Camp Torrance Goes to Yosemite

After several days enjoying the beauty of Mammoth, Grammy and Poppy took Ava to California's most famous National Park, Yosemite.  Entering Yosemite via the Tioga Pass, they first stopped at Tenaya Lake, between Tuolumne Meadows and Yosemite Valley, for a cool swim.

Next, they stopped at Olmsted lookout for a great view of Half Dome.

After some delays checking into their room, including being assigned to a room that was already occupied (whoops!), they settled into a lodge room with beautiful views.

The next day, the troop hiked from the lodge to Lower Yosemite Falls, which included views of both the lower and upper falls.

They visited Happy Isles as well where Ava engaged in river rock hopping and boulder scrambling.

On their last night, Ava, Grammy, and Poppy topped off their trip with a beautiful dining experience at the Ahwahnee Hotel (recently renamed the terribly generic "Majestic Hotel").

After one last look at Yosemite Valley, Ava returned home and even made it back in time for soccer practice.

Camp Torrance Goes To Mammoth

For several years, Ava has spent time with Grammy and Poppy at "Camp Torrance."  This year, Camp Torrance is taking a road trip to the Sierras.  While they got off to a bit of a late start as Poppy and Ava slept in, soon enough they were on their way.

In Bishop, they stopped at Erick Schat's Bakkery.

Arriving in Mammoth, they did a little exploring. 

A vacation wouldn't be complete without some time in the water.

Taking the shuttle from Mammoth Mountain, Ava visited Devil's Postpile and hiked up to the top.

Ava also saw the Mammoth earthquake fault, which is up to 10 feet wide and 60 feet deep. 

At Hot Creek Hatchery, they raise about 3 million trout a year to supply the nearby lakes and streams. 

She also saw some of the hot springs of the eastern Sierras. 

Not far from Mammoth is ghost town of Bodie.  Ava didn't see any ghosts but enjoyed the abandoned town. 

From Bodie, Ava visited Mono Lake, and also earned her Junior Ranger badge at the Gateway to Yosemite.

Nearby, Ava ate at California's most famous gas station restaurant, the Whoa Nellie Deli.

One of the biggest attractions of the Mammoth Lakes area during the summer is, naturally, the lakes.  Ava, Grammy, and Poppy spent loads of time at (and in) McLoud Lake and Horseshoe Lake, and surrounded by the natural beauty of the area.  

After several days in Mammoth, Ava will be setting out through the Tioga Pass to head to Yosemite for the next stop on her adventure.

Vacation 2016, The Final Out

After flying to the east coast and back, along with 1,900+ miles of driving, our vacation wasn't quite over as our family headed down to San Diego for Major League Baseball's All Star Week.

Our first stop was the MLB FanFest, a festival for baseball fans of all ages held at the convention center.  FanFest included the world's largest baseball, a chance to make your own baseball card, MLB trophies, games, visits with mascots, current and former players, clinics, TV and radio broadcasts, giveaways and shopping.

Ava even had the chance to meet some of the women who played in the All American Girls Professional Baseball League (made famous by the movie "A League of Their Own").

Over in the Gaslamp Quarter (the self-proclaimed "Historic Heart of San Diego"), Ava joined in some of the festivities at the MLB All-Star Block Party where Ava got to walk the red carpet and found lots of emojis.  

The highlight of the Block Party though was the indoor ball pit with multiple slides and a DJ.

After checking into our hotel and walking Petco, it was finally time for the main event - the MLB All-Star Game.  We got to our seats - after a stop for ice cream - with plenty of time to explore and to see all the pregame festivities.

Despite the heat and sun, Ava had lots of fun at the game.  Even though Clayton Kershaw didn't pitch, Ava got to see her other favorite player Mike Trout get a hit, and saw some great action from some of the young stars as well as a farewell to future Hall of Famer David Ortiz.