Thanksgiving Epic Adventure - Part 1

This year, we opted out of the traditions of Thanksgiving. We headed north to Yosemite National Park to take in a part of America we have long been wanting to explore. It was an eventful trip, complete with car sickness and a marathon clean-up stop (where we also got every last dose of Dramamine the gas station had in stock), but eventually we made it. The only word to accurately describe it is breathtaking! The photos don't do it justice, but I will share anyway. 

Our first stop was at "Tunnel View," which provided an incredible look at El Capitan (one the left), Half Dome (which was masked by the clouds) and Bridalveil Fall (on the right). Below is a closer view of El Capitan - it's amazing to think of people free climbing and easy to see how there have been so many deaths during attempts! The girls were just thrilled we were almost done being in the car!

Yosemite starts getting cold in September, so we decided in advance to "glamp" (that's glamorous camping) in a heated tent. This was a necessity for the girls and me...Jason would have roughed it.  A friend told me about Half Dome Village, a nice camping spot located amidst the most incredible scenery, but also packed with amenities such as a hard-stand bathroom with hot showers, a coffee shop, convenience mart, lodge with wi-fi and a restaurant. Had we known about all these features, we probably wouldn't have packed nearly as much! 

As we settled in, the girls and I made up the beds and Jason ensured all food (or even scented items like toothpaste) were securely placed in the storage locker to keep the bears from getting to them! It was a bit rainy, so after a bit of exploring the campground, we settled in for the evening with a deck of cards and a cocktail. 

Our "home" for Thanksgiving. 

Well deserved drink after a LONG drive!