hello, yosemite.

It had been about a year since our last trip out to Yosemite, so being back in the park was much needed. This time it was for our annual summer get together with the family. We brought the dogs; they are, indeed, a part of our family.

The next morning the dogs jumped into the The Burley, and we took a bike ride around the valley floor. The dogs love the ride!

We biked to the trail head of Lower Yosemite Falls and took the dogs on a short morning walk to the bottom of the falls.

We continued to loop around the valley and even stopped to enjoy the views of the meadows.

Later that afternoon, we drove up to Glacier Point to enjoy the view. I have to admit, the view from up here never gets old.

On the way back to our campsite, Maui and Hilo were taking total advantage of Grandma and Granpda, haha! Free love and scratches.

Last but not least, my parents were totally utilizing the Christmas present we got them, an Eno hammock. Silly parents!

Although our trip was short, it was still a fun little getaway for the weekend. Hopefully, we’ll be able to visit before the season ends because I really want to get back on the trails [without the dogs, of course]. I still want to conquer some of the more strenuous ones. Maybe one day.

there and back, in a day.

((Side note: Photo intensive post!))

Leave it to us to go on a one night, one day adventure, and I swear we see a good chunk of California. I’m not complaining though; I love exploring places new and old. …and now that I have more time on my hands, it is the perfect time to play!

We started our weekend on a sunny Friday and headed towards Tuolumne Meadows for our last camping trip of the season. On our trek towards the National Park, it was devastating to see so much of the forest that was lost to the Rim Fire.

Seriously, it broke my heart to think that one small little fire burned down more than 250,000 acres of the forest, as well as all of the critters that once called it home. Alas, lessons are learned. Thank you to the firefighters that fought this beast of a forest fire to protect this section of the Sierra Nevadas.

Upon arrival, we set up camp while the pups hung out. Here were some snapshots that I captured at our campsite:

I love the hammock photos! They make me smile from ear to ear. I’m so bummed that I didn’t snap photos of the four of us all huddled up in our tent that night. I guess there’s always next time.

The following morning, we trekked through parts of Inyo National Forest. I had never been further than the park gate on the Tuolomne side, so it was such a sight for me to see how beautiful it is out there.

You can’t tell from the beautiful blue skies, but the temperature at these high elevations were frigid. With the wind chill, it makes it that much colder. Brr.

We continued out to visit the eerie, but beautiful ghost town, Bodie. It’s absolutely stunning out there. The pictures we took do not even do this town justice. I highly recommend putting this place on your list of places to visit in California.

We spent a good amount of time here, and we didn’t even get to see 50% of what is left of this gold mining town. I would totally go back and visit Bodie. It’s one of the neatest historical sites I’ve seen. If you do happen to go late in the season, don’t forget to pack a jacket; the town is situated at a high elevation and with the winds so strong, one can get cold.

After exploring Bodie, we jetted back towards Mono Lake to check out the picturesque South Tuffa. We had to be prompt about walking down to the lake shore because the nearby sky was ready to downpour on us. Here are some of the pictures that I captured on our short, but beautiful visit to Mono Lake:

After a quick stop at South Tuffa, we hurriedly, but safely, rushed back into the mountainside. At this point, it started down pouring, expect it wasn’t rain. It was snow! Yay! When we got back into Yosemite National Park, we made sure to stop and enjoy the cold weather. I love the two pictures below; it totally captures how excited we are about the autumn-ish weather in Tuolomne Meadows.

…and just a few minutes later, the ground looked like this:

We were looking forward to the beginning of fall, and we pretty much got winter, haha! Albeit mighty cold, it was amazing to witness the first snowfall of the season in Yosemite. It’s definitely a memory I won’t ever forget. ❤

Yup, all of that in one night, one day.

PS: I go halfway. You go halfway. *kisses* 😉

yosemite!

Last weekend, we took our first trip out to Yosemite for the year. This time, we did a couple of hikes, some more strenuous than others. Either way, we got to see the beauty of the park.

First morning in Yosemite, we drove towards the South end of the park (the Wawona side). Neither of us had seen Mariposa Grove, so we thought it would be neat to check it out. Besides, there was an NPS cancellation stamp available at the Wawona visitor center, and we all know how I go out of my way to fill my NPS passport book, haha. We hiked a few miles around the area and checked out the giant sequoias. It’s incredibly how wide their trunks get.

While hiking around the grove, we crossed paths with a family of deer. We stayed a good distance from them at all times, but they kept veering towards us. Maybe they’re used to having human visitors in the grove?

Later that day, we drove towards Glacier Point to get the beautiful shot of Half Dome, Vernal Fall, and Nevada Fall. It’s such an incredible view up there. When I was at the top and looked down at the elevation of both waterfalls, I felt so proud of myself. I actually made it to the top of Vernal Fall last year (out of shape)! Next goal is to make it to the top of Nevada Fall one day. As far as Half Dome, I’m afraid of heights, so I’m not sure if I’ll be able to take the steep uphill climb. I’m not crazy and fit like Gloria who has done it multiple times with ease, so I might just pass. 😉

…and while we were enjoying the view from Glacier Point, we noticed a chipmunk not too far from us. They’re so cute! Can you spot the furry little critter in the picture below? 😉

After enjoying the view up at Glacier Point, we decided it would be neat to hike the Sentinel Dome trail. It was a moderate hike, but with it being mid-day, the heat made it feel more strenuous. I am, however, very proud of myself for conquering this hike. Maybe next time, I’ll be able to take Lambert Dome in Tuolomne?! Just kidding! Anyway, the views you get at the end of the Sentinel Dome trail are phenomenal. Here are some of the pictures we took during our hike:

You bet that we slept well that night. I think we were snoozing in our tent at around 8 o’clock, at least I know I was, haha! On our second morning in Yosemite, we woke up super early and walked towards Mirror Lake. We wanted to tackle a simple trail considering my body was sore from hiking the previous day.

It’s such a pretty sight, but if you plan on heading out to the lake, make sure to pack insect repellent. The mosquitoes on this walk are relentless. I think I counted around 15 mosquito bites at the end of our short hour walk to and from the lake. Yeah, I was pretty much walking bait for those pests.

After this trip, I’m even more excited for the future trips we have planned to come back to the park! Besides, I’ll be able to get more NPS cancellation stamps! It definitely pays to have an annual NPS card, hehe. 😉

weekend endeavor and adventure.

*written on 9.25.12*

Recovering from a slight headache from last night’s drinking debacle, I’m not really in the mood to write very much today. However, pictures, I figured, would suffice. Besides, one way to document your life is via photos, right?

One of our friends who works in connection with NASA told us about the Space Shuttle Endeavor’s flyover California. Well, it turns out that one of the coolest and nerdiest seats in the area was over at Ames Research Center. We got access to view the flyover on Moffett Airfield. I’m so glad that we got to experience a piece of scientific history.

*written today, 9.26.12*

Getting up at 4am in the morning to surround myself among a bunch of space fanatics was totally worth it. Seeing the Endeavor about 500 ft away was definitely something that will only happens once in my lifetime. Shortly after this endeavor (no pun intended),  it was off to Yosemite to meet up with Steph and Alex.

It was definitely a much shorter trip than our last visit, but it was just as fun. The views are always breathtaking, and the fresh air you get out in Tuolumne is so worth the drive to get there. Only problem is… the high altitude knows how to kick my butt. Plus, it doesn’t help that my anemia makes it harder for me to breathe. *sigh* One day, it’s my hope that I’ll become adjusted to the altitude to the point where I won’t notice the difference.

Now, I’m relaxing on California’s seaside.

Yup, this is the good life. Well, up until next week, of course. 😉

succulent garden & more yosemite photos.

Last summer, we decided that we were going to get rid of the grass because of its horrible effects on the environment. Besides, the snails used the grass soil as a nesting haven. Back in the fall, we were in dire need of more color and texture in the garden, so we planned out our next move. Succulents are cheap, easy to grow, and super low maintenance, so we have been working on creating our very own desert/succulent botanical garden.

The garden is definitely in the works, and we still have lots of plans for some fun modern displays. Plus, the garden won’t be entirely complete without the cute chair hammock that I ordered. *I can’t wait to read/work in it.* Thus far, it’s looking so pretty! Here’s a handful of some random photos from the garden:

At first, we dished out some big bucks for some of the more unique succulents. Now, every time we hit up a local nursery, we pick up one or two we don’t already have. Plus, we’ve been reusing our snippets to foster more succulents plants. *I love succulents for that reason; they’re so cheap!* Truly, I can’t wait for the garden project to be complete!

Since our Yosemite trip a couple of weeks ago, I’ve been itching to go on a short, quick hike. In the meantime, looking at more photos from that trip will cure my outdoor bug.

 

As far as updates on Hilo, he’s doing slightly better. I’ll try to keep everyone posted.

PS: I think I have another travel bug. Where should we go next?!