Yosemite and a Little Detour

Yosemite Village

Yesterday, we ventured off for a day at Yosemite National Park. The 3 1/2 hour drive from my parent's house was longer than we anticipated, but we all agreed it was well worth the trip. As soon as we entered the valley, the girls' jaws dropped and we were all overwhelmed by its beauty. Matt and I had been to Yosemite many years ago, but it was great experiencing it with the girls. As soon as we parked, we took the shuttle to the trailhead. We thought we should do the hike while the girls were fresh. I questioned whether it was too tough for them to hike to the top of Vernal Falls, but Matt had faith in them and he was right. We hiked 1.5 miles to the top of Vernal Falls, along the Mist Trail. Mist was an understatement! We were soaked, but it was definitely refreshing. It was a pretty steep trail as we climbed 1000 feet and the stairway to the top was pretty hairy, as the steep steps were quite slippery. Once at the top, the view was breathtaking. We packed a lunch, enjoyed basking in the sun and taking pride in our hiking accomplishment. 1st stop on the trail

This bridge marked the 0.8 mile marker on the way to the top

Matt and I posed at this same spot when we were dating about 18 years ago.

Getting soaked along the mist trail

Vernal Falls-stunning and so powerful

Lunch at the top of the falls

As close as you can get to the amazing waterfall

We made it to the top!

Taylor took this great photo looking down stream

After about an hour, we descended back down to the valley for a well-deserved snack and some leisurely walking around the village. We got some great shots of Half Dome and Bridlevail Falls.

Allison took this gorgeous shot of Half Dome

Bridlevail Falls

We also spent some time doing first aid on a wound on the back of Allison's knee. It started off as a small cut last week but quickly became an ugly puss ball (don't know how else to describe it) by the end of our hike. Matt and I were worried about it because the redness around the wound kept spreading. So after a great day of hiking, taking in the fresh air and enjoying the amazing views, we packed up the car for our long drive back home. I think the hike wiped them out!
Once home, the wound looked even worse and I took a very tired Allison to the emergency room. After a 2 1/2 hour wait, she was seen by the doctor and we were told she had a strep infection and Cellulitis around the infection. She got a very painful (you should have heard the scream) shot in the tush and a prescription for antibiotics. Hard to believe she hiked over 3 miles earlier in the day. Quite a trooper and hopefully will be back to normal in a day or 2.