Wednesday, 21 May, Hollywood, CA

Today's trip from Fresno to Los Angeles took in Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks and terminated in Hollywood.

Before we got stuck into the journey we decided to have the rental car checked (fluids, oil and tyres - yes that's T Y R E S, not TIRES!). It was a good thing we did this because the engineer at Alamo at Fresno Yosemite International Airport confirmed that our oil change was over 2000 miles overdue!!! This was amazing, especially considering that everyone, and I mean everyone drives everywhere, and the fact that we had a 31day rental agreement, that no one at Alamo Denver thought to refresh the car before we took it! What did they expect us to do, park it and walk 10,000 miles in a month???!!!
[Rant over! - Ed.]

Travelling south/southeast from Fresno, we join the CA-180E also known as King's Canyon Road. For the most part, this road travels across prairie land scattered with vineyards and smallholdings to large scale industrial agriculture.

Kings Canyon NP
At the approach to Kings Canyon the road becomes more sinuous and challenging, rising and falling over 3000ft whilst performing a number of 1180 degree twists and turns.
Weather was sunny, warm and fine early on but became cloudy and cold as we rose through the park roads, rising through the clouds in places. Because of this, and the consequent lack of good visibility, the views were few and far between. A good shot down the Canyon itself lasted only a few minutes, and repeated at a far lower level, almost an hour later, but less dramatically.
Stopped off to photograph the General Grant tree, the third largest living tree in the world, (after the Sherman and Washington trees, both in the park), and one which makes enough wood in a year to grow a 60 ft tree with a 1 ft diameter! That's some wood!!
The second tree of note the 'Sherman Tree' was less inviting in that there was over a mile hike (with 24kg of camera gear - I don't thin so!). We'd seen what we considered was 'the Daddy of Sequoias!

Facts
The General Grant tree stands 276 ft,
Its diameter is the second-largest of all Giant Sequoias at 29ft.
Its circumference at the base including broad root buttresses, is 108 ft.
Thought to be between 1650 - 2,000 years old.

Sequoia NP
Again through no fault of the park itself, but more to do with the inclement weather conditions, this park was a disappointment for us. Many of the more interesting and unusual trees were un-signed and difficult to approach (not in a personal sense, but there were no clear tracks nor parking places from which to explore these wonders). So in a way it was down to the park as much as the poor weather!
Anyway, took pictures of trees, trees, more trees, some trees, a tree another tree and more trees - mostly the same apart from the individual ones mentioned above.

Hollywood, CA
We anticipated that Hollywood would contain the convenience culture, drinking dens and beautiful people which San Fran promised but failed to deliver - we were partly right. Within two hours of 'landing' we saw three Johnny Depps, one Marilyn and something which can only be described as a work in progress from Labyrinth, as well as numerous wannabees hanging around the various locations being filmed along Hollywood Boulevard an its environs - sad really.
Apparently over half of Hollywood suffered a power outage last night after pylons were blown down after high winds. Winds which we suffered as e approached LA but without realising their damaging potential!

Route and Notes
CA-180 SE to KINGS CANYON
Through KC taking detour via KC Lodge to CEDAR GROVE
Back via TENMILE to the General's Highway and onto SEQUOIA NP.
Continue on this road through LODGEPOLE and the Giant Forest, past BUCKEYE FLAT.
Road becomes the CA198, heading W, signed VISALIA.
Take CA-99 S signed BAKERSFIELD
Refuel at Bakersfield then head on down CA-99, signed LOS ANGELES.
CA-99 becomes i-5 still S.
Take a right onto CA-170, then, after 6 miles CA-170 becomes USA-101 S - confused? We were!
Navigate Hollywood rush-hour traffic, resorting to man-made maps after MapQuest failed (only for the second time), to correctly place our hotel> (It sent bus down CAHUENGA Blvd for some unknown reason!)

Data
Distance: 370 miles
Time: 10h 15m
Temp: 13c - 28c
Weather: Sunny, cloudy, calm, dusty, humid and windy in turn