HONEYMOON - Day 6, Mariposa Grove

Today, as we entered Yosemite National Park, we took a right instead of a left and headed toward the Mariposa Grove of the Giant Sequoias. We parked our car and took a shuttle bus up to the grove, where we embarked on a hike that wound a couple miles through a wood with trees so large we kept saying things like, "It's just like Avatar" and "This reminds me of Lord of the Rings". It seemed like a fantasy world. Trees so wide that cars could drive through them; branches that were larger than any of the trees I've ever seen on the east coast; and pine cones the size of a newborn baby.

We made sure to hit all the "major" trees: the Grizzly Giant, the Clothespin, the Faithful Couple (two trees that grew so close together that their bases fused into one - picture below), the Telescope Tree, the Mariposa Tree... the pictures help to get a sense of the hugeness of these magnificent living things, but it's truly hard to describe their overwhelming size and beauty.

One of the trails leading to the Mariposa Tree was a very narrow path that cut through a seemingly endless field of lilacs. The wonderful aroma was incredible as we walked through that purple sea... and it must have been just as intoxicating to the bees. If you stood still for even a moment, it sounded as though you were in the middle of a beehive - the buzzing was almost tangible.

We left the park after about 4 hours... and we said our goodbyes to Yosemite, as we knew we wouldn't return there again this week.

On the way back to the B&B, we attempted to battle the 95 degree heat by loading up on iced coffees and shaved ices. The hot day turned into a warm but breezy evening as we sat by the pool, reading and writing. And we finally got to go back to Todd's for some delicious pulled pork sandwiches and hushpuppies. It was definitely worth the return trip!


 On the way home from dinner, we stopped at Blockbuster to rent a movie for the night... but instead, we ended up watching the GOP debate on Fox. I'm not really sure how we went from a sweet story where Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman pull on your heartstrings to hearing Rick Santorum and Michelle Bachmann explain their nauseating anti-gay marriage views - but somehow we did. Nothing says "Romantic Honeymoon" quite like eight Republicans.