So we (well I) decided since we hadn't had a real vacation - I consider real vacations to be over 3 days long, no long weekends - since we went to Finland/Paris in 2010 that we needed something this year. So that we did. Originally my thought was to go to Yosemite and then onto San Francisco!
Side note, we had let our Disneyland passes expire for the first time in 6 years in December of 2011 - it was rough.
So fast forward to May and we're talking about what to do for a vacation and Robert says, "what if we just do Yosemite and we get Disney passes instead?" BINGO! you didn't have to tell me twice. So that's what we did!
Also, my sister had just moved to Sacramento, so we spent a couple days with them and then it was off to Yosemite for a few days and then a couple days at home and Disneyland!
I had been to Yosemite on vacation with my family when I was about 13, so it was fun to go back and see what I remembered and see what I took for granted last time!
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| Our first day in Yosemite we took a open-air tram ride that showed and told us a lot about the park, it was during nap time so EmmaJane wasn't too thrilled. But the tram was filled with older people from Charlotte, NC so they all acted as her pseudo grandparents very concerned about the amount of food, water and sunscreen she had, it was so cute. |
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| A stop on the tour |
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| I had to take a picture next to this sign because I did the same thing next to the same sign in 1998 when I was 13, when the flood was very recent and very real still. It was so interesting to be back 14 years later when it was such a thing of the past - I felt old! |
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| There were lots of naps wherever whenever and she was a champ at it. |
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| Driving out of the park the first evening we saw a deer SO close! Little did we know this would the first of many deer we saw grazing the meadows in the evening, it was so calming. |
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| mini-nap #300 this time in the hiking backpack we borrowed from our friends. |
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| Vernal falls bridge - just 2 days later two little boys were swept away after playing on the boulders in the river like the people on the left! Don't do that!! |
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| Morning snuggle time while mom gets ready |
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| Took a quick dip in the freezing river (it was 90+ everyday). EmmaJane's legs turned purple pretty quick. Oh and this is a perfect example of her "get out of here mom" look I get 24/7. |
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| Our last day in the park we drove up to Glacier Point - which was rough on EmmaJane - but it was worth it, it was SO beautiful. |
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| Practicing steps on the glacier point trail. |
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| Out of order picture of us in Old Towne Sacramento - it was seriously one of the best old towns I have ever been to - even better than the Orange circle! |
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| Back at home on one of our Disney staycation days we had to buy EmmaJane her first Mickey Hat! |
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| Proof that it was the end of vacation and I just wanted to be home I bought my child her first kid's meal. Of course she only wanted the french fries. |
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| Blurry picture of EmmaJane with her cousins N, O and I. She LOVED being in the same house as these girls for 2 days! |
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All in all, Yosemite was so inspiring. I love nature. And I especially loved that I didn't have cell service for 4 days, it was perfect.
I'm grateful for a mother who loves nature and took me to so many places growing up that really engrained this love of National Parks deep into me.
Before our trip Robert started watching a 7-part special series on Netflix about all the National Parks and I was so amazed at how many I had been to! I can count at least 7 just from my childhood!
I hope, and so does Robert, to keep this tradition up with our family. Visiting these beautiful places that have been set aside purely for our enjoyment, how awesome is that?
So which one's next?
