For Christmas of 2009 the whole family went up to Kings Canyon and Sequoia National parks. There was tons of snow on the ground, and it was cold, but it was still a great trip. We stayed in the John Muir Lodge which is in the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park. We saw the General Grant tree and other miscellaneous trees. This was the first time my girlfriend has been to these parks, and the first time in a long time that she had seen snow, so it was extra special for her. The lodge had very nice accommodations with comfortable rooms. There is no TV and their WiFi was unavailable during the visit, so we were truly "away from it all." There was very little contact with the outside world.

It was a short trip, and due to the heavy snow on the ground and the cold weather, our hikes were short walks around the major areas without much exploring involved. I hope to return in the summer or early fall to visit the closed off areas of the park. It is rather difficult trying to get pictures of the trees, since they are so large. The pictures I took do the trees zero justice and must be experienced in person to understand the awe they can inspire.