Visitors!

I have been derelict in my blogging as of late, but there is an excellent reason. We have had visitors! From Memorial Day to the 4th of July we had 4 sets of visitors spend time with us and it was marvelous!

Kim and Aaron
First up were my sister Kim and brother-in-law Aaron. They came for a long Memorial Day weekend all the way from Washington, DC, and I believe we showed them as good of a time as they have shown me on my many visits to the nation's capital. We visited Yosemite where a late season cold front dropped snow at 5000 feet. Viewing Mariposa Grove with snowflakes falling through partial sunshine was magical. Wine tasting in Lodi and a visit to the Modesto Farmers' Market was a highlight, as was the meal we created that evening with our purchases. Our planned pool party turned patio party due to the cool weather, but we enjoyed it nonetheless. A day on the coast in Carmel topped off a wonderful visit.

Aaron and Kim in front of Tunnel View

 

Melissa

My good friend Melissa, who I met as an undergrad at Winona State came to visit for part of a week and enjoyed sunny California. We spent a lovely day poolside with magazines and margarita freezee pops. The swimming was excellent and it was so great to catch up. We also showed Melissa the sites in Yosemite. Wine tasting in Lodi was on our agenda too and we enjoyed some of our purchases with dinner in the evenings. A trip to Modesto for some shopping, particularly to Stewart and Jasper for almonds in the shell, was fun. We have really turned a lot of people onto those almonds! We also had a delicious woodfired pizza at Bella Luna downtown Merced for our final dinner together.

Melissa and me in Yosemite Valley

Mom and Dad
We were able to convince my mom and dad to extend their trip to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons to join us for a long weekend at some tent cabins near Tuolumne Meadows. Our good friends Heather and Joe offered to dog sit the huskies, so we had peace of mind the entire weekend. The Tioga Pass section of the park is so gorgeous it deserves its own blog post, so expect more from that trip later.

Mom and Dad on Lembert Dome

Heidi, Barry, Ben, Leah and Grace
My sister Heidi and her family were able to spend their 4th of July week of vacation with us and we had a terrific time! We tried to break up driving days with swimming days to give the kids a break. We saw the classic sites in Yosemite and also spent some time near (and in - for the kids) the Merced River. We spent the 4th swimming and grilling and watched the fireworks in Atwater at the old Castle Airforce Base parade grounds. We cooled off on Thursday by heading to Monterey and Carmel, with a stop at Casa de Fruta for snacks. Carmel Beach was gorgeous and the shopping on Cannery Row was great. We even checked out the 17 mile tour of the Pebble Beach area and saw the Lone Cypress. Our last day involved more pool time, with dinner at In 'N Out and cupcakes from Little Pink Boxes. That has to be the most fun that has been had in our pool in one week.

Barry and Grace in the Merced River - Yosemite Valley

Ben could almost reach across the tree tunnel in Mariposa Grove

Leah and Heidi waiting for fireworks

The Danielsons checking out the Pacific at Cannery Row

The only remotely bad thing about having all these wonderful visitors is that I now think the rest of the summer might seem anticlimactic. Sean and I will just have to find some more fun things to keep us occupied in and around Merced. I think that list of Yosemite hikes is around here somewhere...