Happiness is Death Valley in your rear view mirror!

I am just kidding about the title of this blog. Death Valley has it's own beauty and wonder. One of the most fascinating things about this trip is that we have seen so much of God's imagination and creativity!

We have met people who are VASTLY different that us. I mean one girl we met in Death Valley, grew up in Utah (a.k.a. she is mormon) and left that life to come and live in Death Valley. There is a story there and if I was a bolder person, I would have asked her more questions. But she choose to leave and live in a trailer with her boyfriend in literally the middle of nowhere!!! People don't just do that for no reason!

For a group of Americans going to see America, we Americans were few and far between!!! LOTS of Asians and Europeans! But almost no Americans...weird huh?!

So we left Death Valley (below sea level) and headed to Yosemite (10k feet above sea level). Once we hit Tioga Pass and headed up....the view was well amazing doesn't do it justice. I just wanted to get out of the car and sing "I stand in Awe of you" or "Great is our God"....I was overcome with emtion at the beauty that this part of our country holds! Pictures don't even do this justice. If I haven't already said it, I will now....God must of had a GREAT time creating all of this! I don't know who could look on all of what we have seen and think that it happened by chance.

Once in Yosemite, we unpacked and ate good food. The next day we headed to the Merced River and rafted 3 miles down the river among THE most beautiful scenery, you have ever seen! The water was FRIGGED!!!! Seeing as that water comes off the snow pack...it was cold!!!!! We saw beautiful birds and HUGE fish! The water was crystal clear! After that we hiked to waterfalls. The kids had a BLAST hiking up the rocks to the waterfalls!!!

The Picture at the heading of the blog is a picture taken of the 4 of us in Yosemite, outside the Awahnee Hotel. It is a beautiful hotel...reminds me a lot of the main hotel building at Mountain Lake!
Yosemite is the home of the famous El Capitan and Half Dome! They are just ONE GIGUNTA rock formation! There was this group of elderly people who were hiking to the top of half dome! Yeah we all felt like fat slobs when we heard that! Lisa got to see a bear eating behind a tree. Other than that we saw no real wild life BUT in all the "dons jons" in the park there are warning signs that the area is bear habitat and to be careful! We never saw a bear.

At this point we are 1/2 way thru with our trip! We have San Fran, Sequoia and Vegas to go!