Yosemite

We visited Yosemite National Park this week.  We loved it, but there were A LOT of people there.  Instead of ranting about how crammed in we were, I will hit on the highlights that we enjoyed instead.  We started out with a bear talk and walk with a Ranger.  Each of the kids got to dress up in a bear skin - they said it was really heavy!

Lower Yosemite Falls

We took a few hikes while we were there.  The first one was to Lower Yosemite Falls.  Super easy hike with a great view!

The second hike we took was to Vernal Falls Footbridge.  We could have gone farther up to the top of Vernal Falls, but that wasn't going to happen - the hike to the footbridge was far enough for the kids!

We found out after we got to Yosemite that they had an LDS service on Sunday at 1 - so we headed over there - and it was only 45 minutes long!!!  Totally fantastic!!!!

Our little shared chapel that we had services in.  Found out that little Mormon kids have a very specific fascination with the kneeling benches so many of the other Christian denominations use since we don't generally use them in our chapels.  Could hear those things thumping up and down all through the service.  My kids had already seen them, so they ignored them.

The view outside the church.

Splashing and cooling down in the Merced River.
 The river was a great spot for Luke to fish - and he waded all the way across.  

The meadows near the campground.

This is my attempt at an Ansel Adams type picture.  I haven't tried putting it in black and white yet because its so pretty in color - and I didn't photo shop it at all - that's exactly what it looked like with the light.  It was gorgeous.

Half Dome

We left on Yosemite NP's 150th anniversary - did you realize that Abraham Lincoln signed the first paperwork to set Yosemite aside as a national treasure?  Well, you do now!


We loved the opportunity to be in Yosemite. So majestic!