YOSEMITE

For my birthday, Roger, Sarah and I ventured out to Yosemite National Park. We planned to leave between 9 and 10 on Thursday morning but didn't drive out of San Francisco until almost 11:30. But our late leaving allowed for me to feed Sarah one more time before our 4 hour drive - and therefore she slept almost until we entered the park.




We packed in quite a time while exploring God's Country. The breathtaking waterfalls (including Yosemite Falls - the tallest waterfall in the US and 5th tallest in the world), the towering granite canyon walls (Yosemite's El Capitan is claimed to be the world's largest single monolith), majestic sequoias (the world's largest living organism), and the plentiful stunning vistas (Roger loved to stop at each one) made for a spectacular vacation.

We picked up only two souvineers from the gift shop: a park-themed baby sun visor on the clearance shelf and a bottle of "Repel." Both were well used during our stay.


Although we thought taking Sarah (arguably the youngest hiker in the park at 2.5 months) would prove to be a little tricky, we were plesantly surprised with the accessibility of the park. And Sarah quickly became the park's #1 attraction. Young and old, male and female - most everyone we ran into stopped to inquire about her age and name. We even got tips on Bjorn safety. In the words of Roger, Sarah "seriously made the trip the most interactive trip possible."



On our hikes to the Bridalveil, Yosemite and Vernal falls, we sported Sarah in the Bjorn. (Thanks to the Gubler girls for the awesome gear.) As we hiked, Sarah would snuggle in close as she slept and LOVED facing outward while awake. We're not quite sure how far she can see, but she's still happy to be out enjoying nature.

We walked through the stroller-friendly Mariposa Grove where we met such giants as the Fallen Monarch, the Bachelor and Three Ladies, the Grizzly, the Faithful Couple and the Clothespin.

Walking under the "California Tree" was quite the experience. This is where Sarah earned her "junior ranger" badge just for participating.

The sunny and blue skies combined with the cool valley air proved to be the perfect recipe for hiking and pictures. We hiked as much as momma and baby could handle. Roger was pacified by being able to hold the camera and take lots of pictures.