However, the last time we went, we only had about a four hour drive from the SF Bay Area. Since we're now in So. Cal., the trip topped out at about 7 hours each way. Thank God for in-car DVD players (or, as Nick called it, TV). Here is Nick happily cruising along watching one DVD or another. (You can also see all our junk in the packed car!!)
We stayed in the Housekeeping Camps again. This year our tents were next to the road instead of the river, which was sort of a bummer. Not only were we near cars going by (which really weren't too bad), we were also near the edge of the forest where lots of animals like to live. And so, our first night in camp, a visitor in the shape of a big black bear decided to say hello. He stayed on the opposite side of the road.
It's kind of hard to see the bear in this picture, he sort of looks like a dark stump. But it gives you an idea as to where he was versus where we were. I was standing at our camp and the two people in the picture (Dina & Sean) were up on our side of the road.
Later in the trip we had much more welcome visitors. A doe and her two fawns. The fawns still had their spots. It was initially a little worrisome that the deer were fairly tolerant of humans but I then remember that there is no hunting in Yosemite, so they're probably pretty safe. From humans, that is. Mountain lions, not so much.
They had opened the rafting on the Merced River about two weeks before we were there. So the river was a little faster than last time, but still mellow enough that we could bring Nick. Although he was not officially allowed - you have to be over 50 lbs. to go on. We snuck him on though. It was SUPER hot while we were there - in the 90's. So Nick was perfectly happy standing in the very cold water on one of our pit stops along the river. And, of course, each pit stop required at least five minutes of rock throwing (his little hands are filled with rocks).
The McMillins cruising the river.
The ladies of the river - left to right: Betsy, Bonnie, Jocelyn, Margaret, Dina and Katie.
The gentlemen of the river - back left to right: Sean, Scott M., Kevin, Scott W., Jon, Brook, Cary. Front left to right: Evan, Nick, Kyle & Noah.
The fam eating lunch riverside.
Mommy & Nick cruisin'.
Back at the camp, Sean decides to use Nick as an armrest. Nick LOOOOOVES Sean, so he doesn't mind (too much).
Yosemite Falls
How Nick spent our visit to Yosemite Falls
Falls take two
Half Dome. A bunch of the guys on the trip climbed up there on Monday. Not sure I'd want to - a little steep!!
All (well, almost all) the kids getting ready to play some sort of frisbee game.
Frisbee is now in hand.
John O'Malley giving the "rules" to said frisbee game. I don't think Nick cared. He was likely thinking "Throw the frisbee already!!"
Group picture - we were a big group!!
What happens when candy is around and kids are left to make their own dinner - a red vine burrito by Sean.
Yummmm, s'mores....
On our last night, the local wildlife decided to come bid us adeiu. Another big bear came by. We're not sure if this was the same bear who greeted us on our first night, but we do know that this one came MUCH closer to our tent. He was on our side of the road, came straight for our tent but then I think decided there were too many people around, so he took a right turn and went past the bathroom & over to the next cabin over. Here he is just going behind a tree - dang it if the camera was just a smidge too late to catch him in full.
The bear strolled alongside our neighbors tent - the resident of the tent heard everyone yelling (the Park Rangers instruct you to yell "BEAR" loudly when you see one so they can come scare the bear off). So our neighbor comes around the corner of his tent, only to come face to face with the big bear not 10 feet from him. The look on his face was priceless. I'm thinking he probably had to change his underwear after that.
Only a few moments later the guy in the picture below came running through the camp with a rubber pellet gun and the bear scattered back across the street. He came back through our camp and we talked to him for a few minutes. He told us it was a 7 year old male and it would likely be back later. Sure enough, about a half hour or so after we went to bed, another bear came through the campground. We didn't see him, but certainly heard all the ruckus when they were scaring it off. Makes it a bit hard to sleep!!
I'm sure Nick will LOVE that I'd post this picture, but couldn't help it. We're still working on potty training with Nick, so we brought his little potty along with us to make sure we'd have one on hand during our long drive. Sure enough... here he is on the side of the road in the foothills, happily playing with Mommy's phone, doin' his business.
A GREAT trip and can't wait to go back in 2012!!!
