My sister-in-law is married, and I have a new brother-in-law! Natalie and Joe’s wedding was this weekend, and it was truly marvelous. We had great weather, delicious food, so much good time with family, beautiful New England surroundings… some of my favorite things, and such an emotional high that coming back to real life is a bit difficult!

I mentioned on instagram that the groom’s aunt had pulled us aside in the dancing portion of the evening to tell us we looked like such a happy couple, and to remind us to enjoy each other. First of all, I was so touched by the unexpected kindness and generosity of her going out of her way to encourage us – always a great reminder to me as I go about my days and interact with people who might need encouragement of their own.

Second, her words have really been resonating with me over the last few days. When you find the one you love, don’t forget to enjoy each other. To the best of your ability, don’t hold grudges or get annoyed over little things or get so absorbed in what you’re doing that you ignore the person in front of you (speaking to myself here, mostly). As much as you can, just enjoy the time you’ve been given with him or her.

More photos to come, as the lovely and talented Meredith Perdue was on hand to capture the day’s festivities!

Our itinerary for day five looked like this:

— drive to Yosemite (about 3.5 hours)
— explore Yosemite
— stay overnight in Yosemite

As you can see, things for this portion of our trip weren’t planned out as intensely as other legs! John visited Yosemite in high school, so we figured we’d rely on his experience and play our days by ear, especially since activities in the great outdoors don’t require reservations.

Our first stop once we reached the park was Mariposa Grove, which is just inside the park boundaries. Mariposa Grove contains about 500 mature giant sequoias, thought to be the largest living things on Earth. The oldest may exceed 3,000 years in age!!

Since we arrived later in the day, we decided to do a shorter hike of just the lower grove, past the Fallen Monarch, the Bachelor & Three Graces, Faithful Couple, Clothespin, Tunnel Tree, and the Grizzly Giant. They were all very impressive, and we had fun amusing ourselves :)

After we completed the circuit, we hopped back into the car and drove about an hour and a half into the park proper. (I was surprised it took so long, but obviously Yosemite is massive!) Of course we stopped at Tunnel View to take in the awe-inspiring look at the valley floor:

Since we flew to California, we opted to stay in the tent cabins at Curry Village instead of camping in our own tent. Tent cabins consist of a wooden frame, floor, and door with canvas sides and roof. Ours had two cot-style beds that came with sheets, wool blankets, pillows, and towels. Each tent has a light, but no electrical outlets, telephones, televisions, or plumbing (there are five common bathrooms). Needless to stay, Camp Curry was not as luxurious as some of our other stops along the way, but we were prepared and ready to rough it! Besides, the natural grandeur of Half Dome and Glacier Point looming directly over the camp are luxury enough.

The dining options in Camp Curry are pretty basic – we chose pizza the first night. It was chilly on the valley floor, and we both had a tough time sleeping because we were so cold. Apparently we weren’t the only ones, because when we tried to buy hand warmers the next day, they were sold out! The bathrooms were heated and the water was warm, so I may have stayed a bit longer than necessary in the shower :)

We did make it through the night, though, and woke up bright and early for a day of exploring! First, we took the free shuttle to the base of the Mist Trail, one of Yosemite’s signature hikes. The Mist Trail consists of a few segments. Many folks hike up to the bridge below Vernal Falls – about 1.5 miles – and then turn around. Others choose to hike to the top of Vernal Falls, which adds another mile. Finally, some choose to hike to the top of Nevada Falls, which adds another 3 miles, plus 5 miles back down via the John Muir Trail. When John previously visited with his family, he hiked to the top of Vernal but not Nevada, and so he was really hoping to complete the whole loop. I was a bit nervous, so we decided to play it by ear.

Happily, the views are spectacular no matter how far up you go!

We made it to the base of Vernal Falls without too much difficulty, so then it was on to the section of the Mist Trail that gives it its name. You really do get soaked, and the trail is pretty slippery and precarious at times! No hand rails for most of it.

We still felt good after we reached the top of Vernal, so we decided to go all the way! The last three miles up to the top of Nevada actually were pleasantly doable – the trail dips in and out of the sun, so we didn’t get too hot, and we took lots of water and scenery-viewing breaks along the way. It was definitely worth it.

This guy. Trying to give me a heart attack.

This is as close as I wanted to get to the edge – and only flat on my stomach. I was still whimpering. In fact, just looking at this photo makes my palms sweaty.

After a snack break, it was back down to the parking lot via the John Muir Trail, which afforded beautiful views of Nevada Falls looking back.

Our hike back down was otherwise pretty uneventful. After a quick lunch at Curry Village we headed back out to take a peek at Mirror Lake.

Sick of camp food, we opted for dinner in the bar at the Ahwahanee, the luxury hotel in the park. On the drive over from camp, we saw one of the sweetest and most beautiful sights – deer bedding down for the night in an open, grassy field. All we could see was their little heads poking up above the tall grass!

We then drove the hour up to Glacier Point to catch the sunset. It might sound kind of silly to drive an hour just for a view, but trust me, this one was worth it. I’ve never seen such a majestic panorama. Our world is such a beautiful place! Pictures absolutely cannot do it justice.

After a warmer second’s night sleep, our last view on the drive out of the park was the beautiful Yosemite Falls. Someone commented on my instagram that it was “such an American view,” and I completely agree. Visiting Yosemite made me even more proud of our amazing country!

With that, we were on to our last stop: San Francisco!

Day one: Malibu, Ojai, Montecito
Day two: Santa Barbara, Montana de Oro, Cayucos
Day three: Cambria, San Simeon, Big Sur
Day four: Carmel and Monterey

Feels good to be back in California! :) When last we left off, John and I were in the quiet and beautifully green woods of Big Sur. We woke up in our little cabin in the woods and set off for an early morning hike at Pfeiffer Falls.

The two-mile hike lead to a valley view first, then down to a pretty waterfall. I was so glad we were there in the morning – the towering redwoods made it feel a bit like we were in an enchanted forest.

Rounding a corner in the trail on our way back up, I found myself face to face with a baby deer!! She didn’t seem at all concerned at the sight of me, and continued her leisurely walk down the trail. Once she was about six feet from me, though, she decided that it might be unwise to walk directly past me, so she cut through the switchback instead. We watched her continue down the trail to the waterfall at a stately pace, open-mouthed. I don’t think I’ve ever been so close to a deer!

We grabbed a yogurt and granola parfait to go from the state park lodge and brought it back to eat by the Big Sur River at Glen Oaks before getting back on the road.

Our next destination, Carmel, was only about 45 minutes north of Big Sur. We stopped at several turn-outs along the way, including the famous Bixby Bridge (to the left in the photo below!). As you can see, it was another beautiful day, but windy on the Pacific Coast Highway!

We arrived in Carmel with time to walk its shaded and lovely streets before sitting down to lunch. To us, Carmel felt European, classic, and sedate. The feel is definitely more “old money” than “hip” – lots of cute fairytale-looking houses with names. We stopped briefly by the Carmel Mission, but chose not to go inside (there is an entrance fee).

After lunch, we left Carmel briefly to head next door to the Monterey Bay Aquarium! We had heard great things about it. While it was neat and the location can’t be beat (perched on a tide pool!), we agreed that we wish we had spent our time elsewhere, if only because we had seen otters and seals in the wild so recently and impressively!

If we hadn’t spent the time and money at the aquarium, it might have been neat to kayak in Monterey, but honestly, once we reached our destination for the night, we realized we would have been thrilled to spend even more time there! From the minute we drove onto Carmel Valley Ranch’s property, we knew it was special. (The frolicking deer and wild turkeys that accompanied our drive up the hill might have been a giveaway.)

Carmel Valley Ranch was without a doubt a splurge, but we had some Jetsetter credits squirreled away from birthdays and holidays that made it more palatable. However, John would want me to add that he thinks it’s a bargain at almost any price (and I would agree). That was at least in part due to the size of our suite’s bathroom:

After checking in and dropping off our luggage, we headed out to the Huff ‘n Puff Trail, one of several routes on their 500-acre property. We were captivated and delighted from the first step!

We were, indeed, huffing a bit as we made our way up several hundred feet through trees draped with trailing lace lichen. I tried out some poses as we caught our breath on the yoga platform at the top of the property.

I was incredibly delighted to see that CVR offered their weekly hilltop class at the civilized hour of 10am, instead of the ridiculous crack of dawn time-slot usually reserved for yoga. Much appreciated by people like me, who love their sleep! I would have LOVED to take a class, but they’re only offered on Saturdays, and we were there on a Wednesday.

We followed various trails through the rest of the main property, including the vineyard, the lavender fields, and the vegetable garden. They even have chickens!

There are several tree swings throughout the property, and I thoroughly enjoyed them.

On our way back to our room, we had another wildlife encounter! We saw a herd of deer mix with a herd of wild turkeys, and surprisingly, the turkeys came out on top.

After our hike we changed and got ready for dinner. Our suite was within walking distance of the main complex, which included the Lodge restaurant and the main pool. I loved the design of the restaurant – it was the perfect balance of rustic cabin and modern openness, with a giant bar and fireplace anchoring the space. I couldn’t find a great photo, but here’s a peek:

Our dinner was leisurely and absolutely delicious all around – one of our favorites on the trip. Like many California restaurants, the Lodge uses as many local and in-season ingredients as possible (many from their own property!), and you could taste how fresh everything was. We finished our evening with s’mores around a fire pit, then a dip under the stars in the infinity hot tub, open 24 hours a day!

Spoiler alert: our time at Carmel Valley Ranch was over much too soon! But we were on to great things, so we couldn’t be too sad. Yosemite is up next!

Day one: Malibu, Ojai, Montecito
Day two: Santa Barbara, Montana de Oro, Cayucos
Day three: Cambria, San Simeon, Big Sur

All photos personal except restaurant and infinity tub photos!

Contrary to appearances, I have not abandoned my blog. I got back after midnight last night from eight days of traveling, and though I had hopes to continue my California posts while on the road, it just didn’t happen. And that’s okay! Carmel and Monterey will be up next (and there will be photos and text when I finally get my act together – ha!), but in the meantime, let’s talk monthly goals!

Boxes of peaches at Kalawi Farms in Eagle Springs!

First, a little note about the fact that it’s July. Like many other people, I have the tendency to say the following or similar:
Where has the time gone?!
This year is flying by!
This year is almost over!
The summer’s basically over, and before we know it, it will be fall!

I’ve recently decided that phrases like these can not only become self-fulfilling prophecies, but they can feed into the manic tendency of our culture, normalizing the urge to always be on to the next thing. It’s July 1 – summer is NOT almost over. I’m trying to cut these phrases out of my conversation as a mini rebellion, and am interested to hear what you think :)

June goal recap:
Install a rain barrel (Still not done… our house budget is recovering. Adding it to July!)
Finish taking house photos and post tour (Photos are 75% done? Hoping to post in July.)
Finally buy Cuyana bag Yes!! Observant readers spotted it in this photo.
Hang new mirror in our powder room (Mirror purchased – yet to be hung.)
Finish preparing for and co-host a baby shower and a few other very fun events Yes! So much fun.
Pay off our second car loan and celebrate becoming debt free aside from our mortgage! Hooray!
Set a date for our Blacksburg adventure (I have an email in my inbox waiting for a response – underway!)

July goals:
— Install a rain barrel
— Finish taking house photos and post tour
— Finalize and print last third of household maintenance doc
— Clean out our “art storage room” – hang everything we like and organize/donate/sell/get rid of the rest
— Pick blueberries
— Celebrate John’s birthday!

Keeping things simple to hopefully have a 100% success rate! If you’ve posted your monthly goals, I’d love to take a peek.