California-Oregon NPs-Return to Yosemite-0425-2626
When I visited Yosemite National Park for the first time in 2014, I was on day 14 of what had then been my longest driving tour, from Iowa to Fargo to Seattle to San Francisco back to Iowa. One of my favorite pictures was taken during that trip while I stood as close as I am ever likely to come to Half Dome. I arrived in the park around 8 a.m. Even though the date was April 25th, I was surprised that the line to enter the park wasn’t longer than it was. I had a reservation to take a scenic train tour on the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad that afternoon. This gave me about three hours to drive into the park and drive back to the railroad station. This time, I opted to start with the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. Most visitors had to park their cars…
California-Oregon NPs-Death Valley-042326
When I visited Death Valley National Park for the first time in October, 2022, I took the route that led past the park’s Charcoal Kilns. I only spent a few hours at the park that visit, but I planned to be more flexible with my time on the second trip. The drive into the park brought me north on CA 178 with numerous sharp turns and a dip or two in the road that were more reminiscent of roller coaster drops. I had ordered a cheap dash camera in the hope that I could get a few moments recorded of scenic drives to add. One of Shaka Guide‘s features is that it can help you find the starting point for the audio tour. The route I chose took me towards Furnace Creek, which is known for holding world records for high temperatures. I recalled how expensive gas was in the area…
California-Oregon NPs-Joshua Tree-042226
I mentioned earlier that I had forgotten several items when I left for this trip, but I also intentionally left several regular items in my car, the Silver Bullet (SB). My game plan was to online order replacements for those items I really wanted to have on hand for pickup from a local Walmart. This included a charger I could plug into the rental, a 40-ounce thermos to hold water (never, NEVER, NEVER enter parks without an independent water source), and food that did not require preparation to eat. I also made sure the gas tank of the rental was filled. While this was normal procedure for me, I was especially concerned for that day because I had reserved a campground space in Joshua Tree National Park for the night. Joshua Tree was one of several parks designated as a Dark Sky site, and I wanted to be ready to…