Yosemite - Day 5
Kelly taking in the first group of Sequoias
Saturday, November 1 - Wedding Day!
We slept in. We slowly got up and going. We enjoyed a few cups of coffee. Today was all about the wedding and having a good time with all the great people that showed up. There were a few hours to burn between breakfast and when we needed to be back and get ready for the wedding, so we hopped down to Merced Grove to check out the Sequoias.
This was by far the easiest day in Yosemite. The drive to the trail, the hike, the pace. There are a few groups of Sequoias in this area, each offering something slightly different. This is a great beginner hike or one with kids or dogs…just don’t let either near the trees since the root system is very sensitive.
Time flew by while playing in the woodland and we somehow found ourselves running late. We picked up the pace and left the slow going nature of the day behind us. I think we both made record time taking showers and dressing for a formal event. Our transformations were so good, in fact, that one girl made the comment:
“You cleaned up real nice, you’re like an entirely new person. What a transformation!"
I took it like a compliment, Kelly not so much. It must be a female thing, something with the tone of her voice. Anywho, getting back to wedding day in our fancy new getups. The wedding was very intimate and a perfect setting for Greg and Cat. Cat’s daughter (and Greg’s second boss), Addi, officiated the wedding and did a great job. The ceremony was short and sweet, filled with tears from all. I even had a few tears start to form, first time for me at a wedding. I chalked it up to the two special people in a wonderful setting…I better not be getting soft in my old age.
We then made our way over to the reception, an intimate setting of 4 long dinner tables on the lawn. We noticed each table was named after a specific tree, pine was our destination. Remember those surprises I mentioned earlier? Greg made personal charger plates from a disc of the tree of your table. One side had your name engraved, the other side had an engraved picture of Yosemite and a quote above the picture that Greg matched for each person. Along with this was a really cozy blanket for each couple (currently lounging with it while writing this post).
The meals were fantastic, the drinks were endless, and the cake was delish…all three pieces. The night even included some dance moves by yours truly. For more than one song! Tonight capped off a great week in Yosemite, and tomorrow we have to make our first steps back to civilization and eventually the real world.
For those of you that want an artsy fartsy detour, below are some pretty cool images I got when trying to make something out of the harsh light and late fall foliage. I really like some of them and think it gives a unique view of the colors (pumped a bit) that were within the hike. Which do you like the best?
