Travel Adventures By Amanda

The day had finally arrived.  At 3:00 a.m. the alarm beeped.  We wanted an early start so we could see the sunrise from Half Dome and so we could beat the crowds to the cables.  I had a moment of weakness where I almost rolled over in my sleeping bag and tried to convince myself that neither of those were good reasons to get up at 3:00 a.m.  Chris gave me a nudge and it was all I needed.  When we stepped outside the tent, I expected it to be much colder, but it was quite mild.  We hiked in what you see picture above: light pants, a t-shirt, and a long sleeve wool shirt.  The gloves only came on for the cables.  I carried a beanie and my zip-up sweater in my bag, along with an extra t-shirt and a pair socks (always carry extra socks).  I have read about people becoming hypothermic when they reach the top, especially in the cold, early morning hours.  They are sweaty, stop moving, and the temperatures are cooler.  Given the mild te...

Today would be a big day.  The official start of our two-day Half Dome hike.  As expected, we woke up early.  The coffee situation:  we were informed at check-in that there was a community Keurig by the back door.  I tip toed downstairs and brewed two cups.  Not surprisingly, we were the first ones up.  Being an older building, the walls are thin and sound carries.  All of the other guests had been exceptionally quiet in the late evening hours, so I tried to extend them the same courtesy.   I took a mental note that we would never be able to stay here with our children.  They do not use inside voices in hotel hallways. After coffee, we walked across the street for more coffee and breakfast burritos.  I love California mornings.  No humidity and the air is crisp, even on a day where the high will be in the 80s.  After breakfast, we headed to Yosemite National Park via Highway 120, which caused us to miss Tunnel View...

Remember how I said I love West Coast travel?  I do, except when it comes time to wake up on Day 2.  On the second day, I'm always up before dawn.  Chris and I are typically early birds, so back the clock up two hours and we could easily be up at 3 a.m.  We managed to sleep in until 4 a.m.  I like to enjoy a cup of coffee within minutes of rising.  I looked around and didn't see a coffee maker.  I've been down this road before: no in-room coffee maker, lobby coffee isn't set out yet, room service takes forever to bring coffee.  Dang fancy hotels.  Sometimes I just want a Courtyard Marriott with a mini-Keurig.  Was my thus-far perfect stay at the St. Regis about to be ruined over my inability to get coffee?  No, it was not.  We called for room service.  It arrived within minutes.  A large pot, two cups, and biscotti laid out beautifully on a tray.  Now we could relax and sip coffee until breakfast....

Our day began at 3:40 a.m.  Alarms are not my thing.  I often don't use one and when I do, I'm usually awake before it goes off.  Not on this day.  We were boarding at 5:15 a.m and needed enough time to stand in the bag check line.  Checking bags is also not my thing, but because we had our backpacking and hiking gear, we each checked two bags.  Thank you Southwest Airlines for allowing us to do that without charging us $100.  Our flight was MEM to OAK with a layover in MDW.  We were in MDW long enough to enjoy a leisurely Irish breakfast, which was surprisingly good.  I don't have high expectations for airport food or service, but I was pleased with my meal and we had excellent service.  I've never flown through MDW.  I liked it.  Small airport, very clean.  We stopped to enjoy the memorial to the Battle of Midway.  I love that airports now have art and history displays.  This was one of the better ones I've s...

When Easton was 17 months old, we took him to Yosemite for a 6-night camping trip.   To date, it is one of our most memorable family vacations.   We drove, biked, and hiked all over the Valley floor for that week in 2013.   Chris lugged him up to Vernal Falls in the hiking pack.   I can still hear the sound of his giggle as the mist from the Falls peppered his face.   We waded through Mirror Lake    We threw sticks and rocks in the Merced River.   All the while, Half Dome loomed in the distance, calling to me.   May 2013 just wasn’t my time.   Not the right season of my life.   Years passed by.   We had another baby, then we moved out of state, but she was always there, floating around in the back of my mind…. On Sentinel Dome, May 2013... Half Dome in the distance  As 2017 was coming to a close, I mentioned to Chris that I had been thinking about it more and more.   The time was right.   I wanted to fi...