I’ve been home roughly 24 hours and am already longing to be back in Yosemite. Funny how a place can get to you like that.
This trip to the family cabin was the first in which I began to feel a circle completing itself as I watched my kids play in the same places I did when I was young.
Maybe it’s because the big explorer is a year older; maybe it’s because the little explorer is a year older and our family of four is now complete. Whatever the reason, I realized they were really getting it – just how special this place is. Not just to those who visit once or twice in their lifetime. But to me and to those in my family who came before.
I’ll be posting a ton of info in the weeks ahead about our adventures in a series I’m calling “Where to Go in Yosemite With Kids.”
But for now, I just want to reminisce about some of moments that made this trip one I won’t soon forget.
The little explorer took his first hike.
Sure, he took several spills and has the scraped knees to prove it. But darned if that kid wasn’t determined to walk the trail with the rest of us. Our days of toting him around in a backpack carrier are clearly over.
The ladybugs were out en masse.
We witnessed something I’d never seen before just outside our cabin’s front door. Thousands of ladybugs migrating right in front of us! We watched mesmerized for about an hour.
We celebrated July 4th old-school style.
The Wawona Pioneer Yosemite History Center hosted a bunch of events that brought the place back to life. This is where I learned how to milk a cow, make a candle, bake cornbread and create rock people.
These days, those activities are all but gone. But the holiday festivities brought in the crowds and the fun just as I remember it. There were stagecoach rides, picnic games (picture three-legged races, egg tosses and a tug-o-war), singing, a barn dance and even a campfire. Oh yeah, the staff were all adorned in period costumes.
The big explorer’s imagination took flight.
Before this trip, he thought the idea of forest fairies was ridiculous. Honestly. But after spending more than a week outdoors in the forest, he began to see things a little differently.
His imagination came to life. He built a fairy house, made mudcakes, brewed up a magic potion and hoped every night that the forest fairies would come visit his latest creation.
The kids embraced my old watering hole.
It’s a spot reserved for Wawona locals. One far less crowded than others in Yosemite Valley. I’d kept this place a secret from them until this year without even realizing it.
But once they saw it, they were in heaven. They threw rocks, fished with sticks, splashed around in the very cold water and hunted for the perfect river rock to save as their very own. They couldn’t get enough of it.
We witnessed full waterfalls, beautiful wildflowers and butterflies at every turn.
This June in Yosemite is one of the most beautiful I have ever witnessed, one I won’t ever forget. The late spring snowstorms translated into gushing waterfalls the likes of which I’ve never seen.
It also meant spring was a little prolonged, allowing us to see lush green meadows, wildflowers aplenty and loads of butterflies in July. I took plenty of pictures to prove it.
Debi says
@James: Lucky you – I hear it's beautiful! 🙂
James says
Just got back from Yosemite! Had a great time – thanks for sharing your experience!
Debi says
@Lora: We had such a special trip. Wish we could make it back again this summer, but it doesn't look like it. Maybe November? Now that would be different! Glad you enjoyed the read.
Lora says
With your tradition of going back to the same spot(s) year after year, I was wondering what would make this year feel different. I LOVED this post and can't wait to read more details on each place. What a great tradition to share with family (and us friends!) Fantastic pictures too. And welcome home!
Debi says
@Crystal: Yosemite is a special place for our family & this year was full of priceless memories — first hikes, forest fairies, ladybugs, lazy days on the river & more!
semicrunchymama says
This sounds like it was such an incredibly memorable vacation! You're creating lasting memories with your boys — that's priceless!<br /><br />Your boys must have been blown away seeing the hundreds of ladybugs! And I love that your Big Explorer experienced the magic of forest fairies!
Debi says
@Carolina: Seeing the ladybugs was amazing — perhaps because it was one of those totally unexpected events that makes traveling so worth it.<br /><br />@Mel: Thanks for wishing me a speedy return. It's nice to have a kindred nature spirit. And yes, the boys LOVED the ladybugs!
Mel says
It sounds like such a wonderful trip! I can't wait for you to go back. We camped in Yosemite a bunch while I was growing up. While we weren't locals, I definitely feel an affinity with Yosemite that I only have for a few other parks.<br /><br />When I worked in Sequoia one summer the ladybugs were migrating. There were (seemingly) millions of them on the rocks along Crystal Creek. It was
Carolina says
I love this and am looking forward to reading more of your Yosemite insights. I would have loved to see that ladybug migration, tres cool.