When Dave was in Yosemite he called me up to confirm the fact that I had never been there. He was correct. I was born in California, have lived here my whole life, and had never been. I’ve wanted to go, of course, just never got around to it. Dave said, “We’re coming next weekend.” So, he booked us a yurt (sort of like a cabin) for the following weekend.
We had a great time! Our first hike was to Bridalveil Falls. We knew we’d get a little wet from the spray off the falls, but we weren’t really expecting this….

That's not really what I had in mind when I said I wanted to see waterfalls.
I think it was on this first hike that Carina discovered her newest passion in life though: rock climbing. We have a pretty strict “No Carrying” rule while we hike. This means that hiking takes awhile since we have to slow down for Carina’s breaks and dawdle time. On this hike it was all about the rocks….every one she could find, she climbed up. She was pretty good at it too. Next, we did our best to dry our clothes and we headed over to Yosemite Falls. The hike out to Lower Yosemite Falls is nice and has lots of rocks…

Rock Climbing with Daddy
The waterfall is beautiful, and luckily for Carina, the spray was not quite as dramatic…

Family Photo
We had worked up quite an appetite, so we found a nice spot to have our picnic lunch. Carina was a little worn out so we decided to drive up to Glacier Point so she could have a bit of a nap in the car (and maybe Mommy had a bit of a nap too). The view from Glacier Point was amazing…

Yosemite Valley from Glacier Point
After a visit to the small museum and gift shop, we headed back to the yurt for hotdogs and s’mores. Yum! The following morning we headed over to the Happy Isles Nature Center. There is another little museum and nature center with lots of interesting information. My fourth graders finished up the year with our unit that covers rocks, minerals, and erosion. I kept thinking about what amazing natural forces shaped the valley and was happy to learn more about it. Then we did the Happy Isles hike which was the best place yet for toddler rock climbing…

So happy!
The hike covers two small islands in the Merced River. The river was running very fast, but we found a small alcove perfect for playing in. Carina had fun taking off her shoes and socks and playing in the mud…

That's some COLD water!
After that it was time for lunch. We found a nice little spot in the woods and ate…

Yum!
We made a final stop at the Tunnel View lookout area and then started the drive back home. Carina passed out pretty quickly in the car and slept for quite awhile. Overall, we had an amazing time and are already looking forward to a return trip!