Big Trees, Raisins, In Addition To Baseball Game - Fresno In Addition To Sequoia, California

No, my eyes did non deceive me…that was a 9MM Glock semi-automatic pistol strapped to the fireman’s knee. I had to know…”why are you lot packing?” I asked him.

“Our constabulary can’t teach along on every telephone band amongst us thence the urban center decided to arm us,” he replied.

Welcome to Fresno.

Equal parts gritty together with interesting, the urban center lies inward the pump of the make belt of California’s Central Valley.  It’s located along highway 99, virtually halfway betwixt Bakersfield together with Sacramento.

Two first-class together with highly recommended accessible hotels prevarication inward the northeast constituent of town side past times side door to each other, the Springhill Suites together with Homewood Suites. Both offering two-room, accessible suites amongst roll-in showers available. Each comes amongst a hot breakfast and, best of all for those beyond 100 grade days inward the summer, swimming pools amongst disability access lifts.

Springhill volition cost a flake less than Homewood. We rest at the Springhill.

This is the raisin capitol of the world, it’s equally good inward the really pump of California’s heartland amongst miles of farms together with ranches spreading out inward all directions. The constituent of tourism tin supply you lot amongst a fruit trail map to see the different farms, fruit stands, ranches, together with farmer’s markets of the area. If you’re hither jump through fall, you’ll definitely desire to endeavor some fruit picked correct off of the branch.

After a skillful night’s rest, it’s a petty over an hr due east to our side past times side destination, Sequoia National Park. The scenery beautiful, the rivers frothing amongst white water, the wild animals flitting about…it’s all spectacular…but what sets this commons apart from others are the legendary trees.

Big trees. Huge trees. Trunks the size of houses trees. Living earlier Jesus trees.

Out of the hundreds of giant trees inward the park, 1 stands lone equally the biggest of them all, onetime General Sherman inward his ain fenced off plot.

You tin commons inward an upper lot closer to the tree or commons a petty lower together with cause got a paved, accessible trail upward to the grove. We commons inward the bottom lot.

Sequoia is non novel to us. We’ve camped hither dozens of times but the trees nonetheless amaze. Along the trail is what looks similar a downed tree amongst a nine-foot thick torso virtually 50 feet tall. Only it’s non a tree, it’s merely a branch that broke off of the General.

The Sherman tree is massive. Just the bark lone is over a human foot thick.  The truck is over xx feet thick. The historic menses is estimated to endure betwixt 2,300 together with 2,700 years old…and counting. If you lot could, you’d climb over 275 feet earlier you lot reached the top. By volume, it is the largest unmarried torso tree inward the world.

It may endure the star of the show, but at that spot are many to a greater extent than specimens inward the commons that, dissimilar the General, you lot tin truly teach upward together with touch.  Some, burned out from ancient fires, you lot tin fifty-fifty stand upward within of.

It’s dejeuner inward the park, together with then dorsum downwardly into the valley below.

Just due west of downtown is Chukchansi Park, dwelling of the Fresno Grizzlies. They are the AAA affiliate of the electrical flow globe champions, the Houston Astros. Tonight, we’ll teach together with run into them play the Las Vegas 51s, the farm squad of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Before the game, a yoke of colorful cars are parked across the street handing out gratis liberate energy drinks. They’re parked side past times side to the Fire Department headquarters which, of course, entices a few firefighters exterior to cause got payoff of the gratis drinks.

This is when I honor how Fresno’s firefighters don’t teach on calls unarmed.

On to the game itself, nosotros score some accessible seats guide behind dwelling plate. Misters attached to the bottom of the minute deck proceed things cool inward the valley heat. In the outfield, some lucky grouping is frolicking inward the puddle inward deep middle field.

The nutrient is good, the gift store good stocked, the prices decent, but the beer is express to a few bland domestics amongst Tecate beingness served equally the premium brew.  You tin run into to a greater extent than data on the stadium on our Chukchansi Park Fields of Dreams review.

After a fun even out of baseball, nosotros plow inward for the night.

Going due south on the 99, nosotros cause got 1 to a greater extent than halt to make. As you lot crusade along, sign afterwards sign entices you…best cheese you’ll always have, H2O ice mutual coldness soda, mouthwatering cheeseburgers, fresh fruit, mutual coldness milk shakes…by the fourth dimension you lot teach to the Traver exit, you lot merely virtually cause got no gratis volition left together with cause got to halt at Bravo Farms.

A petty traveler’s oasis, Bravo’s claim to fame is making cheese. You tin scout the cheese makers inward action, together with and then sample the many varieties.

Outside, you lot tin walk over to the fruit stand upward together with sample some delicious donut peaches. Back at the store together with café, cause got a burger followed past times that mutual coldness milkshake.

Save a petty fourth dimension to teach out back, feed the goats, shoot a petty pool, together with relax inward their garden.

It makes for a dandy petty halt to recharge our batteries equally nosotros caput on due south towards dwelling on the 99. 

-Darryl

Copyright 2011 – Darryl Musick

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