Day Three - Part Two

And then on to the Lodgepole Visitor Center! We planned on hiking down to a waterfall that someone told us was a nice hike, but found it was a five mile round trip and we weren't up to it. We hiked a LOT for us yesterday and Crystal Cave was more walking. We also wanted to see the General Sherman tree and we know that is a long walk up hill as well. So, the water fall will have to wait until next time. We are thinking about doing a short tent camping trip up here over the summer. Maybe we will do it then!

Jake being an Information Exhibit!

The best part about the visitor center is a flush toilet, ice cream, and they had postage stamps! We stopped here because the map said there was a post office and I forgot to bring stamps for my postcards. National Parks don't have stamps at their bookstores...go figure. We found the post office and the sign said it was open, but no one was home. I asked the ranger at the Visitor Center about stamps and he directed me to the post office. I told him I was there and it was closed. He was confused. So we went over to the little store next door and they had all kinds of good things! We got a sticker for the RV, a pin for Jake, and a shot glass for Tom. We collect those things. And we got ice cream. Yay! Energized and ready for the walk to the General Sherman!

This isn't it, but it was cute.

 

The boys talking about burn scars and how the trees heal after a fire. Really.

There it is! They are a bit bigger than the last time we were here. Again, no one needed to be carried...except me.

Look up! I love that view!

Aren't we small?!

Very cool picture Dan took with his phone!

 And then back to camp and the "swimming hole"! The RV park we stayed at didn't have a pool but it had a river running along it and the perfect place to swim. The boys love river swimming the best. Pools are nice in a pinch. The ocean is fun but rough. But rivers are perfect! They spent a lot of time here. Jake jumps right in. Tom is a bit more timid, mostly because the water is cold. Luckily the air was VERY warm. It was 95 when we got back to camp!

That water is COLD!

Jake daring Tom to jump in. Jake found a from in this corner as well and spent a lot of time "talking" to it.

Jake found that he floats extremely well. This is his "Ophelia" impression.

Hamburgers for dinner and, of course, more Pinochle. Tom and I were winning for awhile there!