North Grove Trail

Calaveras Big Trees State Park

California
July 2018

Our second hike in Calaveras Big Trees State Park was the North Grove Trail. It was little longer Beaver Creek Trail and far more scenic. The trail is rated as accessible and except for one short narrow section with a few rocks that could be easily negotiated by most people in a wheelchair or jog stroller, this trail was perfect for pushing Kellisa. 

Sometimes we want a challenging trail, especially Kellisa since it usually means more struggle for me and more bumps, but it's also nice to be able to push Kellisa on a longer trail without too much worry. And it's a huge bonus when the trail is highly scenic and the North Grove Trail did not disappoint as it weaved through many "big trees". 

The trailhead shares a parking lot with the visitor center and we were afraid the trail would be packed because of how crowded the visitor center appeared. As a nice little perk, we found two disabled parking spots close to the trailhead and both were open. To our surprise, the trail was mostly deserted as we saw probably less than 10 people the entire time. I'm sure we will be returning to this pleasant forest less than 100 miles from our house on a future summer day when we want to leave the valley heat for a few hours.

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Shaking for Gold

Marshall Gold Discovery

State Historic Park

February 18 and March 10, 2018

Our initial visit (2/18/18) to the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park where James W. Marshall first discovered gold on the South Fork of the American River back in 1848 was a little disappointing. We wanted to start our visit with a nice little picnic before exploring the park. For a variety of reasons, we left later than planned and by the time we arrived at the park there was less than an hour remaining before the park closed.

We decided to skip the picnic so we could walk through the museum (and gift store) before they closed. Unfortunately, we missed our chance to pan for gold due to our late arrival. As the sun was fading, we did enjoy a few short trails through the little village and along the river. Everyone was a little hungry and not at our best during this visit, so we ended up having our picnic lunch at home for dinner. Thankfully, the park is less than an hour from our home.  

Almost a month passed since that visit and out of the blue, Laurel asked, "Can I have a do over? I'd like to go to that park to go shaking for gold so we can become rich"?

Swimming in the Wintertime

Grover Hot Springs State Park

California

October 2017

Laurel was asking to go swimming and camping in one trip. With the cooler autumn weather, I was worried it was too late in the season to do both without a hotel stay. After a quick search on the Internet, I found Grover Hot Springs State Park. 

The park had a large pool that was the temperature of a hot tub while also having a swimming pool kept at "cool" 88 degrees and the park was only 2 hours from our house in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. 

We left after work and arrived shortly before nightfall. The campground was closed for winter, but the park allows camping in the picnic area. It was hard to find a level spot, so we picked the least inclined spot we could.

While I setup our camp, Laurel made some new friends and shared her slime with them. When we were both done, I was ready to cook dinner and retreat inside our tent for the night. Laurel had other plans, she was ready to go swimming. I was hesitant because it was now dark and also starting to get cold. We had about an hour to spend in the hot springs before they closed at 9pm and it was a glorious hour spent soaking under the nighttime sky filled with stars. When it was time to leave, we dried off, changed our clothes, and drove back to the campsite. We used the few minutes in the car to warm up the rest of the way.

California State Parks (Disabled Discount Pass)

Kellisa's Golden Access Passport for the National Parks got two new friends. The Golden Access Passport allows Kellisa and her family to enter any National Park Service managed site at no cost. It also entitles Kellisa and her family valuable discounts, like half off camping fees, tours, etc. Since receiving the Golden Access Passport at Grand Canyon National Park in 2006, it has been used many times.

Kellisa and Laurel both qualified for their own Disabled Discount Pass to California's State Parks. Like the Golden Access Passport, this pass is a lifetime benefit. The main perk is 50% discounts off entry and camping fees. 

According to the California State Park's website, there are 118 State Parks, 9 State Recreation Areas, 8 State Forests, 5 State Historic Sites, 9 State Fish Hatcheries, 1 State Nature Reserve, 11 State Reserves, and 11 State Wildlife Areas in California. 

The National Park Service manages an additional 28 sites in California, including 9 National Parks, 6 National Monuments, 3 National Historic Sites, 31 National Wildlife Refuges, 3 National Recreation Areas, and 1 National Seashore. California also has 19 National Forests managed by the US Forest Service.

I don't even know where to begin, but I see myself creating several checklists to start working towards in the near future. 

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