Grant Grove - Day 6

Yellow Monkey Flower

Left Cedar Grove at 7:15 am and stopped several times to take photos on the drive to Grant Grove.
Saw lots of wildflowers: Mountain Misery, Gloriosa Daisies, Indian Paintbrush, Yellow Monkey Flower, Western Wallflower, Yucca. Arrived at Grant Grove at 8:30 am and had breakfast at the restaurant.
Breakfast: scrambled eggs and hash browns with a biscuit.
Drove to General Grant Tree (1/2 mile from the Visitor Center). Walked the loop trail around the Grant Tree, although part of the trail was roped off because of trail reconstruction. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. The weather was perfect -- completely overcast -- for photographing Giant Sequoia trees.

Steve - Grant Grove

Drove back up to the Visitor Center for lunch.

Lunch: Sandwich and tomato bisque soup. Steve had granola and yogurt.

Checked into our room in the John Muir Lodge--room 212. Very, very nice building. Has a fabulous lobby with massive wooden beams and huge stone fireplace and lots of rocking chairs and comfy sofas. Photos of and quotes from John Muir on the walls. Built in 2000 and still looks brand new. Wide corridors. Neat and clean. Balconies with rocking chairs and gliders on both levels. Spacious rooms. Really like this lodge except that there's no luggage ramps--I have more endurance than strength and don't mind pulling a roll-along any distance but dislike having to haul it up a staircase. None of the lodges out here have elevators, except possibly in the restaurant because of ADA.

John Muir Lodge

Walked around the lodge and took photos of birds for the afternoon. Saw a Mountain Chickadee, Acorn Woodpecker, Red-breasted Sapsucker, and lots of American Robins. Saw five deer browsing in the meadow. Only a few wildflowers are in bloom--Sierra Gooseberry, and Thimbleberry and Mustang Clover just emerging. Sat on the 3rd floor balcony and felt like I was in the treetops. Very peaceful, watching the sun drop low in the sky.
Dinner: I had pork with mashed potatoes and grilled zucchini. Steve had grilled chicken with rice and grilled zucchini. Dessert was New York Cheese Cake and Triple Chocolate Cake. All very good.

We leave early in the morning for home. Will take CA 180 down to CA 63 and continue south.