July 17-19 Disneyland!

We surprised the kids with a trip to Disneyland. This was a first trip to all of us. We stayed at Disneyland's Paradise Pier Hotel, which included a waterslide. Our package also included an extra hour in the park before general admission each morning. This meant us getting up at 6 each morning. That was definitely the most difficult part, especially on the third day! It was definitely worth it, though; there were practically no lines for anything.  We spent the first and third days in Disney's California Adventures and the second day in Disneyland.

Cars Land!
 

 

They were amazed that Lightning and Mater actually talked back to them.

Red.

Radiator Springs.

Radiator Springs at night.

Tractor.

Chip and Dale.

Raising treasure on Pirate Island.

 

A Bug's Life at the Pixar Parade.

Monsters' University at the Pixar Parade.

Andrew and Mater at the Pixar Parade.

Natalie was so tired at the end of day one, that she fell asleep at the dinner table.
I had to pick her up to keep her from falling out of her chair.

Natalie in front of Disneyland Castle.

Natalie really liked the princesses.

We met up with the Atkins/Jochheim family.

Pluto.

 

Splash Mountain

Disney dance party.

Fun at the hotel water slide.






















July 15-16 Sequoia National Park

We spent a couple of nights in Sequoia National Park (Dorst Creek Campground).  We basically just spent one day looking at the enormous trees and taking the Crystal Cave tour.  We all especially enjoyed the cave.



Inside a fire-damaged tree cavity.

The Crystal Cave.

July 11-13 Yosemite National Park

We arrived at Yosemite after a very long day's drive.  We took the scenic route down Highway 49 and saw several old gold mining towns.  We stayed the first night at the Yosemite View Lodge in El Portal.  It was a really nice place to stay, but we arrived so late, we really didn't get a chance to enjoy all the amenities, mainly the swimming pools and spas.  We ate dinner and did laundry well into the night.  That's about it.  The next morning, we drove into Yosemite Valley.  The crowds were not as bad as expected, and the famous monuments are so large, pictures don't really do them justice.



El Capitan

Next, we drove up into the high country through the middle of the park over Tioga Road to the Tuolumne Meadows.  All in all, we enjoyed this part of the park the most.  We loved all the granite slabs, trees growing in the fissures, and impressive views.  The meadows, however, were disappointing.  They are usually filled with color this time of year, but not this year.



Tree growing on the rock.

The kids love climbing on the rocks.

Half-Dome in the background.

Granite landscaping.

Lizard.

We camped that evening in a forest service campground that was adequate but absolutely filled with mosquitoes.  We're trying to be extra cautious with the mosquitoes, because Natalie, who attracts every mosquito for miles, ended up with a bad, bite-caused staph infection that spread all over her torso and thigh last year.  Anyway, we packed up in the morning and drove back into the park, stopping at Hetch Hetchy to have a look around the dam there.  The Hetch Hetchy resevoir is the drinking water source for much of the San Francisco Bay area.

On the dam.

Looking down from the dam.

After visiting Hetch Hetchy, we drove further south and went to the Glacier Point part of the park.  The views from up there were stunning.

A rare family photo with Half-Dome behind our heads.

We followed up our tour of Yosemite by visiting my cousin, Laura and her husband, Roman.  We had a very nice visit, and they treated us extremely well.  If you are ever in Oakhurst, California, check out their restaurant, Crab Cakes.  http://www.crabcakesrestaurant.com/

Laura's and Roman's dog, Vega

Andrew in their pool

Don't they have a nice pool?

Andrew has really become a great swimmer this trip.

Beautiful Natalie

July 9-10 Lassen Volcanic National Park

Most people we've met in California, who either live here or are visiting, know little to nothing about Lassen Volcanic National Park.  It really is a little gem.  Basically, it is a collection of peaks in yet another caldera (this seems to be a theme this trip) that contain a lot of geothermal activity, similar to Yellowstone.  We took a lovely little trail out to Bumpass Hell (great name!) to find some of these hotspots.  Mr. Bumpass visited the area about 100 years ago, hoping to make his fortune.  Unfortunately, he fell through the crust in this area and burned his leg in the boiling sulfuric acid, eventually losing the leg.

Lassen Peak

The boardwalk at Bumpass Hell.



A balanced rock at the trailhead to Bumpass Hell.