Yosemite

Branden and I love camping and have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of camping season. With the arrival of spring and beautiful weather (ok who am I kidding, it's always beautiful in California), we decided somewhat spontaneously to book a camping trip in Yosemite. We got a site in the valley the week before and planned to spend 2 nights. We arrived on Friday evening around 7pm and saw some amazing waterfalls as we drove into the park. Bridal Veil Falls and Yosemite Falls were both roaring! I had never seen them so strong in person and this was Branden's first visit to Yosemite.

We quickly set up our tent and gear since we were trying to beat the dark and we finished just in the nick of time!

On Saturday we woke up with the sun and cooked some breakfast burritos with steak! They were so delicious!

After breakfast we went off to go on a hike. We decided to do the Mist Trail and go to the top of Vernal Falls. The views were absolutely gorgeous and I could not believe how beautiful the waterfalls were. We made it to the top and hiked a little further so we could see Nevada Falls. Then we turned around to head back to camp for lunch!

 Yosemite Falls in the distance

 There was still snow at the top of the mountains.

We got wet on the Mist Trail but it wasn't as bad as I expected 

 View from the top of Vernal Falls

 Nevada Falls in the distance.

Back at camp we enjoyed relaxing and soaking in the sun. It was about 75 degrees so the weather was just perfect. We brought a dartboard along and nailed it to a tree and got to play some darts. We also brought our TRX along and did some upper body workouts with the TRX.

After we were rested we took the shuttle to Yosemite Falls and jogged the path to the lower falls. I was amazed at how beautiful the two falls (Lower and Upper) look when they actually have water!

 Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls

 At the base of Lower Yosemite Falls (we actually felt the mist from this waterfall too)

On our way back we decided to run across the field to get to a bus stop that was further along and closer to our campsite. I was able to snap a beautiful photo of Half Dome as well as a deer that was grazing in the field. It also proved to be another great photo spot for Yosemite Falls.

It's amazing how small Lower Yosemite Falls looks when you compare it to Upper Yosemite Falls

When we got back to the campsite we got a fire going and began dinner. We spoiled ourselves this trip with another steak meal. We had steak, potatoes, and asparagus. The steak being cooked over the fire was DELICIOUS! We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner. There is nothing quite like cooking over a campfire :-)

Sunday came along and we cooked breakfast (pancakes and eggs today) and packed up our stuff. We were planning to hike to Mirror Lake but both of us just decided to skip it and head back home. As always the weekend went by too quickly but we had a great time. I can't wait to go camping again this year and go back to Yosemite in the future!

A Weekend in the City

Branden and I had quite the eventful weekend! On Thursday night, Branden's friend, Carson, decided to take a trip to visit us before he gets deployed to Kuwait. Branden and Carson were roommates while they were stationed in Hawaii and haven't seen each other in awhile so I know Branden was thrilled when Carson decided to come out. We invited our friend, Tomas to join us, and since he also lives in the Bay Area, he decided to come along.

Carson had never been to San Francisco so Branden and I decided to do some of the more touristy things with him. It was great because neither of us had done anything like that since we have been living in Alameda and we loved seeing everything again (and a few new things).

On Saturday we headed over to the Golden Gate Bridge and went up to the lookout near Sausalito. It was a BEAUTIFUL day with absolutely no fog and a gorgeous view of the bay and city.

After we stopped at the bridge we drove through the city and went down Lombard Street. Since I was driving I didn't take any pictures but Carson said it was much cooler then he thought it would be.

Sunday was another beautiful day and after heading to a late breakfast at Ole's Waffle Shop in Alameda, we went into the city. We decided to visit the Painted Ladies near Alamo Square first. Since the weather was so  nice the park was packed with locals who were enjoying being in the sun and picnicking. We snapped a couple of photos and headed towards Fisherman's Wharf.

Our next stop was Ghiradelli Square. We bought some ice cream to-go and then walked along the water towards Pier 39.

At Pier 39 we watched the sea lions make noise, sunbathe, and play. We also got some great views of Alcatraz. The Grand Princess happened to be in port on Sunday so I snapped a photo of them leaving. I'm sure they felt lucky to be in San Francisco on such a nice day. However, it did make me want to take another cruise.

When we were heading back to the car we stopped to watch a street performance and the performers had Tomas participate in the activity. The performer did a flip over 7 guys laying on the ground (and yes he did land on his feet)!

Unfortunately the weekends always go by too quickly, but we all had a great time and are hoping to do it again soon! I'm sure Branden and I will take advantage of living so close to the city and explore new places on our own as well.