Photo Friday – View from the Swinging Bridge

We recently visited Yosemite National Park to check out the waterfalls.  This time of year they are usually gushing and raging full force.   The last time we visited the falls was June of 2010 at that time they were raging and gushing overflowing most of their natural streambeds. This year after 3 consecutive years of drought like conditions in California it is a good thing we went early in the year to view them.  They were magnificent but significantly less in velocity and power.  I imagine by June they will be down to mere trickles which is how they generally appear by late fall.  If you love to visit to see the falls I recommend you go now! 

Happy New Year!

Historic Columbia At Christmas Time

Up in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada is a quaint little gold rush town that has been preserved as a State Park.  Columbia State Historic Park is just off California’s infamous Gold Country Highway 49.  They call it a “Living Gold Rush Town”  as it is still in operation with residents, hotels, saloons, restaurants, theaters where you can enjoy a live production, ice cream parlors, and of course many boutique shops.  The vendors and street performers are dressed in period attire and a ride on a stagecoach can make you feel as though you are reliving history.  From the Central Valley it is an easy drive to get to and a budget friendly place to go for a picnic and outing since it is free admission and free parking.  
Christmas time is one of my favorite times to go.  The decorations are simple and rustic, and on a crisp winter day it is the perfect place to step away from the holiday rush and be reminded of simpler times.  During the month of December you will find many holiday festivities to enjoy on the calendar.  A few years ago we took some family friends visiting from Germany there for a day.  The little 4 year old boy went home with dreams and fantasies of American Cowboys in his head. 

Street Vendors	Watching Candy Canes being made.

Old Fashioned Stagecoach rides	Pulling up to the old Wells Fargo Bank.

Rustic Decorations

Father Christmas	Crafts for the kids

A wonderful cousins day memory

Photo Friday–Eagle Lake California

Here is an oldie with my Sister-in-law.  For years my family along with my mom and dad and brother’s family would spend every Memorial Day weekend up at Eagle Lake in the North East California area of Susanville.  The men would get up and go fishing all day. Eagle Lake Trout is some of the best fish you will ever eat if you can catch it.  There were many trips we didn’t and nothing taste quite as good when you are hoping for something else.  The women and children spent the day exploring the area, hitting garage sales, and shopping in Susanville.  Our first trips Beth and I didn’t even have kids yet.   This picture is from one of those long ago days while we were exploring the cemetery in Susanville.  I can’t believe how young we look because I’m sure we don’t look any older now.  Right? 

Photo Friday–Yosemite National Park

In 2010 We took a day trip to the park on the first day of Summer Vacation.  The creeks were wild and rapid as the runoff from the melting snow had the falls at their peak performance.

Photo Friday–Daffodil Hill

Daffodil Hill in Volcano California.  What a beautiful place this is to visit.  This was were we spent Easter Sunday afternoon last year.   This mountain homestead was established in 1887 and after a hundred years of nurturing and planting there are well over 300,000 bulbs covering this lush 4 acre farm.  You can visit during the daffodil season from March thru mid April. 

Photo Friday. Mount Shasta

This is the view of Mount Shasta traveling on Interstate 5 south.  I took this on the way back from Shady Cove Oregon a few summers ago. 

Photo-Friday Central Valley California

This is the view from My Morther-in-law and Father-in-law’s front porch.  It is always fills me with peace.  They sit on mountain overlooking the California Central Valley. 

Long Barn Lodge Ice Skating Rink

My children love to ice skate.  We don’t have a rink close by so for them it is a rare treat.  This winter my brother and his family invited us to spend the weekend with them in a cabin at Long Barn in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.  The kids jumped at the chance to enjoy the historical ice skating rink at the Long Barn Lodge.  The lodge was built in 1925 however the ice skating rink has only been around for just over forty years. 
It’s very rustic appearance fits with the rest of the lodge and makes for a casual and family friendly place to learn to ice skate.  It wasn’t crowded and was affordable since the tickets were for the full day.  So, the kids could skate awhile go back to the cabin for lunch and then skate some more. 
Here are some pictures of our day.

Photo Friday: Vikingsholm Castle South Lake Tahoe

It’s a mile walk to this beautiful location the only catch is that it is an extremely steep grade. So, while getting there is not a problem getting back out will be a test of endurance.

Photo Friday: Lake Tahoe Emerald Bay

A Day in Yosemite

School is out and we needed a way to start our Summer off with a bang. So, we took off to spend the day in Yosemite. The falls are extraordinary this year due to the heavy rainfall and snow pack. Since we still have fairly young children we were looking for some falls that we could get up close to without having to worry about if our little ones were going to make it. We chose Bridal-Veil Falls and Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls. Both of these hikes are well paved and easy to walk to. Bridal is slightly more steep but still under a mile. We started at Bridal-Veil. The path was partially overflowing due to flooding and we had to wade through it. The water was ice cold. Thank God we all had our water shoes on. I was amazed at the awesome power of the falls. We had to zip up our sweat shirts and wear our hoods to keep from getting completely soaked. The force of the wind felt like you were in a major hurricane when you were at the base of falls. Quite an experience. The day was sunny so we had plenty of opportunity to dry out as we hiked the easy trails around the base of the falls. Next up was Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls. The hike to these falls is level and easy with plenty of picture opportunities. Once at the base they are equally as breathtaking and powerful as Bridal-Veil. The base of these falls makes a great picture stop if you can stand the winds and mist long enough to pose for one. We picnicked close enough to walk to the Indian museum and Curry village where we spent the rest of our afternoon stopping for ice cream before leaving the park.