Turtle Bay Resort Oahu

We recently spent a litle time at Turtle Bay on Oahu.  We have stayed at various places at this resort over the years, but this year we had a great location.  The hotel at the resort is being renovated, so the beach which can be crowded when 450 hotel rooms are open was easily socially distanced. 

This was the view from our balcony.

And this is what our front door looked like. Shoes all over the place! It was fun to be with the Wrights and be part of a big gang on this trip.

The pool and hot tub saw a fair amount of family action.

 The resort also had miles of walking trails through shady forests and along the shore line.  You could find plenty of empty beaches just a short walk away.

This is the northern most point on the island

We haven't quite mastered the "selfie" yet but that was a gorgeous beach behind us.

Ancient formations like this are preserved throughout the island.  Calvin put his watch/compass on this one and it point directly north.

You might have noticed the bikes for rent from our balcony.  James noticed them too, so Calvin and Jay took him on a mountain bike ride... after they caught up with him.

Saddlebag Lake

 We decided to stop at Saddlebag Lake on the way home, hoping the resort with the water taxi might be open, but we were a little ahead of the season. We decided to take a little walk as long as we had braved the gravel road to get there.

 The lake itself was so low we could walk along base of the dam on the lake side and be high and dry, but there was a lovely mound of snow against the dam that was just right for sliding.

We continued on around the lake just a bit, but the 10,000 foot altitude helped us decide after a short rest break that it was probably time for lunch.

Along the road the kids found some obsidian, so Calvin showed off his flint knapping skills.

We stopped for lunch at a delightful National Forest Campground on Ellery Lake 

And the kids managed to find one more hill to climb

Yosemite

Tioga Pass opened just a couple of days before our weekend in June Lake, so we took a day to enjoy some of the beauty at the eastern entrance of Yosemite.

Our first destination was Pothole Dome. This granite dome was a good hike for our 3 generation crowd. We stopped for a moment for pictures at the trailhead and then the six grandkids took off down the trail leaving the rest of us to try and keep up.

Once you reach the dome, you can pick your way to the top any way you want.  Some of the girls took the slow way up with me.

Once we reached the top everyone scattered around finding interesting things.

The boys managed to find practically the only available dirt on the dome to play in.

Our next stop was Olmstead Point which is probably one of the most photographed spots in the world. So I took a picture.

You will notice that there were actually clouds resting on Clouds Rest that day.

We ate our picnic lunch at the vista point and I managed to capture a few grandkid pics while we ate.

After lunch the more ambitious souls in our group climbed Lembert Dome while Sarah and I headed to the beach at Tenaya Lake with the younger kids, who happily played in and around the freezing water for two hours without a single toy in sight.

 

June Lake Weekend

 We enjoyed Memorial Day weekend with some of the family at June Lake, California.

We often drive right past June Lake on our way to Mammoth to the south, and this trip was no exception.  While we waited to check in to our condo we spent most of the day exploring around Mammoth. And while June Lake has a spectacular mountain setting it didn't get a single photo on this trip.

Calvin and Jay spent the morning getting in a few last runs on the slopes.

Rosie and I were going to spend the morning enjoying a very nice park with the kids, only to discover that it was surrounded by chain link in the midst of a construction project. No problem! The kids found plenty of entertainment climbing rocks and exploring a stream.

While the rest of us enjoyed lunch Alice practiced her climbing skills.

There was just enough time after lunch to get in a few mountain bike runs.

Then it was time to head back to June Lake, check into the condo and meet up with the Bordelons for a just slightly early celebration of Leah's 3rd birthday.