Yosemite

The Boren's set out on our first real, official, Chevy Chase style family vacation with 2 kiddos and a fully loaded minivan. We left San Diego on Sunday the 17th and arrived at our rented cabin in Mariposa 8+hours later. Not too bad considering we stopped for coffee at Einstein's (vacation + long drive requires delicious coffee!), lunch and playtime at McDonald's, and a worthless stop at the great Tulare Outlet Center (115degrees to boot!). The house had a huge swimming pool and a separate hot tub...we spent several days just lounging around the house, in and out of the pool, napping and relaxing. Other days we drove along the Merced River into Yosemite Valley and enjoyed breathtaking views of nature. We rented bicycles and rode the 12 miles of paved roads through the valley - that was the best way to see the most in a short amount of time. We went on short hikes and got to see Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls. It was a beautiful trip and we really enjoyed being out in the middle of nature with no city sounds at all. There were deer, squirels, bunnies and turkeys that frequented our cabin, they were there each morning and afternoon. ________________________________ Yosemite Valley

Rhett often had the best seat in the house

Mirror Lake

Mirror Lake...the water is freezing (snow melt) but that didn't stop Ellie!

Yosemite Falls

Half Dome

Stopped for a break on the way back from Lower Yosemite Falls

_______________________________________ Glacier Point There's a funny story about Glacier Point...one day after quite an adventure in the park, Brant wanted to drive to see Glacier Point "on the way out". I didn't really pay attention to the distance (and to his credit he did tell me). The kids had definitely had enough "nature appreciation" for the day and immediately fell asleep in the van. Once they were out it didn't matter so much where we drove or for how long we drove. At least that's what I thought when we started out. Turns out Glacier Point is quite a ways off, further than either of us realized...16miles down a 2 lane super curvy mountain road, AND we were behind a tour bus. Awesome. Brant kept saying it was going to be worth it. We kept threatening that it had BETTER be worth it...it took over an hour to get to Glacier Point and I knew the kids hadn't had a long enough nap. Brant wanted to get out and take pictures...although it was beautiful I chose to stay in the car with the sleeping children and pray they didn't wake up. As you can see, it IS beautiful...but now we joke about Glacier Point!

______________________________ Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias

We tried hard...and this was the best picture we got! ________________________________________ Cabin Fun

Wild Turkey Friends

Look how close they came!

_____________________________________ Merced River One day the kids wanted to stay at home and play in the pool, so Brant headed off to explore the Merced River by himself. It's gorgeous, the water is so clear, and he's looking forward to getting back up there on a fishing trip!

Looking back, these pictures don't do justice. The natural beauty is breathtaking, and the family memories are priceless. Guess we were too busy having fun and enjoying each other to take more pictures. All in all we had a fantastic trip, and are looking forward to the next family vacation!