Spring Break Part 2 - Yosemite!

Holy Hannah, Yosemite is da bomb! I just had to put that out there, now I can get onto the other stuff.

As we left Sequoia, we headed to King's Canyon NP to see the General Grant Tree - the second largest tree in the world. It was nice, but a little anticlimactic after Sequoia. When we got out it was snowing like crazy. We took the short walk to the tree, walked through the "tree tunnel"(a hollow fallen tree) and made it back to the car to keep driving.

It was anticlimactic. Pretty, but a little "meh" compared to the Redwoods.

After we left Sequoia and romped around King's Canyon a little our final (and truthfully, main) destination was Yosemite. Neither Jim or I had really seen it, so naturally the kids hadn't either. All we really knew going into it were that there would be awesome glacial valleys and I knew half the photos from the Geology book I used in class would be staring at me in their natural glory. It was a chilly day when we arrived.

You'd have never known that was hiding around the bend.

We set up the tent in the snow, got crazy-hot hot chocolate from the lodge, cooked up some dinner, and hunkered down for a night safe within the walls of our tent. In the morning we woke to a snow covered tent and chilly feet. After a quick hot breakfast we headed out to ride the buses and see what we could see. Most of the park was closed for the winter and the parts we could see were filled with all the other crazy people who were also camping in the snow. The day turned out to be quite lovely and we headed to see Upper & Lower Yosemite falls on a couple instances.

Despite the cold beginnings, day 2 was really pleasant. I confess to be a little disappointed at how little of the park was open, and how little hiking we were equipped to do with little ones. The second night found us quite happily situated so we pulled out the roasting forks again for Peep S'mores! 

A few years ago I had to take a Geology trip over Easter weekend (It was my favorite professor who organized it, and I still harbor slight frustration over that.). On that trip I was introduced to the whole world of roasting that I had not encountered before. The few things that stuck with me were Peeps and starbursts. The funny thing about it is that I REALLY REALLY dislike peeps. I've long felt that they taste like dirt, but once they are roasted the sugar melts to a thin crispy shell not unlike the tops of creme brulee. Then the marshmallow in the middle is ultra-gooey which lends itself perfectly to a chocolaty graham sandwich. The kids loved them - even Ellie who found the "gooey part" of the original S'more to not be her favorite. Jim tried one, but I think he preferred the starbursts, roasted or not. 

The verdict was unanimous. We should definitely go back and the girls definitely want to go camping again. It's a good thing, because I don't think they have a choice otherwise :) Yosemite just might be one of my favorite places on Earth.