Our Wedding

Jangling nervous and butterflies greeted the couple when they woke on their wedding day. Encouraging words from friends and families soothed the agitated, and they prepared themselves for one of the most memorable days of their lives. A stunning woman strode through the door resplendent in white with shocking red shoes. He was clad in blue with a white boutonniere. Heartfelt vows and crying family and friends defined the ceremony. Pictures of the couple, family, and friends were taken, and they all headed towards the reception suite. A lovely cake, tear-filled toasts, and many congratulations made the in-suite reception truly special for the husband and wife. An incredible day exhausted the couple, and they relaxed together in their wedding suite with room service and unforgettable memories.

Wedding Festivities

We woke on Friday in Vegas, hopped in a taxi, and headed to the Las Vegas courthouse to get our Marriage License. Bob the Limo Man drove us around Old Vegas and the Strip to and from the courthouse. Upon arriving back at the hotel, we ran into family, ate breakfast, and lounged at the pool. The cabana at the pool made the stifling heat bearable, and the frequent visits from the waitress made poolside more fun. Our rehearsal dinner took place at Diego’s inside MGM Grand. We felt truly blessed that so many friends and family made the journey to Vegas to join us for our wedding. Dinner went swimmingly, and the soon-to-be married couple parted ways to have one last night of freedom on the town. Pictures of these events will come later.

The Disneyland of National Parks

Half dome, El Capitan, Yosemite Valley, and waterfalls make Yosemite as picturesque as any National Park in America. Unfortunately, its proximity to the largest cities in California make it crowded with the same people who go to Disneyland.

These tourists litter at the park, feed wild animals, and treat the natural wonders like any amusement park. I looked around fruitlessly for Mickey and Goofy, and at one point, I swear I could hear, “It’s a small world after all.” The major activity of our day was to hike the Mist Trail.

The incredible views of wonderful waterfalls, majestic mountains, and soaring skies offset the sheer number of people, concrete path, and concession that littered the trail.

After a roundtrip of 5 miles, the exhausted hikers turned into campers. Our campsite was located at the southern end of Yosemite, and it was a beautiful spot with very friendly neighbors.

Bikers, Wine, and the Stars and Bars

Cruisin’ down the 101 it’s ‘bout that time – to bring up how wrong it is for a bar in Crescent City, California to have the Confederate Battle Flag painted on it. Among the glorious redwoods, we traveled through Northern California towards Napa skirting the Pacific Coast most of the way. Bountiful homeless, bedraggled hitchhikers, and beautiful vineyards border the road on our journey. A nicked up windshield and traffic proved insurmountable to reaching our desired goal of a winery tour at the O’brien Estate. Wait – what’s that? Pardon the interruption to our regularly scheduled broadcast. I spy bikers wearing their colors, the Rough Riders, and bandanas riding through wine country. One is brandishing a whip and has the Iron Cross as his taillight! Have we entered the Twilight Zone today? No, it’s just California. Finally reaching Napa, we relax in our wonderful hotel overlooking the river that runs through downtown Napa. We dined at a fantastic restaurant in the evening partaking of French cheeses, filet, and strawberry shortbread for desert. Yum! Next port of call? Yosemite.

Majestic

No word can truly capture the majesty of the twisting, soaring trunks of the Coastal Redwood. Frequently surpassing 300 feet tall, the redwoods stretch endlessly into the sky. We lunched on the Pacific Ocean and, then, built our traveling home.

The authors of this story headed out of camp rambling like butterflies with no set destination. Through happenstance, we landed at Stout Grove, the lush, fern-covered grove that is home to 100 redwoods.

The dwarfs ambled through the Fern Gulley half expecting a dinosaur to peek around the trees.

After our hike, we drove back to camp, and we made my birthday dinner. What a truly magically place to spend your birthday! Toes in the Pacific Ocean and Redwoods as dinner guests.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Who’s the fairest lake of them all? Snowy mountain peaks surround Crater Lake, and due to the 64 feet of snow this year, huge snowdrifts look like cream cheese frosting spread all over the park. Crater Lake is 1297 feet deep, the deepest lake in North America, and it was formed by a collapsed volcano. The narrators of this story navigated the mountain passes and winding roads to overlooks at several places scattered around the lake. In the afternoon, we braved a hike to the lake shore that is equivalent to climbing 65 flights of stairs.

The view from the shore was magnificent, and we ran into a couple from Marietta, small world. At the shore, brave souls were jumping into the lake from a rocky ledge.

The nearby rangers related that the water was probably 300 feet deep under the ledge and about 45 degrees. The rangers tried to goad us into jumping, but I indicated that hypothermia would put a damper on my day.

The Crown Jewel

The northern Rocky Mountains adorn the High Plains of Montana like a crown, and Glacier National Park is its crown jewel.

Razor-tooth mountains and a glassy lake welcome Fred and Wilma back to Bedrock. Jaw-dropping mountainscapes surround Barney and Betty as they make up camp in the heart of grizzly country.

After a brief rainstorm that gave way to rainbows, Homer and Marge listened to a speaker from the Blackfeet nation, and they called it an early evening to rest for tomorrow’s activities. Morning broke like eggs on a griddle – wind sizzling and the sun popping. George and Judy Jetson set out for Jackson Glacier Overlook, and they hiked the St. Mary’s/Virginia Falls Trail.

Gorgeous cascades of waterfalls and pristine forest rewarded Boris and Natasha. After a picnic, Duke and Lady Jay hiked to Sunpoint – the windiest place on Earth- for a spectacular view of Chief Mountain and St. Mary Lake.

Batman and Catwoman steered the Batmobile towards camp when a traffic jam snarled Going to the Sun Road. No batsignal, no call from Robin – what emergency awaits? A black bear who can be black, brown, or honey colored had wondered at onto the road, and the park’s visitors stopped to photograph the cuddly bear.

A brief trip to the Many Glacier section of the park revealed rugged mountains dotted with cool whip glaciers. He-man and She-ra spent the evening listening to a Park Ranger regale the pair with legends of the wolverine. A brief sleep before a long travel day to Bend, Oregon and Crater Lake.