Last Weekend of Summer Break

Celebrated the last weekend of summer break wandering in Balboa Park, La Jolla Shores and Torrey Pines State Reserve, combining city and nature here in home sweet San Diego.

Now that summer break ended, I am not very sure how often I would be able to update this blog, I hope I could manage a post once a while.

Yoho National Park, Canadian Rockies

This is the 3rd part of the Canadian Rockies + Glacier of USA Adventure Trip series. In this 3rd part, I will be sharing about the beauty of Yoho National Park.

Emerald Lake, Yoho National Park, BC, Canada

"Yoho" is a Cree expression of awe and wonder, and very appropriately so. I jovially said out loud, "yoooohoooo!!", after my eyes settled and my heart beat faster in excitement upon seeing the beauty of Yoho National Park. The park is found in the western slopes of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Yoho is bordered by Banff National Park to the East, and Kootenay National Park to the South. It's a park with snow-topped mountain peaks, roaring rivers, calm lakes and silent forests. It's a park whose history is bound up with a railroad: spiral tunnels inside mountains and stories of runaway trains.

2014 Summer Staycation

collection of photos from my summer 2014 Staycation

Life is simply wonderful. It does not have to be extravagant to be one. There's so much beauty and happiness in simplicity! To feel life is wonderful is a choice. I am so glad and thankful to have that choice.

Though we may have taken a 10-day Canadian Rockies adventure vacation,  but that does not mean Canadian Rockies adventure is more joyful than my staycation's adventure. They're different, nothing is better than the other, both gave me joyful memories to treasure forever. :) Yes, FOREVER!! Afterall, everyday is like a staycation for me, even when I have work! :) I always take time to rejuvenate in nature so I stay inspired everyday, whether at home, at work, or anywhere! Perhaps, that's the reason why I could not say that staycation is better than work days. They're different, both work and staycation are JOYFUL for me.

Anyways, here are some reasons why summer 2014 staycation is so WONDERFUL. :)

1. Joy swimming with the fishes. Ahhh, probably this is the very reason why summer is my MOST FAVORITE SEASON! It's a time to enjoy swimming with the fishes in the ocean. The underwater world is amazing, and thankfully, I do not really have to take vacation to enjoy it.

Summer 1014 Snorkeling

Swimming with the Fishes: One of the Simple Joys in Amazingly Wonderful SIMPLE LIFE

Snorkeling At La Jolla Shores, August 11, 2014

music: Simple Life from Karl Kohlase's Simple Life Album
**note: leopard sharks are NOT AT ALL HARMFUL TO HUMANS, they are one of the harmless and friendly sharks, such as THE WHALE SHARKS, that you could swim with them safely, and not get harm for they DO NOT HAVE THE PHYSIOLOGICAL MAKE UP to bite nor cause harm. 

Let me take a break from my Canadian Rockies vacation post to share the simple joys of my summer staycation here at home sweet home San Diego. :) I still have about 2 weeks of staycation, though of course I used some of those time preparing also for the school year ahead. 

One of my simple joys in simple life is of course being out in the sea. Though this blog shares mostly hiking stuff, but my summer actually is mostly about water. :) 

2014 Snorkeling here in San Diego

Canadian Rockies + Glacier of USA Adventure Trip (2) : At Glacier National Park of USA

Mountain Goats @ Logan Pass, Glacier National Park, Montana, USA

Glacier National Park of USA ( there is also another Glacier National Park, in Canada ) is considered by Native Americans as the "Shining Mountains" and the "Backbone of the World". It preserves more than a million acres of forests, alpine meadows, lakes, rugged peaks and glacial-carved valleys in the Northern Rocky Mountains.

Our visit here was 2nd time around for me and hubby, while it was the first for my hubby's niece and brother. We were here summer of 2012, and obviously, did not get enough.

hike to Grinell Lake, summer 2012

Actually, I don't think I could ever get enough of Glacier National Park. I won't mind visiting this park, again, and again.

Last summer 2012, one of our target hikes was Grinell Glacier. At that time ( early July), the trail was closed due to dangerous bear activity. Instead of hiking Grinell Glacier, we hiked instead to Grinell Lake, where from the trails of Grinell Lake, we saw bears on Grinell Glacier trail.

Grizzly Bears @ Grinell Glacier Trail as Seen From Grinell Lake Trail, summer 2012

That was then we understood why they had to close the trail to Grinell Glacier for hikers.

Canadian Rockies + Glacier of USA Adventure Trip ( 1) : At Waterton Lakes National Park

Waterton Lakes National Park was the very first National Park we hit during our Canadian Rockies + Glacier of USA adventure trip.

Where The Prairie and Mountains Meet, Waterton Lakes National Park, AB, Canada

Waterton Lakes is best known as a National Park where the Prairie meets the mountains. The rugged and windswept contours of the Rocky Mountains rise abruptly out of gentle prairie grasslands, surrounded by beautiful and ooooohhh so soothing lakes.

Waterton Lakes 

Prairie, Lake and Rugged Mountain Peaks @Waterton Lakes National Park

@ Waterton Lakes National Park

Waterton Lakes was our homebase for 3 days for our scheduled exploration of two neighboring National Parks, Waterton Lakes and Glacier of USA, both forms one single park, known as Waterton Glacier International Peace Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and World's Biosphere Reserve.

Bridalveil Fall, Yosemite National Park

Bridalveil Fall from Hwy 120

Coming into Yosemite National Park from the west, the first waterfall that comes into sight is Bridalveil Fall. The scenery above is a roadside beauty that could be seen after emerging from the tunnel in Hwy 120. There is a viewpoint right after the tunnel with wide enough parking for people driving in to stop and take in their first glimpse of Yosemite Valley. There is no sign before the tunnel that there is a scenic vista right after, but if one follows the speed limit inside the tunnel, they would not miss for sure the scenic vista that follows right after emerging from the tunnel. But of course, for those who are speeding, am sure, this vista is missed. Here are two more pictures from the vista right after the tunnel in Hwy 120.

 Bridalveil Fall from Hwy 120 ( a closer look )

Bridalveil Fall from Hwy 120 ( let's get closer )