yosemite: america the beautiful.

it had been a long day. and an even longer week. i was ready for the weekend but i was still many emails and tasks away from relaxing and enjoying that much earned weekend. then my husband called to ask where i was -- i was overdue for being home. and then he asked me what he should pack in a bag for me. he was taking me to yosemite and he was going to pick me up from work on our way out of town. out of romantic spontaneity and boredom, he booked a room at the royal carriage inn in jamestown. i was thrilled! i grabbed a goat hill pizza and a bag of other pilfered goodies from work and rushed out of the office door, happy for a reason to escape.

after a restful and comfortable sleep, and some pizza for breakfast, we made our way through the foggy farmland -- dotted with cows and sheep -- into the park, evidence of the forest fires ejecting from the ground like charred matchsticks. it was a beautiful sight -- sobering.

and then, what seemed like minutes later, there was half dome, shaped like an eagle's head reaching for the sky; and el capitan, a solid, massive wall of granite; and yosemite falls -- water gushing over the cliff edges was a welcome sight and sound after seeing the falls dried up during the summer. i was awestruck, dazzled by their majesty and grandeur. like i am every time i visit this magical place.

  my iphone 5 takes pretty good pictures

we hiked up to a cave beside lower yosemite falls. there wasn't a trail, just rocks to climb over and conquer. i felt a little silly for feeling so adventurous but it was super fun.