Today Hubbs and I headed up to the Sierras to Calavaras Big Tree State Park. It's in the Sierras, east of Arnold in Gold Country, about an hour and a half away from us. It has stands of giant sequoias that are just amazing in size. I've seen lots of big trees, even Muir Woods but they don't even begin to compare to the size of the trees we saw today.

Beaver Creek Bridge

Beaver Creek.


Howdy shadows.

The water was so clear you can see everything below the surface.

Hubbs pretending to be a bear. He said he wouldn't do it unless I did but you notice that I don't post the picture of me. He's too cute.

We saw lots of animals, birds, squirrels, chipmunks and butterflies but this is the only critter that would hold still long enough to me to take it's picture.

Finally the giant sequoia. So huge that pictures don't do justice. The largest one in the part is over 26 feet in diameter at 6 feet above the ground.

The closer you get to the trees the more amazing they are.

Looking at them straight up from the bottom blows your mind.

Huge right? Hubbs is 5'10" and this tree dwarfs him in both height and width.

The five mile hike was worth it to see these trees.

This tree had been hollowed out by fire and then it fell over. Standing inside of it I didn't have to duck at all.

These amazing pink flowers were growing besides the trial.

This is the Palace Hotel Tree. It burned a long time ago but is still alive. The fire hollowed out a hole that goes all the way to the top like a chimney.

The chimney out all the way out the top.

On the trail with Hubbs.

We took the Subaru, I just love this car.

We arrived at the park around 9:30 and started hiking by 9:50 and were back from our 5 miler at 12:30. By 1 the thunder headers were building. We never saw any lightening or heard any thunder but we figured it was time to head home.

Now we're home and watching John Wayne movies on TV. Tomorrow morning we're going to headed off and do some fly fishing about 45 min's away from home. Hubbs is going to fish and I'm going to knit or read or day dream...anything that involves me being relaxed.