YOSEMITE

I won't ramble much, the photos speak for themselves. However, I will say that Yosemite is a SPECTACULAR place. Getting there is a bit of a pain...you have to drive through a few small towns with below 50 speed limits. Not to mention the elevation changes and curvy two lane roads (not the best combination if you get car sick). I was so excited to be there that I ignored the symptoms, but I could feel my body not responding well to the altitude.

We hiked about 5 miles throughout the day. We visited Mariposa Grove, Taft Point, The Fissures, Glacier Point, Tunnel View, the valley floor and The Ahwahnee Hotel. 

Base of a fallen Sequoia 

Giant Grizzly

Posing under the tunnel tree

Tree hugging...

Making the hike down to Taft Point, elev. 7,500 ft

With my awesome tour guide

Livin' on the edge

The Fissures on Taft Point - you really need to watch your step here!

Shots from above....

First glimpse of Half Dome to the left & Bridalveil Falls to the right

Tunnel View - El Capitan to the left, Half Dome in the distance and Yosemite Falls to the right

We made it down to the valley

Huuuge fireplace at The Ahwahnee

 The Ahwahnee Hotel - the 'logs' are acutally made of concrete to prevent fires. Crazy how they look like real wood! 

El Capitan from the valley floor

After the 5 miles...cansaaaa

In the end, I'm glad I ventured beyond the cities...it was so different. Highly recommend to anyone who has a few days so spare in Northern California. Be sure to do your research and plan ahead, wear comfy shoes and make all your calls before heading to the park. No service up there.

I was so amazed by the grandeur of the landscape that took its shape from glaciers centuries ago. So much to see and do, if only I had more time...I will definitely be going back!! Seriously contemplating hiking up to Half Dome the next time or visiting during the winter. 

LD

CALI STATE OF MIND

Today finally feels like my life is back in order. I'm all unpacked...there isn't a mountain of laundry blocking the entrance to my room (or on a corner of my bed)...the stack of mail on my kitchen island is slowly diminishing and my inbox has gone from 200 unopened items to 38!! I still need to ship a few well deserved thank you gifts, take care of follow-ups, and get ready for my next trip - but for the most part I see progress in the near future.

As many of you may know I spent the last 3 weeks in California. If you've been involved in the event planning business you know how hard it is to shake away the "post tournament blues", as we like to call it. It's this weird combination of emotions stemming from working your a$$ off for three months non-stop, being on call 24/7, solving everyone's issues all day every day for a week...executing with minor flaws...and then all of a sudden...it's over. Crazy thing is, I enjoy that intense three-week period. It's when you get to see the finished product and finally have some fun. And of course, it's Pebble Beach we're talking about...how could you not enjoy a place like this?

Evening shot of the 6th hole taken from The Beach Club

The aftermath is always a bit lonely and confounding so I decided to take a few days off to clear my head and just chill out. I didn't do this last year which caused me to come back to the office exhausted and moody. This year, when I booked my flight I made sure I built in some time for a mini-vacation. In retrospect, it was a very ambitious four days, but well worth the drive. California has such beautiful scenery and I wanted to explore beyond the cities...I'm glad I did. I also managed to use resources which made the trip economically feasible for my non-profit budget. 

Infamous Jump on Taft Point

In a nutshell...I made the 250 mile drive from Pebble to Yosemite Monday. Hiked and toured around the park all day Tuesday. Drove 210 miles to Napa on Wednesday morning, did some awesome wine tasting and ate a $20 pizza, then drove to San Francisco that evening. Checked into my hotel, had a beer at the bar downstairs, went to bed. Woke up Thursday, met a new friend for breakfast, then we toured around San Fran and Sausalito. Around 2:00pm I met a colleague at The Olympic Club, we walked 18 holes followed by a glass of wine at the clubhouse. Around 8:30pm I showered at the club, finished packing in the car, drove to the airport, hopped on a redeye and arrived home Friday morning. 

I slept from 3pm to 3am Friday/Saturday so I was a bit tired and jet-lagged to say the least. I took hundreds of photos throughout the four days and will share with you in upcoming posts...as my boss would say...stay tuned. Off to bed...buenas noches/dias (depending on when you read)!

xo,

LD