Tuolumne Meadows - Yosemite's High Country

 We have enjoyed many trips to Yosemite in the 14 months we have lived in Merced, but until June we had not yet experienced Yosemite's high country. My parents were able to join us to enjoy this amazing area. This trip is best documented in photographs. Thankfully we have my dad's to supplement our own pictures.

This gorgeous shot gives a perspective on how breathtaking the high country is.

Our tent (#16) at the Tuolumne Meadows tent cabins.

A view from inside our cozy tent cabin.

Our first hike was the Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias. One of three groves in the park.

Next stop - Olmsted Point, for the back view of Half Dome.

A group shot at Olmsted Point.

Soda Springs provided a short excursion into a historic piece of the Tuloumne Meadows area.

Day two had us hiking up Lembert Dome. Can you spot Sean at the top?

Dad, capturing Sean at the top.

For a change of scenery we then hiked along the Dana Fork of the Tuolumne River.

Day three led us to a wonderfully solitary hike around Tenaya Lake.

A downed tree provided great seating for a break mid-hike.

I opted for a spot on the sandy beach.

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...

Cesar Chavez Holiday Weekend in Carmel and Big Sur

The State of California kindly gave me an extra day off to honor the important work of Cesar Chavez.  The continued abuse of farm workers was always present as we drove through the San Joaquin and Salinas Valleys on our way to the coast.  While we did enjoy our holiday, we also renewed our commitment to sustainable farming - for the land and the workers.

A trip to the Monterey Peninsula wouldn't be complete without a stop at Casa de Fruta for a snack and leg stretch.  While I headed inside for drinks, Sean walked the dogs near the peacocks. They were enthralled.

Once in Carmel we headed straight for the dog-friendly beach at the end of Ocean Avenue to smell the sea and let the dogs feel the sand under their paws.  It was sunny and lovely.

That is Kodi's happy face

Sean napped with the dogs while I shopped the fabulous shops of Carmel.  Everyone got presents - Sean from Tommy Bahama and the huskies from Diggidy Dog.  Our hotel, the Carmel Mission Inn, welcomed dogs and had an awesome undersea mural with blue lights that shone on it above the bed.  The huskies were welcome at our lunch stop for burgers, but not our seafood dinner.  Carmel loves its dogs.

Fire on the patio at Carmel Mission Inn

Saturday threatened rain, but we had a hearty breakfast at Em Le's Cafe, including their "secret" syrup, and headed down Highway 1 to Big Sur.  The trees were lovely, but the rain prevented us seeing much of the coast.

Too rainy

We made it as far as Coast Gallery, where I picked up a cool photo of otters for my new office, and then headed back to Carmel for some rainy day wine tasting.  First we picked up some baguette, olives, and cheeses at the Carmel Cheese Shop, including our favorite from the last trip: Piedmont.  Tastings at Wrath and Cima Collina left us with a 4-pack and case, respectively.  The rain appeared to be letting up, so we headed back to change into sneakers and walk the huskies on the trail by the mission, but it once again began to rain, so instead we had an impromptu cheese and wine late lunch in the hotel room. Late dinner at Rio Grill deliciously ended a great day on the coast.

Sunday dawned clear and sunny so we made a quick stop at Crepes of Brittany at Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey and then headed down Highway 1 to see the sights.  Saturday's storm meant high surf warnings and the waves were spectacular!

Sunny day at Big Sur

Our trusty book, Dog-friendly Hikes in Central California, pointed us to Pfeiffer Beach where we had a blast soaking in the ocean sights, sounds, and smells.

This is Sean's happy face

The waves threatened to soak the trio, but Ili stood her ground

Can you spot the husky in this photo?

So many sniffs to sniff!

Sandy paws meant we found beach "souvenirs" in the travel kennels for the next week

What a great way to celebrate the end of Ili's radiation treatment and the almost end of Kodi's chemotherapy.  It was a glorious weekend on the coast!

Kiki Raina Tahiti Fete

This weekend the 33rd annual Kiki Raina Tahiti Fete was held at the Merced County Fairgrounds.  Dancers and drummers came from all over California, other states, and even other nations, to compete and celebrate Polynesian culture and dance.  Our friend was able to score us some 3-day passes from UC Merced Ohana (a campus group that promotes Hawaiian culture).  The dancers were amazingly talented and their costumes, which most made themselves, were incredible.  We enjoyed some island food and pina colada Hawaiian shave ice and did a little shopping - coconut shell jewelry and a new sarong for wearing by the pool. 

Unfortunately, given the fact that I only had my phone camera and did not want to block anyone's view of the dancers, my pictures don't do the event justice.  You'll have to come to Merced next March and experience it for yourselves. 

A teenage contestant wows the crowd.

The headdresses were amazing.

Delicious island wonton noodle soup.

Pina colada Hawaiian shave ice.

The group numbers were amazing.

Blossom Time

The fruit and nut trees are blossoming a little early this year due to the mild winter.  It is difficult to describe the extent to which Merced and the surrounding communities are filled with orchards in bloom.  There are pistachios, almonds, walnuts, plums, apricots, pluots, peaches, and more.  We took a short drive to see and smell the orchards and to walk through the falling almond blossoms.  The smell is almost sickeningly sweet and the falling, swirling petals reminded Sean of Japanese anime.  The most disconcerting thing is to stand still, listen, and both hear and feel the hum of bees.  They were too busy working to bother us, but we avoided their boxes nonetheless.  What a beautiful way to spend a Saturday afternoon in spring!