5
mt. whitney
mt. whitney
Lucy woke up after taking a two hour nap, and was tired of being in the car. She noticed, they were still driving in the middle of the desert, only surrounded by huge mountains.
She touched the window to feel the temperature outside, and it was HOT!
“Where are we now?” asked Lucy.
John pointed out the window next to Lucas, at the really high mountains in the distance.
“The tallest mountain over there is Mt. Whitney!” he explained.
“That means we are close!” Lucas said.
Lucy rubbed her eyes to get a better look. Lucas already had the camera out taking pictures.
“I don’t think we are close, I can’t see any buildings or houses.” she replied.
Lucas ignored her observation.
“One of these days, John and I are going to the top of Mt. Whitney!” he said.
“I am not a mountain person!” she replied.
John noticed a bit of cranky in Lucy’s reply, so he thought of a distraction.
“Mt. Whitney is the tallest peak in the Contiguous United States.” John explained.
Lucy started laughing, while Lucas tried to figure out why.
“What are you laughing for?” he asked.
Lucy giggled a little longer.
“I did not know the United States could be contagious!” she replied.
“Contiguous, not contagious!” John clarified.
“What’s the difference?” asked Lucy.
“Contagious means infectious, and Contiguous means connecting, as in the 48 connecting states, not including Alaska and Hawaii.” explained John.
“That is cool!” replied Lucas.
Lucas turned and started taking a few pictures of the mountain, using John’s cell phone. All he could think about was the view from his new bedroom, and his trip to see the Grizzly Giant.
“Is that where the Grizzly Giant lives? he asked.
“No.” replied John. “He lives in the Mariposa Grove, deep in the high sierra mountains.”
“In Yosemite!” added Tali.
“We are going to Yosemite!”
“Yes, we are going to camp there!” replied Tali.
Lucy was not very excited about camping.
“When?” she asked.
“In two weeks!” replied Tali.
Lucy was feeling a little frustrated. She had never been camping before, and she did not know what to expect.
Lucas started taking more pictures and humming a happy tune at the same time.
“You are going to waste the memory on dad’s phone!” warned Lucy.
“You took more at the zoo, than I have!” he replied.
Once again John was beginning to sense a little friction between the twins as they sat together during this past eight hours.
“I will give a prize to the first person to spot an Air Force, fighter jet.” he challenged.
“FIGHTER JETS, HERE!” shouted Lucas.
Even Lucy felt excited, and was looking out her window, in every direction.
“I can’t see any!” said Lucas.
“I bet we can hear one if we put down the windows.” replied John.
Tali pushed all four buttons on her door, lowering all of the windows.
A thick and heavy heat came quickly into the car, pushing out all of the cold air.
“Woah, that is hot!” cried Lucy. “It must be over 100 degrees outside.”
“I think it feels good.” replied Lucas.
“This is Death Valley National Park.” explained John. “The car reads 112 degrees outside.”
“Are we REALLY living somewhere, close to this place?” asked Lucy.
“We are just driving through” said John. “Death Valley will not hurt you unless we are unprepared.”
“Are we prepared?” she asked.
“Yes!” replied John. “NOW, are you both ready for more history?” he asked, pulling out a pack of sugar-free bubble gum.
Lucas quickly put a piece of gum in his mouth.
“I am ready!” he replied.
Lucy sniffed her piece. “I love the smell of this gum!” she said, pulling off the wrapper.
Tali put the windows back up, in order to turn the cold air back on.
As soon as both of the kids were ready to listen, John continued:
“Death valley is famous as the hottest, driest, and lowest place in North America, and it is 282 feet below sea level.”
“Will it be this hot where we are going to live?” asked Lucy.
John smiled.
“It will be hot, but not this hot!” he explained “We will be much higher, and I forgot to tell you, that we will be living near the oldest trees in the world.”
