California Tour with Family - Yosemite, Day 3

On the third day of our tour, we traveled through the San Joaquin Valley to Yosemite National Park.  

If you have your photo taken in Yosemite,

you for sure want one with the famous Half Dome behind you.

(Narene and Sam) 

Here is a closer look at Half Dome.
For safety reasons, beginning in 2011, all hikers intending to ascend 
the cable route must obtain a permit before entering the park.
 About 50,000 hikers climb Half Dome every year.
Since the cable was installed in 1919, there have been six
fatalities; the most recent death occurred July 31, 2011.

 

El Capitan
About 3,000 feet from base to summit along its tallest face,
and one of the world's favorite challenges for rock climbers.

 

Yosemite Falls
This shows the Upper Falls; there are actually three sections
(Upper, Middle, and Lower).  It is the highest measured waterfall
in North America and is the sixth highest waterfall in the world
from the top of the Upper Falls to the base of the Lower Falls 
(total of 2,425 feet).



Yosemite Lower Falls
(Sam, Narene, Karen, Bill, and Phyllis)

Hiking along a trail in Yosemite after leaving Yosemite Falls.

(Sam and Bill)

Grove of Giant Sequoias in Yosemite

 
Phyllis admiring a Giant Sequoia tree

Another scenic spot in Yosemite

Replicas of Miwok Indian dwellings in Yosemite

Ahwahnee dining area at Yosemite Lodge at the Falls.

We looked around but did not eat here.

We stayed at the Yosemite View Lodge

along the Merced River, outside of Yosemite.

 This photo of the Merced River was taken from

our balcony at the hotel.

The Merced River is a 145-mile-long tributary of the

San Joaquin River flowing from the Sierra Nevada into the

Central Valley and flows through the southern

part of Yosemite National Park.

 Video of the Merced River 
below our hotel balcony.

 Blooming Redbuds at our hotel.

 On our way to Yosemite, we saw these hills

topped with many windmills.

A lake in the Sierra Nevada Mountains as we

traveled toward Yosemite.

While in Yosemite, I thought about my sister who had told me Yosemite was a very favorite place for her family to visit.  Our dear friend, Greg Shepard, also loves this national park.  Both he and my nephews have tales to tell about climbing Half Dome.  

In 2005 after our Nelson Reunion at Tehachapi, some of the Ireland families visited Sequoia and Yosemite.  We actually experienced more of Yosemite on that trip, because we were in cars rather than a bus and could stop whenever we wanted to take photos. 

On our fourth day of this tour, we drove to Monterey and visited the impressive Monterey Bay Aquarium.  That will be in my next blog entry.

California Tour with Family - San Francisco, Days 1 and 2

We have returned from a bus tour traveling down the California coast from San Francisco to Los Angeles with Sam's two sisters and a brother-in-law.  On April 14, we picked up Bill and Karen in Scottsbluff and drove to Denver where we stayed overnight with Scott and Kristine's family.  At 1:20 p.m. the next day, we flew from Denver to San Francisco where we were joined by Phyllis who flew there from her home in southern California.

Lone Sailor Memorial near the Golden Gate Bridge

in San Francisco. 

(Bill, Karen, Phyllis, Sam and Narene)

Our flight from Denver arrived in San Francisco at 3:05 p.m.  After getting registered in the Hilton Fisherman's Wharf hotel, we walked down to Fisherman's Wharf.  

When I used to work with the AYUSA foreign exchange program, our training meetings were held in San Francisco every other year and in another location the year in between.  Their main office was and still is in San Francisco.  During our tour, we drove past one of the locations where the AYUSA office had been:  One Post Street.  I went online to see if I recognized any of the staff, but they were all new faces since I left in 2003 except for the president and vice president.  It did bring back some memories, however, to be in San Francisco once again.

Alioto's seafood restaurant at Fisherman's Wharf.  

However, we ate at Boudin's. 

 

Boudin's Sourdough Bakery and Cafe

on Fisherman's Wharf.

I ordered clam chowder in a sourdough bowl.

Sourdough alligator displayed at Boudin's.

 

Some of the boats docked at Fisherman's Wharf 

with Yerba Buena Island in the background.

Masts of the Balclutha towering above the

Maritime National Historical Park at Hyde Street Pier.  
Some years ago when I had AYUSA meetings in San Francisco, 
Sam and Ron Simmons toured the Balclutha.
The ship was in the movie, "Mutiny on the Bounty,"
starring Clark Gable.

At 6:00 p.m., we had a short meeting with the Caravan Tour group and our tour director, Jane Veneman.  The next morning after breakfast, we boarded the tour bus for a brief sightseeing tour of San Francisco highlights.

  We were pleased with our tour director (Jane, in yellow jacket), 

our bus driver (Gina, in blue uniform), 

and the tour passengers (total of 46).

 A heart on one of the corners at Union Square Park.

It is likely an icon resulting from Tony Bennett's

 theme song, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco."  

Famous "Painted Ladies" on Postcard Row,

which are Victorian houses near Alamo Square.

San Francisco City Hall

The dome is 16 feet higher than the one in

Washington D.C. and decorated with real gold leaf.

It was completed in 1915 to replace the Old City Hall

which was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake and fire.

(Sam, Narene, Phyllis, Karen and Bill) 

  Pioneer Monument in Civic Center near City Hall.

The Fairmont San Francisco hotel on Nob Hill.

The country flags of the original signatories of the United Nations

are displayed above the entrance to commemorate

the role the hotel played as the venue for the drafting

of the charter for the United Nations.  The Fairmont's

Penthouse and most expensive accommodation

costs $12,500 per night.  The Venetian Room is where

Tony Bennett first sang "I Left My Heart in San Francisco."

China Town

Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge

After crossing the bridge, we stopped at the Golden Gate Bridge Overlook (where the first photo of this blog entry was taken of the five of us by the Lone Sailor Monument).  Then, we continued to Sonoma wine country where we had a tour of the Cline Cellars.

We enjoyed seeing the variety of plants, flowers, and trees

on our tour.  We frequently saw purple lupine.

 

 Cline Cellars entry gate.

On the opposite side of the street was the

Jacuzzi Winery, part of the same family on the maternal side,

whose grandfather is of the pump and spa fame.

 We toured the Cline Cellars and had a guide

explain how the grapes were grown and harvested

and how the wine was made.  They use sheep to

graze the ground cover between the plant rows to

keep it weed free, but they had it plowed now.

They have to remove the sheep before budbreak

so the sheep don't eat the grapes.

Tanks and oak barrels for storing the wine.

Sam and I visited the Cline museum while those

interested participated in the wine tasting.

This is one of the models of the 21 Spanish missions

that were built beginning in 1769 and for the next 50 years 

spanning 650 miles from San Diego to Sonoma.

The Spanish Mission models had been made in 1939

for the World's Fair at Treasure Island 

and were bought by the Cline family in 1998.

On the 5th day of our tour we visited the mission at Carmel.

The pond at Cline Winery

Returning to San Francisco from Sonoma, we had a cruise on San Francisco Bay and then had free time at Fisherman's Wharf.

We bundled up for our "Red and White Fleet" cruise 

on San Francisco Bay.

It was especially chilly while heading into the wind.

(Narene, Phyllis, Karen, and Bill; Sam took the picture.)

Brief video of wind and seagulls on San Francisco Bay cruise

Looking back at the San Francisco skyline

with the Transamerica Pyramid being the tallest

building, and to its left is seen the Coit Tower.

Golden Gate Bridge

 Going under the Golden Gate Bridge

Part of the San Francisco Bay Bridge

 Our boat went around Alcatraz.

Some years ago, I took a tour of Alcatraz 

and found it very interesting.

The opposite side of Alcatraz.

 Sea lions at Pier 39 on Fisherman's Wharf

This guy could twist his arms like they were 

made of rubber.

Video of the street entertainer

Sam and Bill chose to eat at the Wipe Out,

and I joined them after buying a crab cake

for my lunch from next door.  Phyllis and Karen

were nearby enjoying their selection.

 Next, we walked to Ghiradelli Square

where we ordered ice cream sundaes.

Sam and I shared a hot fudge peanut butter sundae.

As we ate it, we kept thinking we would eventually

get to the ice cream, but we were mainly eating

chunks of peanut butter and fudge; so I took it

back and asked for more ice cream to be added.  They gave

us a whole new sundae with three scoops of vanilla ice cream! 

(Phyllis and Karen)

Chocolate machine at Ghiradelli Square

A visit to San Francisco would not be complete

without riding one of the cable cars.

We got on a Powell and Hyde cable car near Fisherman's Wharf

and went to where Powell meets Market Street.  This is where

they manually turn the cable car on the turntable

for the return ride, which is interesting to watch.

Bill and Karen had been given a three-day pass, which they

showed the driver both going up and coming back down

and said we were with them.

We don't know how that works, but all five of us

were able to use the pass without paying the $6.00 a ride.

On our next day, we left San Francisco heading east into the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the San Joaquin Valley with a visit to Yosemite National Park.  That will be my next blog entry.

Easter Blessings

The good news of the Easter message is always a welcomed one as we celebrate that glorious first Easter morning when Mary Magdalene found the tomb empty and learned that Jesus had risen!  How blessed we are for His atoning sacrifice and resurrection.

Being with family is another welcomed blessing.  Curtis and Marla's family arrived on Saturday and returned to Mitchell on Monday afternoon.  We enjoyed having them come to spend Easter with us and Brent and Tauna's family.   At church in Rosebud, we enjoyed a special musical number from Maggie, Haley, Maren, and Rachel.  Roy and Barbie, Steve and Kennedy, and Chad and Trisha joined us for dinner after church.

 I vote for Marla to make her lemon cupcakes

an addition to our traditional Easter desserts.  I wish I

had thought about taking this photo when the tray was full, 

but the cupcakes were a popular item.

We always enjoy Barbie's lemon meringue pie each year, too.

Grandkids dying eggs in the garage.

(Sam, Maggie, Haley, Kennedy, Seth, Rachel, Maren, and Weston.  

Kennedy is the granddaughter of Roy and Barbie.)

The weather was very nice, and the annual

Easter egg hunt was outside.  Weston, Maren,

Kennedy, and Rachel show the success of their hunt.

Seth, Sam, Maggie, and Haley hid the eggs.

 Sam got the first piece of his birthday cake as we

sang "Happy Birthday" to him on Saturday,

April 7, a day after he turned 15. 

Tauna invited the kids to come and play with

Ginger's three-week-old puppies.

(Haley, Rachel, Maggie, Maren, Sam, Weston, Seth)

The day after Easter, the Barker family from

Rosebud came over to see the newborn calves

and had supper with us.

(Laura and Ryan with their cute children.

I enjoy their two older boys in my Primary class.)

Our bell has a new location.

Sam moved the bell over by the horse swing,

and put our family marriage tree where the bell had been.

How about a car restoration project?

This old car was moved to the home place

because the irrigation land over east is being sold.

We have two family events fast approaching.  We will be flying with Bill and Karen from Denver to San Francisco where Sam's other sister, Phyllis, will join the five of us for a bus tour ending up in Los Angeles.  Sam and I will be leaving the tour two days early, so we can drive to Saint George for the wedding of our granddaughter Brittney.  A bonus for us is being able to see my brother and his wife and son who live in Saint George.