July 28, 2016 - Elisa's Throwback to Rome and What to see and do in Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks

Elisa's Daily Scoop
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Memories of Rome

Good day to you!

You know what amazes me?  How much crap can be accumulated over a 20 year period!!

My goodness, I cannot believe how much STUFF I have in my house.  Most of it, I wouldn't even notice if I never saw it again.  

So, I have spent the past week going through closets and rooms, clearing out stuff that we never use or that we never will.

It feels soooo good to purge!  I mean, the girls closets were a feat in themselves.  They had socks that didn't fit them since they were in kindergarden!!  Clothing that they have well outgrown.  

As of today, their closets and drawers have been cleared out and we have a spectacular pile for the Veterans!  I just love giving old stuff, that is still in good condition to our veterans.  A great many of these families are in need of clothing for their children, or books, household items - everything.

What's more, they will pick up from your home, which can be scheduled online on their website.

The girls love being charitable.  It's a lesson that can only be learned by setting an example and one that unfortunately, many people never learn or embrace.  

Back to today...
We are back at at the barn today and as of tomorrow, horse back riding is a wrap for July.
Boy, did this month fly by!!

Monday, we'll be headed for our New Orleans getaway!  I'm so excited for my girls to experience The Big Easy  - the birthplace of Jazz and home to so much good food!!

Monday also happens to be the first week of August and two years ago (2014), I took one of the best trips of my life!

I visited "the homeland" - Italy with my two daughters and my mom.

What an amazing trip - - we traveled to four amazing cities - Rome, San Gimignano (in Tuscany), Venice and Florence.

One of the things that added to our experience on this trip was that our stay in Rome was in a private apartment through AirB&B and so for the four days in The Eternal City, we really did get to live like locals!

AERIAL VIEW FROM PLANE LANDING IN LEONARDO DA VINCI AIRPORT, ROME, ITALY (c)travelincousins.com

Kelsey at 7 years old in a local store in Rome (August 2014) (c)travelincousins.com

Mom picking out some goodies for our home-cooked meal (c)travelincousins.com

We managed to relax and take in the sites.  While the kids were not enamored with historical sightseeing, I think there was some fun had at The Coliseum and hearing our tour guide tell us all the gross stories!

My babies at the Coliseum (August 2014) (c)travelincousins.com

Food is perhaps one of Italy's great contributions to the world!  Ah yes, we ate and ate and then we ate again. 

Most memorable was our our morning Food & Market Tour on our last day in Rome during which, we ate way too much!!

Me and Mom at Sani Eustachio Caffe for coffee and pastry (August 2014) (c)travelincousins.com

Fresh fruit at Campo di Fiori (c)travelincousins.com

At Norcineria Antica Viola (dried meats) (c)travelincousins.com

Forno Rosciola (Bread & Pizza) - DEE-LISH (c)travelincousins.com

And no trip is complete to Rome without seeing the Vatican.

I took so many pictures, but I really love this picture of my mom in front of the Crypt of Pope John Paul II

Mom praying at the crypt of Pope John Paul II (August 2014) (c)travelincousins.com

Me and Mom with our wonderful tour guide, Claudia outside the vatican (August 2014) (c)travelincousins.com

As we flashback to Rome, now might be a good time to tell you ...

16 Facts About Vatican City

(c)travelincousins.com

1. Vatican City is a city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy, is the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, ruled by the Pope.

2. Vatican City is the smallest country at  0.44 km2 or 109 acres.

3. It was founded on February 11, 1929  with the signing of the Lateran Pacts by Benito Mussolini, which allowed the Vatican to exist as its own sovereign state.

4. Vatican City is also known as The Holy See, the central governing body of the Catholic Church and sovereign entity recognized by international law, consisting of the Pope and the Roman Curia ( the administrative apparatus of the Holy See).

5. It includes St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums.

6. Vatican Hill, a hill in Rome, after which the Vatican is named, on the opposite side of the Tiber from the traditional seven hills of Rome.

7. Apostolic Palace is the official residence of the Pope on the Vatican Hill (sometimes referred to as the Vatican Palace).

8. St. Peter’s Basilica is the largest Catholic church in the world.  
​
9. Vatican watcher, a journalist who reports news concerning the Holy See and the Roman Curia.

Obelisk in St. Peter’s Square. (KevinAlexanderGeorge/iStockphoto)

10. Roman Emperor Caligula had his forces transport from Egypt The Obelisk from Heliopolis. It is made of a single piece of red granite weighing more than 350 tons and is over 3,000 years old.

11. In 1586, The Obelisk was moved to its present location in St. Peter’s Square, where it does double duty as a giant sundial.

Members of the Swiss Guard in Vatican City. (apomares/iStockphoto.com)

 12. The Swiss Guard was hired as a mercenary force by Pope Julius II in 1506 for his personal protection.

13. As of 2011, the number of people with Vatican citizenship totaled 594. That number included 71 cardinals, 109 members of the Swiss Guard, 51 members of the clergy and one nun inside the Vatican walls.  307 of its citizens are members of the clergy in diplomatic positions around the world.

14. Popes did not live at the Vatican until the 14th century.

​15. ​The Vatican Museums contain one of the largest art collections in the world, with over 9 miles of pieces, which could wrap four and half times around the Vatican walls. Its 1400 rooms, chapels, and galleries constitute former wings of the Vatican Palace.

16. Every Wednesday morning the Pope holds a Papal Audience, during which he addresses the public in multiple languages and concludes with a final blessing of people and objects held up by members of the crowd.

​
Yes - Rome - eternal and lovely!!

Have a fabulous day!!

-E
xoxo

Tanya's Daily Scoop
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What not to miss in Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks

Well hello hellooooo!

How's everyone today?

I know it's not Travelin' Tuesday, but let me tell you how relieved I am that as of yesterday I finally found something in St. Moritz (Switzerland) and BOOKED it.        Whew, what a relief!!

If you haven't been, let me tell you - Switzerland is an amazingly beautiful country and definitely one of my favorites. I'm so excited to be heading back there in 6 short months!!!

Of course another favorite is my wonderful wonderful Italy!!! Ahhhh Italy <3
And lucky little me will be there in a few weeks!!
Although I've never been there with Elisa, today she has shared some TBT memories of her last visit there (from 2014).

But before I get ahead of myself and before I get into any throwbacks of my own, let me go over some of the amazing and naturally wondrous sights that we will be seeing at Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park.

Upon arrival we will receive a current park guide:

Let's not forget that we are still in the Centennial.

On August 25, 2016, the National Park Service turns 100!

And according to NationalParks.org here is a list of 7 Can’t-Miss Activities At Sequoia And Kings Canyon National Parks:

Tree Tunnels
Much like the obligatory experience of hugging one of the largest tree species on earth, you cannot visit the parks and pass-up the opportunity to drive through a Giant Sequoia. As you make your way along Crescent Meadow Road in the Giant Forest, you’ll have the opportunity to pass through Tunnel Log – a passageway through a tree estimated to exceed 2,000 years of age. The tree fell across the road from natural causes in 1937 and was later cut through as a visitor attraction in the summer of 1938. 

Giant Sequoias
You can’t visit the parks and skip two of the biggest (literally) sites in the world. Plan to pay a visit to the General Sherman Tree, the largest tree in the world (by volume), standing tall at 52,508 cubic feet with a ground circumference of 102.6 feet.  

The General Grant Tree Trail will lead you to the second largest Giant Sequoia and the centerpiece of Grant Grove. President Calvin Coolidge designated the tree as the “Nation’s Christmas Tree” in 1926 – not to be confused with the National Christmas Tree, which resides on the opposite coast (in our nation's capital) at President’s Park.  

Crescent Meadow
To experience the beauty of Crescent Meadow, you’ll start the leisurely 2-hour, 1.8-mile walk at the Crescent Meadow loop. As you make your way along the trail, you’ll experience what John Muir called, “the gem of the Sierra Nevada.” This loop will give you the opportunity to experience the Sierra pine woodlands, the Giant Forest, Tharp’s log, and a sea of feathery ferns. As an added bonus, if you happen to be visiting during the summer, the loop rewards visitors with a glorious display of wildflowers.  

Moro Rock
For the adventurous souls, Moro Rock offers challenging and exhilarating climbing opportunities, but for the rest of us, we can experience the magnificent views of the Great Western Divide by ascending the 400-step staircase to the summit. Begin at the Moro Rock Parking lot and prepare for a 40-minute, .6-mile (round-trip) trek to reap your reward.

PC: visitsequioa.com

Crystal Cave
Explore Sequoia’s underground world as you journey through the magnificent chambers and remarkable formations of Crystal Cave. Tours are offered from May to November by the Sequoia Natural History Association and vary in duration (from 50 minutes to six hours) and cost. You’ll need to get your ticket before heading to the cave so be sure to stop at the Foothills Visitor Center (one mile north of the Ash Mountain Entrance on the Generals Highway) or the Lodgepole Visitor Center (21 miles on the Generals Highway from the Ash Mountain Entrance).

Mount Whitney
If you want to gaze upon the tallest mountain in the lower 48, you have an easy option and a challenging option. The easier option allows you to see Mt. Whitney by driving to the Interagency Visitor Center on Highway 395.

The challenging option allows you to see the Sierra Nevada from the summit of the mountain and involves a 10.7-mile hike from Whitney Portal. There are other trails to the mountain’s peak but they require longer excursions – be sure to do your research to find a suitable option for your physical abilities. Summiting this popular trail necessitates a backcountry permit, technical climbing gear (a must-have depending on the time of year), and is sometimes accompanied by a spell of altitude sickness.

Falls
Depending on how much time you have to explore, the parks offer up several beautiful, if not downright impressive waterfalls for park visitors to enjoy in Kings Canyon.

Just off of Highway 180, you can take in the beauty of Roaring River Falls. A very short .3-mile walk from the Cedar Grove Area off of Generals Highway, you can quickly access the falls on a paved, tree-covered path. As the water forces its way through a narrow granite gap and races down a short 40-foot drop, the theatric event illustrates why the falls earned its name.

Similarly, Grizzly Falls can be visited after an easy .1-mile round trip from the Grizzly Falls Picnic Area on the north side of Generals Highway. 

Though Roaring River and Grizzly falls may be the quickest to access as you drive up the valley, there are other wonderful options to entice you to venture along the trails to see them. Mist Falls, with a striking 100-foot drop, is certainly worth a stop to experience. The 8-mile loop takes about 4 to 5 hours to complete and rewards you with the vistas of one of the largest falls in the parks.      

The trail to perhaps the most impressive falls, however, starts just beyond the Marble Fork Bridge in the Lodgepole Campground. An easy 1.7-mile walk (one way) along the Marble Fork of the Kaweah River will deliver you to Tokopah Falls, which cascades down 1,200 feet. Unlike some of the other falls in the parks, Tokopah is made up of a series of small cascades that result in a spectacular view for those willing to venture to it.

We've got our National Park Passports ready to go and the excitement is building! 

Now is perhaps a good time to take a looksie back and do some throwbacks to other National Park visits...

Bryce Canyon National Park circa 2008 (c)travelincousins.com

Olympic National Park circa 2009 (c)travelincousins.com

Zion National Park circa 2010 (c)travelincousins.com

Niagara Falls National Park circa 2010 (c)travelincousins.com

Glacier Bay National Park circa 2013 (c)travelincousins.com

Arches National Park circa 2014 (c)travelincousins.com

Crater Lake National Park circa 2015 (c)travelincousins.com

Yellowstone National Park circa 2015 (c)travelincousins.com

Canyonlands National Park circa 2015 (c)travelincousins.com

Yosemite National Park circa 2015 (c)travelincousins.com

Well folks, as I'm sure you could imagine - I've got plenty of more pictures, but the time has come to call it a day and go finish packing!

We've also got to be heading to the stables soon.

Catch ya back here tomorrow as we head on out!
​-T