, "The Raisin Capital of the World,” we found more varied types of agriculture being practiced, although grape and plum orchards for the raisins and prunes seemed to dominate.

Park entrance

Passing through Fresno on the Kings Canyon Highway, we entered the fruit producing region of Squaw Valley where citrus dominates, and began a long, winding ascent up to the park’s entrance.

Walking through a big tree

The park consists of two sections- a smaller reserve containing a grove of giant sequoias, and a larger main section of the southern Sierra Nevada that is home to the canyon itself.

The trees are just huge!

Although many people view the giant sequoias at this park, it is actually named and noted for the canyon that was carved by glaciers during the last glaciations and more recently by the action of the Kings and San Joaquin Rivers.

The General Grant

We stopped at the visitor’s center, collected the stamp, watched a video about the park, and viewed the exhibits before heading out to Grant’s Grove to see the giants.

Us and the general

The General Grant, “The Nation’s Christmas Tree,” is the third largest tree in the world behind the General Sherman and President. It is approximately 270 feet tall, 40 feet in diameter at its base, and 1,700 years old. Standing before it and staring up is awe inspiring and a moment we could enjoy over and over.

We walked a path through the grove that went by some “lesser” trees which collectively is something we wish everyone could witness.

With some twins

We left the park and wound our way down to the valley and found a local fruit stand where we picked up some delicious peaches and plums that we would enjoy as we traveled. After checking into a motel, we headed out to find a restaurant for dinner. Not really paying attention as to where we were, we came across a taqueria that looked like it served pretty authentic Mexican dishes. After we got inside, we realized that we were deep in a Latino area of the city and were the only non-Latino patrons. Everything was in Spanish with no English subtitles, but fortunately, we could order our meals by number and were able to stumble through it. Over the years we have eaten a lot of Mexican food, but the menu in this place had offerings that we had never heard of and no clue as to what they were. When our food arrived, we were delighted to taste some of the best, authentic Mexican food that we have ever eaten. It was absolutely delicious! As we left we realized that the neighborhood was not one we would normally venture into, let alone eat there, but that is the fun of going off the beaten path (unknowingly!). One never knows what’s around the next bend. Returning to our motel, we turned in early to be fresh for a long day and our next park, Death Valley.

Relax, this shooting won't hurt you!