Photo Essay of camping trip!

DAY 1: Drive from home to Visalia

Three across in the back seat.  These were their spots for 36 hours all together.

This was our home on wheels for 11 days.

Teeter totter fun, getting out the wiggles at the end of our first full day of driving.

DAY 2:  Visalia, Kingsburg, and Bravo Farms

Angels posing for Grammy's camera: Jacob, Piper, Addisyn

What a fun playground in Kingsburg.

Do these girls look Swedish to you?

Grandma Susan and girls on the Swedish horse in the Swedish town of Kingsburg.

DAY 3: Drive from Visalia to Yosemite

At the playground, waiting for the pool to open so we can play before our drive today:

At the Bravo Farms tree house:

On Hwy 49, Chris wasn't such a fan of this windy road down and back up the mountains:

DAY 4: Yosemite Lakes

Chris, Piper, Addisyn

Jacob was happy with some running room!

Journaling about their day observing nature.

If you run fast enough, the kite will fly, right?

Yay, some wind!

Chris hung Marissa's swing from a rope between two of our RV's.

Grammy helping Jacob throw rocks in, rather than him jumping in.

DAY 5: Yosemite Valley

Our Family!

Addisyn and John Muir, who worked for expanded Federal Land protection.
I like his quote as a way to find connections between the little things in our lives that make us significant in the world: "When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe." 

Half Dome from a distance.

Driving through the tunnels to get in and out of the valley floor.

Back at camp, Grammy Susan took them in the river for a walk....and then consoling Addisyn who slipped on a rock and got her clothes wet.

Piper and Addisyn cooling off in the river... they both enjoyed wet clothes on a warm day.

DAY 6: Moccasin Fish Hatchery and relaxation at camp

I was surprised that they let the girls pet a real live fish!  It only jumped out of the worker's gloved hand once.

Piper and Grampy playing in the river (Bernie is sitting on a rock out of the water--he didn't fall in).

Being careful not to slip and fall in with clothes on.

Ahhh, nice and comfortable in the shade of the trees by the water.

DAY 7: Yosemite waterfalls!

DANGER: Climbing on rocks is dangerous...but that's what everybody is doing.

Piper and Addisyn

Chris and Piper, the waterfall is behind me with the camera.

Daddy took the girls climbing first.

Piper and Addisyn at Bridalveil Falls

Self-portrait at Yosemite Falls

Katherine and Mike at Yosemite Falls

Jacob with his buddy Aunt Karen--"Where Aunt Karen?" he would ask all week :-)

Katherine, Mike, and... hold still Jacob, family picture time.

Addisyn, Piper, and Jacob

DAY 8: Drive day from Yosemite to Santa Barbara

The swing must have felt like freedom after a 10 hours in her carseat!

Day 9: Beach Day

The girls had been looking forward to the beach all week long.  (That is a boat lift on the pier.)

What a beautiful day for a baby to hang out at the beach.

Ooops, Marissa fell over and face-planted in the sand.

Addisyn!

Piper!

They played together for hours, and didn't even want to stop for lunch.

Bike time back at camp.

s'mores!  

They dabbed their face with extra chocolate for these pictures ;-)

Day 10: having FUN on our last full day

Loving the space to ride bikes!

Addisyn, Mommy Karen, Marissa

Jumping in is FUN!!!

Marissa loves her daddy and the water too!

Daddy teaching Addisyn how to tread water.

Addisyn posing for the underwater camera.

Three Rand Girls

Mommy getting some fun time in too as the trip winds down to and end.