Where I went...

Thanks for playing along with my attempt at "Where's Patti/Waldo?" :)

Our first stop was - Yosemite.

It was absolutely lovely, but the valley was a bit crowded, so after seeing some major sights, we moved off the beaten path.

We took a lovely hike up to Elizabeth Lake in Tuolumne Meadows

elevation = 9,487 feet

Being from Chicago, the altitude affected me and I was a bit slower than my family, but I made it!



Stop #2 - Sequoia National Park

Wow! These trees were awe inspiring and I think the best part of the trip.

Somehow I need to translate them to wool ;)

Back in my original post, at the base of the tree in the background, the colored dots are people - to give you an idea of their immense size.

Next we stopped in Morro Bay.

We were all intrigued by this fishing village and truly enjoyed the wonderful fresh seafood!

Picture #3 was Big Sur on Highway 1

where we stopped to enjoy the Elephant Seals - so ugly that they are cute!

We visited Hearst Castle and were amazed at the opulence.



Next up was Monterey with its wonderful aquarium, Cannery Row and our favorite the tidal pools at Pinos Point - where we saw crabs, snails, hermit crabs and starfish



Yes, that is my youngest son way up on that rock...

Picture #4 was Pidgeon Point Lighthouse on our way to our final stop:

San Francisco!

The final picture I showed was Fort Point, built during the Civil War. It is located under the Golden Gate Bridge. We saw all the usual stops including Alamo Square and Lombard Street. Took in a San Francisco Giants game and enjoyed several hours in the stunning de Young Museum. I could do an entire post with all the wonderful inspiring photos of the art that I took there!

We spent hours enjoying the sea lions! Their antics were so fun!

I took 750 photos, but tried to limit this to just a few so as not to bore you ;)

This trip meant so much to me. With our oldest son leaving soon for college, I know our family trips will soon be coming to an end. Not that they don't want to go, but as they get older everyone's schedule gets harder and harder to coordinate. We almost couldn't get the time for this trip.

So when I found this bracelet, I knew that it was the perfect souvenir for me!

"My Heart is Full"

by Lisa Leonard Designs

I was a big fan of her jewelry and blog before I went to California wearing the pieces that I own almost daily. So when I found myself in her hometown of the lovely San Luis Obispo, I knew what I wanted to look for. When I saw this piece at Hands Gallery I felt that it said it all.

I can't end this post without a little stitching...

When I packed my projects (before I even thought about packing clothes), I thought that one wool project wasn't enough. I didn't have enough time to  pull together another project, so I packed two cross stitch projects as well.

Needless to say, this is just about all that was done - at the airport to and from.

Each night I would pull it out, only to find my eyes closing before making a stitch ;)

Too much fresh air, good food and the bestest company!

Thank you so much for letting me share my memories in this long winded post!

I'll be back soon with my August giveaway as a reward :) as soon as I can put something together.

Wishing you all a full heart and memory making times!

"My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

~Colossians 2:2-3

Blessings, Patti