The next stop on our Californian adventure was...
Yosemite National Park
Our first stop of the day was to see the giant Sequoia trees.
Joe examining the roots of an upturned tree.
A tree taller than the picture portrays.
Even with Joe on his tiptoes, we didn't quite measure up.
Next we went down to the valley where we spotted this beautiful waterfall.
Little did I know...
Our next adventure was to hike to the top of the waterfall, which turns out is much bigger and much higher than it appears in the picture.
Onwards and Upwards
You know it's a tough hike if even Paul was looking to hitch a ride back to town.
About halfway through the hike we spotted the bottom of the falls,
and it was a welcome site!
This picture doesn't do justice to the magnitude of the falls
and the extent of the hike.
The hike continued up to the top of the falls.
With extraordinary views along the way.
Yes, that is me on a portion of the trail that, looking at
it now, doesn't appear very safe. Sorry Mom!
Paul leading the way.
Casey making his way down the trail.
It was difficult, but well worth it at the sight and sound of the waterfall beneath us.
Joe and I celebrating our accomplishment!
I couldn't have done it without him.
Smooch.
And now we're headed down once again.
A whole new appreciation of the falls we had initially underestimated.
Our next stop was to peer inside the famous Ahwahnee Hotel that has hosted several sitting presidents and has had guests such as Queen Elizabeth, Walt Disney, and Lucille Ball. We inquired about the cost for the cheapest room available for the evening - it was $475. Yeah, maybe next time.
Joe appearing very presidential in the hotel's sitting room.
This picture was taken was shortly after Joe mistook the numbers on the hotel's menu for calories rather than prices, but shortly before he realized we'd misplaced our small hiking bag with his wallet and phone inside it. After scouring the area, we filed a lost and found report and decided there was nothing else we could do but head back to our cabin for the evening and start fresh the next morning.
We stayed at a KOA campground outside of Yosemite.
Not quite the Ahwahnee, but perfect for us!
Rise and shine, Campers!
It was Sunday morning, and so we wanted to set aside time for worship.
Joe and Casey read Scripture. We sang a few songs.
It was perfect.
That is until Paul, the acting Deacon, collected the offering. Here he is confronting the "congregation" for our meager sacrifice - one small pebble. Sorry Paul!
We then set out to Glacier Point, which allowed a beautiful view of Yosemite.
Just to the right of us is the famouse Half Dome Rock. It's one of those rocks I'm glad to see from a distance!
Pretending to fall off the edge, though I'm not sure we're very convincing.
The boys
Another smooch.
We didn't have much time before we were scheduled to leave Yosemite, but we did want to squeeze a quick trip in to see one last site.
That's me with my "bridalveil" waterfall, as it's called.
The rocks were huge and the climb was a bit treacerous, so most of us were happy to get just close enough to get a good picture before heading back.
Paul on the other hand would never be content until he touched the Falls.
I circled him in the picture above, because it'd be tough to see him otherwise.
He did it! Here he scales the rock displaying a sign that reads "DANGER. Climbing and scrambling on rocks and cliffs is dangerous. They are slick, wet or dry, and many injuries and fatalities have occured." Sorry Mrs. Wagner!
That's it for the Yosemite portion of our travels.
Stay tuned for the next portion of our Vacation Explorations!
