Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park offers beautiful views of the valley below. We visited there today after work to take in the view and for a short hike. The hike was great, but we were bummed because the sign at the beginning said the falls were 1.5 miles away, but at the 1.5 mile mark there was another sign that said they were another .9 miles. By that point the sun was going down so we had to head back. We finished in nearly total darkness, with a beautiful view of the stars.
Today we went into Yosemite for the first time. After getting settled in we decided to do the Vernal Falls hike.
Susan’s parents, Gary & Kathie, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this past weekend. We all met in San Francisco for lunch on Sunday and then headed up to a house in Dillon Beach for a few days. It was a fun weekend. Erin & Cameron made the trip from Des Moines and Mary flew in from Kansas City. On Sunday we were joined by Kathie’s brother-in-law, Ron, and his son, Andrew. We actually visited Andrew on our honeymoon, dropping by his house outside of Portland.
Our time in Dillon Beach went quick. We spent Sunday getting moved and settled in. Then on Monday we hung out at the beach, enjoying the nice weather. On Tuesday we headed back toward San Francisco for an outing to Muir Woods.
One thing that I think is really cool about Seaside is that it is the area where Lewis & Clark finished their journey. Today we paid a visit to Lewis & Clark National Historical Park, which is really a collection of several national and state parks in the area. There is a great visitors center at Ft. Clatsop, which is a replica of the fort that the Corps of Discovery build for their winter stay.
Lewis & Clark embody many of the same principles that are part of our lives as well, especially on this trip. They loved nature and being outside. They liked to explore new places and learn about the plants and animals. They also met many new people and connected with many different cultures.
We spent this afternoon hanging out at the campground we are staying at. It is Log Cabin Resort, part of Olympic National Park. It has a small lodge, some boat rentals, lawn games, and a small beach. The weather is supposed to turn cooler again so we thought it would be fun to play in the water.
Today was a beautiful day to hike up Hurricane Hill for a view of Hurricane Ridge, and the surrounding area.
Our current campground is pretty amazing. It is in the National Park, on a large lake. The water is clear and cold and surrounded by mountains & hills. They actually close for the year on the day we leave and there is hardly anyone here.
Today after work we headed into the park for our first visit. We hit the Elwha River area for some short hikes.
After work today the kids and I headed into the park to complete their Junior Ranger requirements and to go to a rocky beach where we could play in the lake. About 5 miles into the park the smoke really became thick, but that didn’t stop us from having fun swimming, skipping rocks, and chasing minnows. It was a welcome site when we arrived back at our campsite to almost clear skies.
This evening we had a little time to go back in to the park so we went back to Sun Point. When we were there last night it was already dark. This evening we had some more time to explore.
