Home Again

Well we made it home! The car was fixed on Saturday about noon. It was apparently some overheated wires and they just rebooted the system. So, Tim took the truck to get the nail in the tire fixed and we were on the road by 2:00. It is so great to be home!

Stranded!

Well... the kids had another first on this trip. Their first time riding in a tow truck. Yes, our truck broke down on the freeway and we are sitting in our trailer on a scary frontage road in Hersepia, California. Here's what happened. We were driving and the engine light went on. I read the manual and figured it was because we had low gas and that it would go off, it was not running weird or anything. Then an hour later the truck started running loud and Tim could not get it over 45mph so he pulled off to let the engine cool. While doing that he noticed a nail in the tire and proceeded to put the spare on but that didn't work, he couldnt get the lug nuts aligned. So... he put the nail tire back on and we just decided to drive away and see what happens. But we couldn't... the truck had no power. Tim said "I don't know what to do from here", and I said "We have AAA" and I looked over to the left and there was the AAA tow truck! Sent from God I think! He hooked us right up and towed the truck and trailer both to the closest auto repair. They don't open until tomorrow morning, so hence the reason we are camping on a frontage road tonight. So, that is how the kids had their first ride in a tow truck! Wow, so many firsts on this trip I just can't keep track...this one I think I will remember the most, however. I hope you all enjoy the comforts of your beds tonight...we were so close to being in ours!

National Park Trip 2011 Favorites

We have had a wonderful trip…it feels like we have been gone forever! But we are homesick…we miss our home, dog, church, family and friends. All good things must come to an end and we are left with a ton of memories…here are some of our favorites:

Daddy:

Favorite Campground: Fallen Leaf Campground- Lake Tahoe because the sites are spacious and it is lush and green.
Favorite Hike: Sentinel Dome hike in Yosemite near Glacier Point
Favorite Activity: Hanging out at the beach in Tahoe and relaxing
Favorite Memory: Mommy falling into him on the Sentinel Dome hike, spending time with sister and family in Yosemite.
Favorite National Park: Yosemite National Park

Mommy:

Favorite Campground: Fallen Leaf Campground- Lake Tahoe because there are hiking and biking from camp and there are tons of trees and meadows.
Favorite Hike: Tokapah Falls in Sequoia. Beautiful waterfall and a hike along the river. Loved seeing the marmots at the top.
Favorite Activity: Biking in Yosemite Valley, rafting in Yosemite and the beach in Tahoe.
Favorite Memory: Watching the bear and 2 cubs cross the river over a log in Sequoia, the beautiful bike trails in Yosemite, hearing my nephew Collin say "that's a mess!" when he looked at the forest from the tram, Leah being sworn in as "Lily" at Yosemite, watching my kids enjoy nature and play together.
Favorite National Park: Yosemite National Park

Noah:

Favorite Campground: Wawona campground at Yosemite because of the river.
Favorite Hike: Mirror Lake in Yosemite because we got to bike and hike.
Favorite Activity: Biking in Yosemite Valley, rafting in Yosemite, and the beach in Tahoe.
Favorite Memory: Spending time with my aunt, uncle and cousin Collin.
Favorite National Park: Yosemite National Park

Megan:

Favorite Campground: Wawona campground at Yosemite because we played in the river every day.
Favorite Hike: Sentinel Dome hike in Yosemite near Glacier Point.
Favorite Activity: Horseback riding in the meadow in Yosemite, rafting in Yosemite and the beach at Tahoe.
Favorite Memory: Swimming at Aunt Tammy's hotel pool with family, seeing Tahoe from the gondola ride.
Favorite National Park: Yosemite National Park

Leah:

Favorite Campground: Lodgepole campground at Sequoia National Park.
Favorite Hike: Tokapah Falls hike at Sequoia National Park.
Favorite Activity: Stagecoach ride in Yosemite, trampoline jumping in Tahoe, beach at Tahoe.

Favorite Memory: Watching bear cubs play in Sequoia, seeing fawn in Sequoia and seeing 2 fawns in Yosemite.
Favorite National Park: Sequoia National Park

Most memorable things are: Megan's 2 panic attacks over bears in Sequioa, seeing bear and 2 cubs cross river in Sequioa, Mom slipping and falling on Sentinel Dome hike at Yosemite, swimming in the hotel pool with the Varvell's, biking in Yosemite Valley, great camping neighbors at Sequioa and Yosemite, break down on drive home and camping on the side of the road, UNO every night, ice cream every day, kids imaginative play (baby Abby, stuffed animal tree), and countless hours of family time enjoying nature and God's creation!

Lake Tahoe- Day 3- July 21st

This is our last day at Lake Tahoe. Unfortunately, we had to move campsites since we could only find a spot with 2 nights instead of 3 so most of our morning was taken up by packing up and moving. We could literally see our new site in the next loop over so it was not that big of a deal. After we finished that up we headed up to Heavenly Valley which is Tahoe's ski mountain. We took the Gondola ride up to the top of the mountain. They had a gorgeous observation deck where you could literally see the entire lake and everything below. After the Gondola ride we shopped around the village as they had some great shops. The kids wanted to do this jumpee bouncing trampoline thing so they did that. Then it was back to camp. We hung out a bit and then went back to Fallen Leaf Lake at our campground. We headed back for dinner, smores, UNO and packing up. We will be leaving early tomorrow for a long 14 hour drive. We will miss Tahoe!

Lake Tahoe – Day 2- July 20th

Today was all about the beach! We headed off early to Pope Beach which is close to our campground. It was our first close glimpse of Tahoe and seeing it up close is gorgeous! The water is crystal blue and the pine trees are almost to the shoreline but there are still sandy beaches. It is safe for the kids too since there are no currents or waves…well small waves from the boats. So, we parked our stuff and there we stayed for 5 hours (I literally had to drag the girls out of the water when it was time to leave!). It was a wonderfully warm day, about 78 degrees and sunny. We were the first ones on the beach but it got crowded quickly. The kids floated around in their inner tubes, built sand castles and buried each other. We had our picnic lunch and just enjoyed the relaxation. After the beach, we came back to camp and went on a bike ride…they have great bike paths here. We went to Camp Richardson which is a big hotel and campground. We stopped in the general store and then went to get ice cream at this great old fashioned ice cream parlor. It was so good! I am so done with ice cream though, we have had enough to last us the rest of the summer and all of next summer too! We also took a walk back on the beach and checked out the marina and all of the private homes on the water…dreaming of one day having a Tahoe summer home! Then it was back to camp for dinner and a movie in the trailer. The sun took it all out of us so we stayed inside tonight. Tahoe is gorgeous and we love it here!

Lake Tahoe- Day 1- July 19th

Today we made about a 5 hour drive to Lake Tahoe. We stopped on the side of the road to catch up with the Renwick's who were leaving Tahoe. That was fun to swap some stories and see everyone. Then it was back on the road. We stopped at Safeway in Tahoe and did our shopping. We got a peak of Lake Tahoe and it looks gorgeous! First things first though, getting to that campground. The campground is called Fallen Leaf Lake Campground and it is about 2 miles from Lake Tahoe. It is a beautiful campground, full of trees and meadows. The spaces are nicely spread apart. And it has a hike leaving from the campground. Noah and I immediately took a hike from our campground to the Tahoe visitor's center and got some information. Then we took a short hike to the Fallen Leaf Lake. Actually we rode our bikes. The loops are paved so it is nice for riding. The kids all got to go fishing so they were excited. It is a beautiful lake with snow on the mountains surrounding it! We came back to camp for dinner and we treated ourselves… we had steak, mashed potatoes and salad. It was so great! We look forward to spending time here!

Yosemite National Park- Day 7- July 18th

Today is our last day and we decided to go back to the valley. We drove down there and got on our bikes and took the amazing bike path again. We stopped at Yosemite Village in their visitor's center. We watched a movie about Yosemite and looked around at their exhibits. After that it was back on our bikes and we rode to Curry Village where they rent rafts to float down the river. So off we went on our raft! It was a great float down the beautiful Merced River with amazing views of the valley and all of the waterfalls. It took us a little over 1 hour to get to the stopping point. Then we had our picnic lunch and then back on our bikes to Yosemite lodge. There we had some ice cream and then drove back to our campsite. On our drive home I saw a couple of coyotes. That was the first time seeing that animal on this trip. We went right to the river at our camp and swam around. Today was the warmest day yet. Probably hit 80 degrees. After that it was dinner. We had some new neighbors move in with 2 boys Noah's age and a teenage girl so Noah played baseball for hours with the boys. The teenage girl made some bracelets with my girls too. They were a really nice family…they love National Parks too…they were doing 16 parks in 35 days and basically living out of their van. Very ambitious! But we had a lot to talk about with all of the different parks we have been to and comparing notes. We leave early tomorrow for Tahoe but we will miss Yosemite!

Yosemite National Park- Day 6- July 17th

Today was a nice relaxing day. The Varvell family came to our campsite for brunch about 10 and we enjoyed a great meal together. We watched the kids play in the river together and just enjoyed my nephew Collin having fun at the campsite, gathering sticks, bugs and just getting messy. We even did some smores. Then it was time for them to go. We will miss them and it was great to spend time and catch up. After they left we decided to go to the Mariposa Groves and see more giant sequoias. So we took the shuttle over there and did a small hike around the lower groves. We saw some pretty huge trees but overall, Sequoia National Parks groves were better… and not as crowded. We spent most of the time trying to avoid a crowd of about 30 people from Germany we think. After that we shuttled back and Tim took me to where I am right now…doing laundry again and the rest of them are back at camp. The rest of the day will just be hanging around relaxing. We only have one more day here and then it is on to Lake Tahoe!

Yosemite National Park- Day 5- July 16th

I have to apologize to Yosemite's valley for bashing you in my blog the other day because today we went back to the valley and experienced a glorious place! Out of the window of a shuttle bus I was not meant to experience this splendid place so today we brought our bikes. We got an early start because we were meeting Tim's sister at 11 at Yosemite Lodge for lunch. We got on our bikes at the Lodge and rode past Yosemite falls, the highest waterfall in the US, and then not far past that we spotted our first deer. We disembarked so Leah could enjoy her favorite animal up close. Then it was back on for about a 3 mile ride to our destination. On our way we saw another deer with 2 babies and just gorgeous scenery including waterfalls, rivers, streams and my favorite the glorious meadows. The bike paths were paved and flat and just so great to ride on. It was the best bike ride of my life! We rode to Mirror Lake and got off and hiked around the river. We saw a fisherman catch a fish and then saw another deer. Then it was back on our bikes to return to the Lodge. Then it was what the kids have been so excited about… their Aunt Tammy, Uncle Greg and Cousin Collin met us at the Lodge. They live in Tracy, CA and came to visit Yosemite for the weekend. We had a great lunch at the Lodge and then we took an open air tram tour of the Valley. It was very informative as we drove around and saw all of the major sites in the valley and a ranger narrated everything the whole time. And we saw a bear! It was grazing in a meadow and we were so excited to finally see a bear here in Yosemite. After the tour we headed back to their hotel to get them checked in. It is called the Tenaya Lodge, just outside of Yosemite and it was really beautiful! So they got settled and we went back to camp to have dinner and get our swimsuits. Then it was back to the Lodge to swim in their indoor pool. It was great to have some family time and get caught up; it has been a year since we have seen them and a lot has happened in that year. It was great to see the cousins together too. Collin is 4 and he is so cute! After swimming it was time to call it a night so we headed back to camp and to bed. Tomorrow we are sleeping in!

Yosemite Day 4- July 15th

Today was filled with both the mundane and the spectacular. We started off the day with a drive to Glacier Point (Leah got carsick…AGAIN!) which gives you incredible views down into the valley and sweeping panoramic views of all of the major granite cliffs and mountains. And this was the spectacular! The views were just amazing and all of us were in awe of God's creation! It was neat because we were able to look 3000 feet down into the valley and point out to the kids where we would be hiking and riding our bikes on Saturday. Tim and I planned out our entire time at the valley for Saturday just by looking down off this cliff! You can walk around a lot and see all different views and just marvel at the waterfalls cascading down from thousands of feet. After that stop we went back down the road a few miles and did a hike to Sentinel Dome. This is 8122 feet high but only over 1 mile hike up from the trailhead. The last jaunt was a very steep hike to the top of the dome. The kids loved it and my the views were incredible! We had our picnic lunch on top of the dome and watched an artist painting a picture of Half Dome. Then it was time to go down. About ¼ of the way down an older lady stopped us to ask if we had seen 3 boys going by and apparently I did not have my footing… we were on a descent with lots of larger rocks and just out of nowhere I took a step and my feet just slid. All I remember is the lady saying "Sorry, sorry, bless you, bless you!". I nearly took Tim out as I slid right into him on my fall. I got up and had 2 huge knots on my right shin and some scrapes and a bruised palm. It provided quite a laugh for the family… I am always the laughing stock with my clumsiness and we laughed the entire way down the mountain. The mundane came in the afternoon when we had to do some housekeeping… Tim had to hook up the trailer to go dump and then we headed into the residential area of Wawona to do our laundry. After that it was a stop at the visitor's center for the kids to get their Jr. Ranger badges. Oh, kind of funny, but Leah accidently told the ranger her name was Lily (our dogs name) and he called her Lily the entire time including when he announced to the whole building that they were Jr. Rangers. We told Leah that we will have to let Lily wear that badge on her collar. Then it was back to camp for more river time (Noah also got clumsy and fell into the river with his clothes on when he tried to kick water onto Megan) and then, you guessed it...dinner, UNO and ranger program.

Yosemite National Park- Day 3- July 14th

Today we planned on going to the Mariposa groves by our campsite to see more big sequoia trees. We got a later start then planned and decided to take our chances and park in the parking lot instead of taking a shuttle…but we drove there and the parking lot was full so we drove back to catch the shuttle and it had just left which meant a half hour wait. So we decided to switch gears and do a meadow hike that was across the street. So we started on our hike and realized 30 min into the hike that there was no meadow in site and we were on an unpaved road, not a hiking trail. So back we went (which was good because Megan was crying because she was afraid and Leah was crying because it was a difficult hike!). My meadow hike turned into a forest hike…I guess I am not going to see a meadow! After that we went to the Pioneer History Museum. It is an outdoor museum with a lot of old buildings and cabins taken from all over the park and placed here. There was an artist's cabin, a Wells Fargo, a jail and a blacksmiths shop which actually had a guy doing blacksmith work in it! It was like a step back in time. We also took a stagecoach ride and got to feel what it was like in the late 1800's when people would take an 8 hour stagecoach ride up to the valley. The Wawona area was a major stagecoach area where people would begin their journey into Yosemite. It was a neat place and the kids loved the ride. Then we came back to camp for lunch and then Tim took Megan and me for our 2 hour horseback ride. Guess what trail our horses took for our ride? The meadow loop we tried and failed to do earlier in the day! I finally got my meadow in by horseback and it was a beautiful meadow full of lupines and other wildflowers and we crossed a couple of streams. Megan had a great time as she just loves her horses! After that it was back to camp for some quiet time, dinner, and our nightly after dinner game of UNO. Then we attended the ranger program and she spoke about the wilderness and backcountry areas. This ranger was in her 60's and used to come to Yosemite with her young kids and dream of the backcountry although she couldn't go there because her children were too young. And now her dreams came true and she is a wilderness ranger. I thought that was a great story. Gives me hope that one day I will be able to do the long arduous hikes Tim and I desire but cannot do because of our young ones…but for now we are to enjoy stagecoach rides and nightly ranger programs! God has seasons for every stage of life and we have to enjoy the season we are in… I think God is showing me that big time on this trip!

Yosemite National Park- Day 2- July 13th

Today we ventured into the Valley which has all of the main sites or should I say most popular sites in Yosemite. We decided to take the free shuttle leaving from the Wawona hotel since it is an hour's drive…it left at 8:30 and returned at 3:30. So off we went on our shuttle ride and after you go through this tunnel, the valley appears in all its glory. It is basically really tall granite cliffs rising from the ground with waterfalls at every angle. We immediately saw El Capitan and some of the other giant cliffs. The shuttle dropped us off at the Yosemite Lodge and right away the amount of people down there just blows you away. We walked over to see our first waterfall called Yosemite Falls. It was really beautiful to see the water crashing down from such a high point. We took lots of pictures and then got on the shuttle. We made a few stops at some highlights including Curry Village. The valley was not at all what I expected and I felt disoriented and unsure of where we were going most of the time…not fun when you are surrounded by tons of strangers and you have your kids with you! The highlight was stopping at Happy Isles and going to the Nature center there. We then hiked around there a bit and played in the river. Then it was back on the shuttle and to the lodge. We spent a long time in the gift shop and had lunch there too. Then our shuttle came to take us back. Overall, this was a day to get used to the valley and the system so when we go back on Saturday, we will know what we are in for and what we should do. We didn't get to explore too much nature this time but just be a tourist and take in the sites and get to know the lay of the land. Tim's sister and family are coming on Saturday so we wanted to know what we were doing for that day. So, off on the shuttle for the long ride home. Then back at camp it was splashing in the river time, then dinner, campfire and bed. Today we saw the heart of Yosemite but I want to see more…the unpopulated, pristine, and nothing to do with a shuttle and crowds of people!

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Yosemite National Park- Day 1- July 13th

We had a fairly non-eventful trip here to Yosemite…it took about 3 hours of driving and then 1 hour at the dreaded Wal-Mart trip in Fresno. Unfortunately, I chose a Wal-Mart that was not a Super so there were limited groceries. It had most of what we need but we will be having no fruits or vegetables for the next 7 days! Leah had car sickness twice, coming out of Sequoia and going into Yosemite but we were prepared with the bag so it wasn't too bad. Our campground was just a few minutes from the entrance to the park so we headed right there. Our site is right on the Merced River so it is nice and peaceful. So we set up camp and then had a quick dinner and then it was off to the Ranger program at the amphitheater in our campground. The topic was the history of Wawona which is the area of Yosemite where we are camping. It was interesting to hear the history of the park dating back over 150 years. Unfortunately, there was a heckler in the front row next to us that made a few rude comments during the show… he was upset that she was talking about what we can do to "save" the earth and he called her a liberal and a few other choice things. It was a little uncomfortable! There are interesting people here in Yosemite…people from all over the world and obviously with lots of different viewpoints! After the program it was back to camp and to bed! Tomorrow we head to the valley floor to explore the heart of the park.

Sequoia Day 5- Leaving

This morning we are leaving! One last bear siting to report. As Tim was at the dump station we saw the same bear and cubs from last night in the forrest off to the side. The kids and I went over and took pictures of the and watched the cubs romp and play. Yes, I said the kids and I... Megan went too! No crying or screaming! I wonder what worked?

Sequoia National Park- Day 4- July 11th

This is our last full day at Sequoia. The boys and girls did their own thing for most of the morning. Noah and Tim drove over to Crystal Cave to see the cave here in the park. The girls and I swore off caves last summer so we were out. Tim drove to the cave and then they had a little hike down to the cave…on the way a snake jumped out in front of them and Tim said "snake!" and he turned around and Noah had run away. I'm glad I didn't make that trip…snakes and caves are not for me! They had fun though and said it was pretty neat. The girls and I spent the morning at the campground visitors center and market doing laundry and taking showers. I didn't realize how far it was from our site until I was carrying 4 days' worth of laundry for 5 people and then I realized why they have a shuttle from our campground to the visitor's center. But we made it and while we waited for laundry we shopped, the girls got their ranger badges and we took in a ranger program with a table full of fur skins to touch. The ranger doing it was the bear expert from the program last night so Megan explained to her about the bear phobia and she helped a bit. Then it was back to camp for lunch and the boys came home soon after. Tim and I went for a trail run in the afternoon and then took the kids to the river for a little dip. The kids found some big sticks and made up a pretend game of Moses and Pharaoh which was really cute. Then we went back to the visitor's center to get some information on how to drive to Yosemite and for Noah to get his ranger badge. While there we saw a cute little fawn in the bushes. We had some more ice cream (yes, I know we have had ice cream every day!) and then headed back for some playing games at the camp site and just hanging out. Toward dusk there was a bear spotted in the campground so Noah, Tim and Leah went to check out the bear. And yet again, we had one last bear siting before bed...we took an evening walk around the campsite and I saw in the shadows of the river a bear... I called it and sure enough it was a mother and 2 cubs...they were crossing the river over a log. Tim and Noah got closer but Megan started into her panic attack this time with full out screaming (guess her little therapy session with the ranger didn't help) so I stayed back with her and Leah. No camera so no photos of that but it was so amazing to see the cute little cubs crossing the river! What a way to end our trip! Tomorrow morning we leave for Yosemite!

Sequoia National Park- Day 3

Another great day here in the Sierra's. We spent the morning riding the park shuttle and seeing the sights. We first went to see the main event which is the General Sherman tree…it is the largest tree in the world. Not the tallest or even the fattest but the biggest in volume. And my is it big! We are tiny compared to these giant sequoias! After seeing the tree we went walking in the groves doing the Congress Trail. They had another huge tree named the President and then some trees that were the Senate and House. It was a beautiful nature walk in the groves with tons of huge trees, a couple of small waterfalls and beautiful fern meadows. After that we had our picnic lunch and then it was back on the shuttle to the Giant Forest Museum. That was a lot of fun and the kids learned some things about trees. Back on the shuttle again to visit Moro Rock. This is a huge rock where you climb stairs all the way to the top, about ¼ mile worth of stairs. The view is so worth it as we saw beautiful views of the Sierra Nevada and even saw snow on the mountains. One last trip after this to visit Crescent Meadow. The kids were fighting me about this one as they felt they had hiked enough but I love meadows and didn't want to miss it. So we bribed and promised ice cream after and got back on the shuttle to the meadow. I'm glad we did because we saw a bear! Right when we started the trail a lady told us there was a bear up ahead on the side of the trail. Megan immediately went into panic mode (she is deathly afraid of bears!) so I stayed back with her and Leah. Tim and Noah checked it out and then when Tim came back I went to take a peek and there he was. About 30 feet off the trail he was foraging…we got some good pictures and then went back to assess Megan. It was a full panic attack in effect with crying, shaking, everything. So the rest of the hike was not going to happen. So I didn't get to see my meadow but the bear was worth it! Even though we didn't finish the hike we had our ice cream and it was good! Then it was back to camp to hang out and relax…we even got a nap in. We have some lovely neighbors that we have been spending time with too. Leah took in a bike ride and Noah and I played Battleship. Then it was off to the nightly ranger program…about bears. So guess who didn't go? Megan! Anyone know of a good therapist specializing in bear phobias?

Sequoia National Park Day 2- July 9th

What a difference a day makes! Today was a much better day for us that did not involve any cars. We got to know our campground a lot better today and get oriented to the park. We slept in this morning and then got up and had a big breakfast. After that we went over to the visitor's center in our campground. We checked on a few things we were interested in doing and then we saw a movie about bears in the park. We also went to the market next door and of course there was ice cream that we had to partake in…why not have ice cream at 10am, we are on vacation! Then we headed back to camp. All in all the campground is nice…a little older and more run down than I expected (the park is the second oldest in the US, established in 1890) and the campsites are close together but the scenery makes up for it. We are surrounded by giant trees and granite mountains and our campsite is near a roaring river that I can hear gushing right now as I type. So after our trip to the visitor's center we came back to camp for a small lunch and then it was off to our first hike. This hike was right off of our campground which made it so nice and convenient. The hike is to Tokopah falls and it starts with a walk right along the river. The hike continues with mostly forests and of course the occasional meadow (my favorite). The kids took some dips in the river on the way up and we made lots of stops just to gaze at the smaller falls. Then you come to these giant granite boulders you have to walk through and right beyond those is the Tokopah Fall which is huge and gorgeous. It provided a great mist for us to cool off with and have a snack. We saw a marmot up there which is an animal that looks almost like a beaver, it was really cute. Then we came back down and back to camp for dinner. Then it was a campfire, some chats with our new neighbors and some smores. We then headed over to the amphitheater for the nightly ranger talk which was about fires. The ranger was fun, he made us sing a campfire song in the beginning that got louder and louder to the point we were all shouting and making crazy hand motions! The talk was interesting and the kids found it fascinating that forest fires can be good for the forest. On our way back to camp in the dark we practically walked into a deer which thrilled my deer lover Leah. Then it was off to bed. Can't wait for tomorrow, we get to see the biggest tree in the world!

Sequoia National Park- Day 1- July 8th 2011

Well that was the longest drive ever! It took us over 13 hours to get here when we only expected 10 hours. There were a few traffic delays through LA and other areas including a little fire in the brush in the median of the freeway. We also had to go off the map and GPS the last 2 hours because we had to take an alternate route because the normal and closer road is too curvy and narrow for trailers. So that added way more time and made the trip much more anxiety provoking. I am the navigator and Tim the driver and it is so scary to take us off the GPS when you "think" this is the right way. I had just about lost it at one point thinking we were definitely going the wrong way when all of a sudden the sign came up for the last freeway we needed to take. I breathed a sigh of relief and not 1 minute later, we were finally gaining elevation and the forest appeared before our eyes. At this time of anxiety I reached over to turn down the radio (noise makes me more anxious in high stress times) and I actually turned the radio tuner which changed the channel to KLOVE and my favorite band Casting Crowns was singing their song "Glorious Day"! It was so amazing! All within a minute the sign appeared, the song came on and the scenery totally changed. I was praising God over that one! I don't think Tim and I have ever sung that song so loud! The next song after that was "Take Me to the Beautiful" by Third Day which was great to listen to as we drove among these huge trees, lush forest and gorgeous scenery. We finally made it to the park! We gave them our entrance card and got the maps… Tim asked the ranger how much longer to drive to our campsite and he said one hour and I literally gasped! We had already done 12 and that was enough! Well, we made it to our campsite and then the worries began or I guess continued. The site seemed so tight for us. And of course it is dinner time, well past… it is 8:30 and everyone is sitting around their campsites watching us, shaking their heads. I gave Tim the rah, rah, we've done this before, even worse, you can do it speech but it was not working. I think he drove around the campsite 4 times to change his angle or the way he was coming in. He was about to give up (I guess we sleep in the parking lot of the visitors center?) when he gave it one last try and he did it! The neighbors around us were cheering and we were all happy to just be in our little spot! Then we unloaded, had a quick dinner, and off to bed. Tomorrow will be for exploring our campground and hiking…NO driving!

Getting Ready!

Well, tonight is my last night enjoying my time at home. The next 2 days will be a flurry of packing, cooking and preparing food and ordering my kids around with a long list of to do's. But I always remember that all of the planning and preparing the last few months will all be coming to fruition and that vacation brain will take over soon! This trip will include 4 days in Sequoia National Park, 7 days in Yosemite National Park and then 3 days at Lake Tahoe. All new territory for all of us so we are very excited. Time to get busy!