Hill 2022 Summer Vacation

August - September 2022

Josh, Caris, Lilly, Charlotte & Ellis head west to explore Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks Read more

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Hill 2022 Summer Vacation
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- Aug 22, 2022
- ⛅ 86 °F
- Altitude: 223 ft
- United States Virginia Richmond Jefferson Davis Monument 37.561058, -77.46575937°33’40” N 77°27’57” W
Day 1
Here we go
August 22, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 86 °F
First stop. Virginia Science Museum in Richmond.
Saw rats play basketball. I’m used to seeing one coach but this is the first time I’ve seen them play.
Traveler Hahaha
8/23/22Reply
Traveler Rat no longer coaches. He got crushed by a Heel
8/23/22Reply
We loved that museum in RIC 30 years ago...looks like a blast! [Ruthie]
8/23/22Reply
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Hill 2022 Summer Vacation
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- Aug 23, 2022, 8:49am
- ☀️ 75 °F
- Altitude: 52 ft
- United States Washington, D.C.Giesboro Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport 38.856133, -77.04238138°51’22” N 77°2’33” W
Day 2
DC
August 23, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F
Short stay in DC. Headed to Phoenix then Fresno.

Lilly turning into quite a handy photog.
Looks like the troops traveled well...one tired looking Ellis on the road trip...:) [Ruthie]
8/23/22Reply
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Hill 2022 Summer Vacation
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- Aug 24, 2022, 10:29am
- ☀️ 77 °F
- Altitude: 6,017 ft
- United States California Tulare County Pinewood Moro Rock 36.544743, -118.7638736°32’41” N 118°45’50” W
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Day 3
Sequioa National Park
August 24, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F
What a day in Sequoia
- Tunnel Rock
- Moro Rock
- Tunnel Log
- General Sherman
- Congress Trail

Hiked about 6 miles of trails. Absolutely stunning views the entire day.
Traveler That is something they won’t forget
8/25/22Reply
Traveler Wow. This is amazing.
8/25/22Reply
Traveler It can’t even fit in the frame.
8/25/22Reply
Traveler Words and pictures cannot describe the enormity of the sequoias.
8/26/22Reply
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Hill 2022 Summer Vacation
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- Aug 25, 2022
- ☀️ 90 °F
- Altitude: 2,687 ft
- United States California Tulare County Paradise Creek 36.520485, -118.77227836°31’14” N 118°46’20” W
Day 4
Day 3
August 25, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 90 °F
Early trip to the park to beat the heat. It’s been hitting 107 at the Airbnb. Temp gets a little cooler on the mountain.
First we hit Hospital Rock. Pictographs from the Potwisha Native Americans date back to the 1300s. There are still dozens of bedrock mortars sites in the stone. Found out way to an amazing swimming hole on the river. Spent 2 hrs hopping and climbing river rocks, chasing currents and exploring. Surprisingly, we had the whole place to ourselves.

Headed back to the house to hit the pool and chase wild turkeys. No bear sightings yet. The corner market said a local man went nose to nose with a bear when it broke into his house last week. He’s lucky to be alive. The latest entry in our house guest book says they saw one in our backyard last week.

Wrapped the day at a local diner called Buckaroo. The kids of been amazing. Lots of windy roads and long beautiful drives. Hardest part has been the time change. Late nights and early mornings. No cell service at all at the house or the park. It’s been nice.

Tomorrow we head to Kings Canyon. Added some more from yesterday to that post as well.Read more
Traveler Looks amazing. Such beautiful spaces!!! 🏔🌲🐻
8/26/22Reply
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Hill 2022 Summer Vacation
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- Aug 26, 2022
- ☀️ 77 °F
- Altitude: 5,801 ft
- United States California Tulare County Buena Vista Creek 36.694134, -118.91102636°41’39” N 118°54’40” W
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Day 5
Kings Canyon
August 26, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F
What a day! Kings Canyon was such a surprise.
Left our AirBnb and drove north through about 60 miles of orange and almond groves to Kings Canyon NP for a full day.
Started in Grant grove and saw General Grant and climbed and walked through other fallen sequoias. This park just feels different than Sequoia. More boulders. Greener. Much more rocks. Even at the beginning. The further you go through the park, the more faces of it you see. The canyon and 12k foot granite faces to rivers and pine forest. It felt like ever 20 minutes was a new chapter of this book.
Maybe the biggest surprise was Hume lake. Which is home to a year round non profit Christian camp. Like a young life camp meets camp silver beach on steroids. This hidden gem in the middle of no where. We grabbed lunch and took off for Roaring river falls, which is still pumping from the nearby alpine peaks and Mt. McKinley runoff. Took plenty of time to take it all in.
Worth it just for the car ride itself. The most stunning drive I’ve ever taken. Photos don’t do it justice. But lots of narrow roads and steeeeep cliffs make car sickness a real thing. Thank god for dramamine! This day delivered in spades.

If you are ever out this way. Kings Canyon is a must see! Yosemite tomorrow!Read more
Traveler ❤️ God is amazing. And He created it just for us!!! 🙌🏼
8/28/22Reply
Are you walking through a tree?!?! [Becca]
9/1/22Reply
I love Ellis's response. What do you think... can I have a snack haha :) [Becca]
9/1/22Reply
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Hill 2022 Summer Vacation
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- Aug 28, 2022
- ☀️ 81 °F
- Altitude: 4,682 ft
- United States California Tuolumne County Sequoia Ackerson Creek 37.812332, -119.88050837°48’44” N 119°52’50” W
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Day 7
Yosemite
August 28, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F
John Muir called Yosemite “the grandest of all temples of nature.” Quite the statement to try and live up to. This place. It’s reputation. I didn’t think it could deliver.
Haha. Wow. Was I wrong. This place has captured me.
Today we drove in early hoping to rent bikes and ride the 7 mile valley loop but due to smoke they weren’t renting them until lunchtime. So we hiked Mist Trail up to Vernal Falls. This was about a 6 mile up and back. The trail follows an elevated path alongside the river and is spectacular all the way through. So many times we stopped to take it all in. but the best reward was at the top after the granite staircase, Vernal Falls. Nearly 320 foot waterfall at 3200 feet high already. Ellis cared more about RJ squirrels but was a trooper.
The valley is amazing. And so accessible. Unlike the other parks, most of the marquee trails and sites in Yosemite can be accessed within the 7 mile valley loop. We took the loops a few times, stopping to take in El Cap, Half Dome and others peaks. Then headed back to end the day at the pool. Lots of tired kids.Read more
Traveler The Great Northwest - incomparable in its grandeur!
8/29/22Reply
Traveler So happy for you guys.
8/29/22Reply
Traveler Can you imagine what the first settlers thought when they gazed upon that wonderful sight?
8/29/22Reply
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Hill 2022 Summer Vacation
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- Aug 29, 2022, 5:55pm
- ☀️ 79 °F
- Altitude: 4,623 ft
- United States California Tuolumne County Sequoia Crocker Meadow 37.812538, -119.88179837°48’45” N 119°52’54” W
Day 8
Yosemite Valley
August 29, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F
Started the morning back in the valley again. Began with Mirror Lake Trail. That didn’t last long. Bugs were taking us out and then they saw some (horse) droppings and turned and ran the other way. We rented bikes and spent a few hours exploring the valley, which was absolutely a great decision. Even saw a deer at close distance and the Yosemite Chapel, which is still an active church after 135 yrs. So much to take in. But after 7 days and 3 parks the kids are over hiking and just want to hang at the resort and enjoy all the cool stuff. No tvs here so we’ve been playing lots of board and card games, flying down zip lines and slides, making s’more and trying to read. Overall, we’re ready to come home tomorrow but have another full day here. Tomorrow we plan to do 4 Mile Trail for some new views river.
Because it’s the end of the summer, most of the waterfalls are dried up and the rafting we had planned has been shut down for the season, so we will finish the day swimming at Sentinel Beach in the Merced River.Read more
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