Inside of tent cabin
Reed Tent Cabin
Rock climbers in training- NOT!
Bridalveil Falls
Coming in to Yosemite
Grand entrance to Yosemite
YAY! We're finally almost there!
Wow!
Tunnel View at Yosemite- this is not fog- but smoke from a forest fire
Redwood forest at Roaring Camp
Aunt Katie and Uncle Jack's house- Salinas, CA
Uncle Jack and I
Josiah on Beach
Wild Things- Tiger used in Exxon commercial
Cannery Row- Monterey California
The best plumbs I've ever had!
Amaus loved the fish at the aquarium
Roaring Camp Redwood forest
Hanging out on back patio
Freezing on the beach
Roaring Camp family photo
fresh plumbs
Hwy 1 pitstop
Aquarium beauties
Giving Ally bye hugs
Elephant Seals
" Whoa these things are stinky Mama."
I have so much to write about! We have not been able to get on the net for a few days now, so I have just had to store up my thoughts and all of the memories.
The last post of pictures was done by my dear husband-and I have not had time to come behind him and fill in the blanks. Upon leaving Grand Canyon we decided we wanted to drive up a little stretch of Hwy 1 in California once we got there. (it is the famous curvy highway on the cliffs of the pacific coast) We got on in Cambria, CA and were immediately amazed! It was beautiful! We only drove a small stretch and we got to pull over and see the elephant seals. There were a bunch of them lying on the beach. The pics that we had already posted didn’t show how huge these animals really are! They were at least 6 ft tall, and really blubbery. The kids thought that was cool. There was a fence separating us from them- but it was neat to see an animal that unique in it’s actual habitat and not at the zoo. (although I have never seen an elephant seal at the zoo either) After leaving there we stopped at one other spot and realized that squirrels are very tame and common on the CA coast. They followed us around and would come right up to us. After we left that stopping point, the fog got bad! As a matter of fact, the curves got worse and worse and the fog was so bad that we couldn’t even see the ocean or the road at times. In many places, where the road ended, so did the ground. There was no shoulder, only a drop-off. It was an exciting drive to say the least. It took us a good 2 hrs to cover about 60 miles. We arrived in Salinas a little later than planned.
We had an incredible time at my Aunt Katie and Uncle Jack’s house. (my great Aunt Katie is my Papa Harrell’s sister) It was so relaxing and fun getting to hang out with them, their daughter and her husband (Jackie and Tony) and their grand-daughters Ashley and Ally. They fed us so many delicious meals! Uncle Jack loves to cook- and boy is he great at it! Also, the fruit grown right in their back yard was indescribable! The lemons actually had a sweetness to them- Danny and I both agree that we have never tasted plumbs so succulent! (I can think of no better word to describe them!) Wonderful! They had a beautiful veranda that had a view of the surrounding mountains.
The weather in Salinas, California was great. Aunt Katie said that it stays at about 70 degrees year around. They don’t use heat or air conditioner much. In fact, their house doesn’t even have ac. We loved sitting out back and visiting with them. We also had a great time playing cards with Ashley and Ally on the patio. Josiah and Isaac hit it off big with Ashley and Ally! There is no telling how many games of hide and seek they played. I especially enjoyed talking to Aunt Katie about teaching. She is a retired teacher and reading specialist-even being on a board in CA in past years that has helped determine what reading curriculum California schools should use. We also did a lot of chatting about our Harrell ancestors. I learned a good bit about my great grandparents on my Dad’s side that I don’t remember, and more family members of past. Cool stuff.
The first day in Salinas, we went to a neat animal training and refuge called “Wild Things,” only a couple of blocks away. Many animals that are used in movies and commercials live and are trained there. We got to see a grizzly, lions, hyenas, baboons- you name it. The coolest part was being able to see these animals up close! Much closer than at the zoo. It was neat. We went to the beach that afternoon. It was cooooold! The water was freezing and the wind blew like crazy. I think that was typical for that particular beach. It was harsh- but very pretty.
The following day we got to go to Monterey, California. I loved it there! The city is so clean and there are flowers were in every walkway, archway, and window! It is right on the Pacific coast- it is famous for Cannery Row. We went to the Monterey Aquarium. There was so much to see there. I think it would take days to soak it all in. The kids loved seeing the jellyfish, seahorses, and octopuses. I was so shocked at how attentive Amaus was to the fish. He stared and followed them and would smile and squeal with delight.
The last night we were there all the family came over and we ate together, then sang hymns and songs. It was so much fun. Ally also loves singing, and so we had a good time singing praise songs together.
We left the next morning for Yosemite. We stopped on the way to see a patch of Redwoods at a place called ‘Roaring Camp’. Those trees are so much bigger than we could have expected! We took a short hike through the woods and saw the little Redwood forest.
We didn’t end up getting to Yosemite until that evening. We might have gotten there sooner, but once we got into the park we couldn’t stop stopping to take pictures. It was breathtaking! Babbling brooks, water falls, and rugged rocky mountains…I kept thinking it couldn’t possibly get more awesome- and then it would. The entrance to the park was like a lavish foyer to a palace. It gave a peak of what was around the corner.
We spent the next couple of days exploring Bridal Veil falls, Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, and El Capitan. There are so many neat things about each of these places. Half Dome and El Capitan are big places for rock climbers. Some people actually climb part of these on a solo climb- meaning they use no ropes or supports. Talk about nuts! I got a couple of shots of some rock climbers climbing El Capitan. See if you can spot them in the crevice below.
One day we drove out of the Yosemite Valley and had lunch at the Wawona Hotel. We had no idea what a historical treasure it was until just sort of coming upon it. It is the oldest continuously operating hotel in the US. It was built by settler Galen Clark in 1879, as his home, and then bought and turned into a hotel when people began visiting Yosemite by stage coach. Man was that a good lunch!! I had turkey chili and a Panini sandwich . Danny had a burger and fries- and the boys had their typical chicken strips with fries. YUM! We checked out the pioneer center- a collection of old log cabins and buildings, along with a covered bridge, all moved to one location.
From there, we caught the national park bus to the Mariposa Grove of Sequoias. I had no idea that these are actually bigger than redwoods! There are only a couple of Sequoia patches left in the world. One is a very small patch in China, and then one more, I in northern California. We ended up seeing a tree that was 30 ft wide called the Grizzly Giant. I don’t think my pictures do it justice.
All the time we were in Yosemite people kept seeing bears. Danny and I really wanted to see one- but it just wasn’t happening. We had seen the back of two running off into the woods or brush- but it was a flash and way too fast to get a picture of. I have also been to Yellowstone a few times, and I have never seen a bear there either. I was beginning to think they were some kind of myth that the park rangers tell people to keep curiosity and a sense of adventure in the national parks. lol
We stayed in Curry Village in Yosemite. It is a little small village type area of tents. They have a wooden frame, floor, and door, but they are covered in tent canvas. Our tent cabin had two twin beds and a queen bed. You can hear everything through them- just like in a tent. Every night we would hear a sort of metal clacking noise outside, and then hollering. Come to find out, that was a bear trying to break into the food storage boxes outside of each tent cabin. The park rangers would then come running as soon as they heard people hollering and screaming. They would shoot the bears with paintball guns to scare them back into the woods. Well the last night we were there we were inside out tent packing up our belongings when our new friends and Curry village neighbors whispered through our screen door, “There is a bear right behind your cabin!” I grabbed the video camera, and Danny the regular camera. The bear was on the run by the time we stepped outside. I only went a short distance with the video camera- a few tent cabins down…and then gave up on the chase. I was a little scared to be chasing a bear in the dark. Especially when it had begun with a baby on my hip and two following boys in PJ’s. lol We went back to the cabin and waited on Danny, who finally came back with pictures of the black bear.
He had watched the bear sneak over to an old couple’s tent, where they were preparing their supper of pb &j . The bear just went and stood at the end of the box that was a make shift table. They didn’t even notice it at first, and it just sat there as if waiting on it’s own sandwich. When the lady saw it- she tried to throw her stuff into the food box before running inside- but everything she threw in, the bear would pull out. Man- I know she was trying to be a good camper and follow the “do not feed the bears” rule, but I think I would have just had to take off and let the bear have whatever it wanted! Anyway- he got this pick of the bear who was patiently waiting on his pb &j..
All through the middle of the night I heard the rangers shooting their paintball guns and running through the aisles of tent cabins. This morning before when we were about to leave, one camper ran next door to the tent beside his and left his door open. He heard some commotion behind him and saw a bear run into his cabin and shred his backpack! It quickly ran off. The funny part is that the backpack only had water in it. I guess the bear was looking for a snack after getting scared out of his peanut butter sandwich.. Although all of this sounds scary- it made for a very exciting last night at Yosemite.
We have been driving all day long across the states of Nevada and Utah. These are some pics from the drive.
Tomorrow we will be spending the day in either Aspen, or Glenwood Springs, CO, and then we will be making our way home. We are all looking forward to our beds, routines, family, and church. We do feel refreshed, but miss our regular lives now.
The last post of pictures was done by my dear husband-and I have not had time to come behind him and fill in the blanks. Upon leaving Grand Canyon we decided we wanted to drive up a little stretch of Hwy 1 in California once we got there. (it is the famous curvy highway on the cliffs of the pacific coast) We got on in Cambria, CA and were immediately amazed! It was beautiful! We only drove a small stretch and we got to pull over and see the elephant seals. There were a bunch of them lying on the beach. The pics that we had already posted didn’t show how huge these animals really are! They were at least 6 ft tall, and really blubbery. The kids thought that was cool. There was a fence separating us from them- but it was neat to see an animal that unique in it’s actual habitat and not at the zoo. (although I have never seen an elephant seal at the zoo either) After leaving there we stopped at one other spot and realized that squirrels are very tame and common on the CA coast. They followed us around and would come right up to us. After we left that stopping point, the fog got bad! As a matter of fact, the curves got worse and worse and the fog was so bad that we couldn’t even see the ocean or the road at times. In many places, where the road ended, so did the ground. There was no shoulder, only a drop-off. It was an exciting drive to say the least. It took us a good 2 hrs to cover about 60 miles. We arrived in Salinas a little later than planned.
We had an incredible time at my Aunt Katie and Uncle Jack’s house. (my great Aunt Katie is my Papa Harrell’s sister) It was so relaxing and fun getting to hang out with them, their daughter and her husband (Jackie and Tony) and their grand-daughters Ashley and Ally. They fed us so many delicious meals! Uncle Jack loves to cook- and boy is he great at it! Also, the fruit grown right in their back yard was indescribable! The lemons actually had a sweetness to them- Danny and I both agree that we have never tasted plumbs so succulent! (I can think of no better word to describe them!) Wonderful! They had a beautiful veranda that had a view of the surrounding mountains.
The weather in Salinas, California was great. Aunt Katie said that it stays at about 70 degrees year around. They don’t use heat or air conditioner much. In fact, their house doesn’t even have ac. We loved sitting out back and visiting with them. We also had a great time playing cards with Ashley and Ally on the patio. Josiah and Isaac hit it off big with Ashley and Ally! There is no telling how many games of hide and seek they played. I especially enjoyed talking to Aunt Katie about teaching. She is a retired teacher and reading specialist-even being on a board in CA in past years that has helped determine what reading curriculum California schools should use. We also did a lot of chatting about our Harrell ancestors. I learned a good bit about my great grandparents on my Dad’s side that I don’t remember, and more family members of past. Cool stuff.
The first day in Salinas, we went to a neat animal training and refuge called “Wild Things,” only a couple of blocks away. Many animals that are used in movies and commercials live and are trained there. We got to see a grizzly, lions, hyenas, baboons- you name it. The coolest part was being able to see these animals up close! Much closer than at the zoo. It was neat. We went to the beach that afternoon. It was cooooold! The water was freezing and the wind blew like crazy. I think that was typical for that particular beach. It was harsh- but very pretty.
The following day we got to go to Monterey, California. I loved it there! The city is so clean and there are flowers were in every walkway, archway, and window! It is right on the Pacific coast- it is famous for Cannery Row. We went to the Monterey Aquarium. There was so much to see there. I think it would take days to soak it all in. The kids loved seeing the jellyfish, seahorses, and octopuses. I was so shocked at how attentive Amaus was to the fish. He stared and followed them and would smile and squeal with delight.
The last night we were there all the family came over and we ate together, then sang hymns and songs. It was so much fun. Ally also loves singing, and so we had a good time singing praise songs together.
We left the next morning for Yosemite. We stopped on the way to see a patch of Redwoods at a place called ‘Roaring Camp’. Those trees are so much bigger than we could have expected! We took a short hike through the woods and saw the little Redwood forest.
We didn’t end up getting to Yosemite until that evening. We might have gotten there sooner, but once we got into the park we couldn’t stop stopping to take pictures. It was breathtaking! Babbling brooks, water falls, and rugged rocky mountains…I kept thinking it couldn’t possibly get more awesome- and then it would. The entrance to the park was like a lavish foyer to a palace. It gave a peak of what was around the corner.
We spent the next couple of days exploring Bridal Veil falls, Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, and El Capitan. There are so many neat things about each of these places. Half Dome and El Capitan are big places for rock climbers. Some people actually climb part of these on a solo climb- meaning they use no ropes or supports. Talk about nuts! I got a couple of shots of some rock climbers climbing El Capitan. See if you can spot them in the crevice below.
One day we drove out of the Yosemite Valley and had lunch at the Wawona Hotel. We had no idea what a historical treasure it was until just sort of coming upon it. It is the oldest continuously operating hotel in the US. It was built by settler Galen Clark in 1879, as his home, and then bought and turned into a hotel when people began visiting Yosemite by stage coach. Man was that a good lunch!! I had turkey chili and a Panini sandwich . Danny had a burger and fries- and the boys had their typical chicken strips with fries. YUM! We checked out the pioneer center- a collection of old log cabins and buildings, along with a covered bridge, all moved to one location.
From there, we caught the national park bus to the Mariposa Grove of Sequoias. I had no idea that these are actually bigger than redwoods! There are only a couple of Sequoia patches left in the world. One is a very small patch in China, and then one more, I in northern California. We ended up seeing a tree that was 30 ft wide called the Grizzly Giant. I don’t think my pictures do it justice.
All the time we were in Yosemite people kept seeing bears. Danny and I really wanted to see one- but it just wasn’t happening. We had seen the back of two running off into the woods or brush- but it was a flash and way too fast to get a picture of. I have also been to Yellowstone a few times, and I have never seen a bear there either. I was beginning to think they were some kind of myth that the park rangers tell people to keep curiosity and a sense of adventure in the national parks. lol
We stayed in Curry Village in Yosemite. It is a little small village type area of tents. They have a wooden frame, floor, and door, but they are covered in tent canvas. Our tent cabin had two twin beds and a queen bed. You can hear everything through them- just like in a tent. Every night we would hear a sort of metal clacking noise outside, and then hollering. Come to find out, that was a bear trying to break into the food storage boxes outside of each tent cabin. The park rangers would then come running as soon as they heard people hollering and screaming. They would shoot the bears with paintball guns to scare them back into the woods. Well the last night we were there we were inside out tent packing up our belongings when our new friends and Curry village neighbors whispered through our screen door, “There is a bear right behind your cabin!” I grabbed the video camera, and Danny the regular camera. The bear was on the run by the time we stepped outside. I only went a short distance with the video camera- a few tent cabins down…and then gave up on the chase. I was a little scared to be chasing a bear in the dark. Especially when it had begun with a baby on my hip and two following boys in PJ’s. lol We went back to the cabin and waited on Danny, who finally came back with pictures of the black bear.
He had watched the bear sneak over to an old couple’s tent, where they were preparing their supper of pb &j . The bear just went and stood at the end of the box that was a make shift table. They didn’t even notice it at first, and it just sat there as if waiting on it’s own sandwich. When the lady saw it- she tried to throw her stuff into the food box before running inside- but everything she threw in, the bear would pull out. Man- I know she was trying to be a good camper and follow the “do not feed the bears” rule, but I think I would have just had to take off and let the bear have whatever it wanted! Anyway- he got this pick of the bear who was patiently waiting on his pb &j..
All through the middle of the night I heard the rangers shooting their paintball guns and running through the aisles of tent cabins. This morning before when we were about to leave, one camper ran next door to the tent beside his and left his door open. He heard some commotion behind him and saw a bear run into his cabin and shred his backpack! It quickly ran off. The funny part is that the backpack only had water in it. I guess the bear was looking for a snack after getting scared out of his peanut butter sandwich.. Although all of this sounds scary- it made for a very exciting last night at Yosemite.
We have been driving all day long across the states of Nevada and Utah. These are some pics from the drive.
Tomorrow we will be spending the day in either Aspen, or Glenwood Springs, CO, and then we will be making our way home. We are all looking forward to our beds, routines, family, and church. We do feel refreshed, but miss our regular lives now.
2 comments:
I hope Heaven's full of waterfalls--- they're one of my very favorite things in the world! LOVE all of the AMAZING pics! I KNOW you're so glad you "wasted" all that money on that camera, huh?!! LOL
I especially love the aquarium pics--- the jellyfish one is my fave! Every time I try to take a picture through glass I get a really bad glare from my flash. Did you turn yours off or what?
Your church is missing y'all, too!
Yeah, I hated that you missed meeting Leon, too. He is a doll! Susannah, Cathey, and Cristi had him cracking up Wednesday night at church, but I think he entertained them with his laugh, too. Fair exchange! I'm having baby withdrawals now! =(
Y'all be careful and we'll keep the light on for you!
Wow how exciting! That jellyfish picture looks professional! Good job. Cant wait for the bear pic. See yall soon. I am going to Mamas end of this week so I wont be there Sunday. Really hate to miss your first Sunday back.
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