Very Nice to Meet You, General Sherman

"In every walk with nature one receives far more than [one] seeks." John Muir {discoverer of the Giant Forest, naturalist, conservationist}

Remember when I went to go visit my sister at the end of August? She lives in a fantastically cute and quaint little town about 10 minutes from Sequoia National Park. So we took a drive to meet the famous General Sherman.

{Remember this rock in the background}

On the way up. When my sister talked about being close to Sequoia National Park, I thought it'd be a quick trip to see German Sherman. Oh no, it was not. The trip was over an hour of curvy, curving roads. Everybody was getting sick and had a plastic bag, but once we got out and were able to walk around the parking lot everybody was fine.

Before we entered the Giant Forest, which is in the Sequoia National Park but is about 45 minute drive inward, my sister told me to get a look at the trees we are passing, these are normal sized trees she stressed. Then all of a sudden we turned a corner the Sequoias started popping up here and there as we drove and they got bigger and bigger. Towards the end of the trip it was easy to forget just how big these trees we were looking at were, it was easy to get used to their size.

Getting ready to walk down to General Sherman. We thought Jackson had broken his arm the day before, but a few days after this he started using it and so it was only bruised.

The parking lot of the General Sherman is located elevation wise at the top of the tree, then there is a half mile trail that takes you to the bottom of the tree. I love that they did this; it gives a better visual representation just how big this tree is.

General Sherman: the world's largest tree! As heavy as 10 blue whales, as tall as a football field and as wide as three highway lanes!

Davey and Jacob on top of one of General Sherman's branches. This picture only shows just a part of the branch, the branch is larger than most trees.

Here is a fallen tree, not a Sequoia, that the kids loved playing in. All the trees here are just extra big.

Another large Sequoia: The Sentinel.

Here is our mock double stroller. It actually worked out very well.

Jacob the Ranger: We asked Jacob what he wanted to be when he grew up and he said a Ranger. What a prefect answer for this little boy. He has been hiking with his dad on scouting trips since he was 2 and he always out hikes most of the boy scouts.

Did you remember that rock I asked you to? Here I am with Jacob on the top! What a beautiful site!

And how do you end a prefect day in Sequoia National Park? By asking for S'more!

** Note: General Sherman is the world's largest tree, not the tallest (that title goes to some unnamed Redwood some miles north in Yosemite National Park) and not the widest (that goes to General Grant about another hour drive, I would have loved to see that but another trip another time).