Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Yosemite - Part 1

I have so many photos and so much to tell you about my trip to Yosemite that I'm going to break it up into parts. That way it won't be like the endless slide show you might have been subjected to as a child or even adult, if you're as old as I am. Which brings me to the fact that I didn't announce my birthday either, which was on the 27th. I'm a big one for birthdays, welcoming all greetings, presents and treating me like a queen for a day (which seems to happen less and less in this my 48th year).

We've been coming to Yosemite every other year for the past eight years or so with my good friend Cara and her two daughters. The four children get along perfectly, and Cara and I "travel" well together -- we call ourselves the Marmots.




Here's a picture of a lamp, one of many that hang in the dining room at the Wawona Hotel, where we stayed. It's not just any lamp, though, as it's completely fabulous and has been there since the early part of the last century.



Here's the beautiful dining room where we sat every morning and every evening.


Here's a great shot of the Wawona, shining in the sun. The Lodge has been in existence since the early part of the last century -- maybe even before that -- the late 1800s, actually. It's very low-key, very rustic. The rooms are quite reasonable -- most don't have bathrooms, so you share.



Here's what's called The Annex, where we've stayed four times in the last eight years. The tables set out on the lawn were put there in preparation for the Saturday night barbecue.


We sit on these wide porches outside our rooms for hours, reading, playing Sorry and Scrabble and Yahtzee:



When it gets really hot, we refresh ourselves in what's fondly called The Tank, a rectangular pool built in 1913. The water is very, very cold. People wore more clothes back then.


The Wawona sits just inside the national park grounds. One morning we drove down into the valley, a forty-five minute, breathtaking ride. Here's a rare photo of yours truly, looking out over the valley, El Capitan and Half Dome:



Here we are, rafting down the Merced -- an experience that we'd never had before this summer -- and it was spectacular.



This stunning boy is my son.






Oliver proved to be an intrepid rafter -- completely in control and in charge. He also talked -- A LOT -- as we made our way down the Merced



Here's a shot of Bridal Veil -- a spectacular waterfall, given its name because of the effects of the water shooting off the rocks.




When we're not sitting on those Adirondack chairs, playing games and reading, we generally are down atthe creek that runs near the hotel -- I think it's part of the Merced -- or around the corner at the swinging bridge. The kids wade around, float on rafts and dive into the cold, clear as glass water.





Here's my birthday shot. I wore a Birthday Girl crown and received some wonderful presents from Cara and her daughters, our traveling companions.



It's time for a break, I believe. But I'd love to remind you to visit my "review" blog where you enter a giveaway to win a $100 gift card to Dick's Sporting Goods as well as learn a little about a nifty new project that Gatorade has going.

23 comments:

  1. landlocked mermaids....
    indeed. many happy returns of the day!

    thank you for each picture shared, postcards from my own childhood, my own family...and the wonders of yosemite, all that clarity and light.

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  2. looks like a beautiful trip on so many levels. love the photos and the spirit of making time to just hang out in nature. happy birthday : )

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  3. Gorgeous photos. Just lovely . . .

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  4. I NEED to take the kids there. I just have to. Soon. the pictures are amazing and the one of Henry,oh.my.gosh Elizabeth!

    The 27 of next month I will be 47. Hardly can believe it. Really don't feel that number but that number it is, so I guess I am stuck and blessed with it, both at the same time.

    Really need to do catch up. Soon please.

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  5. Happy belated birthday! Beautiful photos, I look forward to the next installment.

    Off to find a copy of that book :)

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  6. Oh, beautiful mermaid-woman- you have refreshed my heart and soul. I just love that you take this trip. It looks like something I would love to do. A combination of the wild, free, and very, very old-world-rustic-elegant.
    Perfect.

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  7. That hotel surely must be haunted. At least I want it to be.

    Great pictures! Thanks so much for sharing your holiday with us.

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  8. Happy birthday! Not belated since I think a birthday should be celebrated for an entire month.

    Love the photos of the beautiful scenery and beautiful children. I can't wait for the photos you took while climbing El Capitan and Half Dome--maybe some from the tops as well!!

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  9. My word, the stories one could write about that hotel! Thank you so much for "taking us with you."

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  10. Happy belated birthday, Elizabeth!

    I am buying that mermaid book.

    And visiting that hotel.

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  11. I love visiting Yosemite with you. What a lovely, elegant old hotel. And the joy of children who get along perfectly, while their mothers get along perfectly, too! That is a rare and lovely pleasure.

    And happy birthday dear Elizabeth!

    As for the slide show, I was one of those who absolutely loved when family members, uncles usually, turned out all the lights, lined the projector up against a wall, and narrated their vacations. it was like a home movie to me. so i especially love this post.

    and you. hugs.

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  12. Happy Birthday Beautiful!

    Thank you for sharing your trip! I can almost smell the Merced River, feel the biting cold, see the bottom. Oh. Love. Love. Love.

    Refreshing for you. xoxo

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  13. Okay, now I really, really, REALLY want to go to this place. Want to add a third mom next year?

    Also, weird question...do you can? I feel like canning.

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  14. Lovely, all of it. Happy you like the "perfect" thingies, and btw. that blue looks so much better in person...just saying.

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  15. Yosemite looks absolutely beautiful. Sigh, one day. Glad you had a break and a good birthday.

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  16. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! What a wonderful place to celebrate birthdays and friendship. I'll raise my glass to a time of restoration and renewal. Cheers!

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  17. bringing back memories of my childhood. I need to get my children to yosemite. What an awesome lodge!!!! So beautiful!

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  18. What a wondful vacation! The Wawona looks like a really cool place. We stayed in the old lodge at Glacier Nationl park one year. It was magical to stay in such an historic place. They had fun activities to make up for the fact of having no tv. Every place should have that strategy. It makes it feel like a real getaway.

    Oh - Happy Birthday too!!!!!!

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  19. You had a wonderful time. I am happy for you. Happy birthday!!

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  20. Oh lovely place and love reflecting out of those photos.

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  21. I love this posting. It radiates joy, freedom, summer, family, friendship, and fun. I'm so glad that you and your beautiful boys had the opportunity to take this trip with close, trusted friends. It's not easy to travel with just anyone. Having close friends to share such experiences with you is a blessing indeed.
    That hotel and the park are so lovely. Your photos are so beautiful that they almost make my eyes sting!
    Happy Birthday to you, with much love.

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  22. Oh, Lizzy Beth, I am so glad you took this vacation with the boys and friends to celebrate your birthday. I feel rested just looking at your pictures.

    Funny, I, too, am a Leo and take a trip with friends and family to cabins on the Eel River nearly every year to celebrate my birthday - playing cards, reading, swimming, sharing food, sitting by the campfire, laying under the stars... It is all so restorative, non?
    Happy Birthday, Dear! x0 N2

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