Off on our mini-adventure! GP had hoped to hit many spots including the Grand Canyon and perhaps Vegas. But having just 1 week and a baby who was not especially keen on excessive time in the car seat, there was not enough time to cover it all. After much discussion of what we could manage, we landed on a trip to try to see the giant sequoia trees and to check out Death Valley.
We drove for about 4 hours to the Barewood Inn in Wofford on Saturday again taking the van for all 5 of us. We took turns entertaining Jade while she wasn’t napping – a dedicated activity! En route we stopped at a local, authentic Mexican buffet. Michael had no problem getting a gluten free meal as the corn tortillas were freshly made.
The motel was on the shores of Lake Isabella outside of the forest. Once we settled at our destination, the boys headed out for a hike while the 3 of us girls stayed back for some down time (some of us napped!). Mike & GP headed to the Lake Isabella trails. It was fairly windy and cold. There were several trails so they just followed by feel and enjoyed the spectacular views of the lake. There was also an abandoned mine which was blocked off as it is now home to bats so is protected. The landscape was quite unique with rolling hills with exposed granite boulders.
Having the van allowed us to bring the cooler and food, so when the boys returned we supped at the motel rooms. Jade & I had lots of fun taking a tour of the ‘smelly’ trees and flowers in the gardens. More adventure to come, so we had an early evening as the clocks were jumping forward that night.
