Or, what to drink when you are in Yosemite and it’s really, really hot.
I traveled to Yosemite earlier in the summer with my mother and my brother’s family. I don’t get to see these guys very often, and I was pretty excited about the trip and about catching up. We rented a cabin for a long weekend, packed a car full of food and toddler necessities, and hit the road.
We had a great time, despite the epic heatwave that hit California right as we arrived in the park. I did learn that there are challenges to the multi-generational family holiday, especially in extreme weather conditions. Not everyone (and I guess this is true regardless of your generation) is up for long hikes and challenging trails! Fortunately, Yosemite is perfect for this kind of family time. There are lots of stroller-friendly paved paths leading to lovely vistas, waterfalls, and viewpoints. We especially enjoyed trails near the centrally located Majestic Yosemite Hotel, formerly known as the Ahwahnee, with its cold water stations (seriously vital that weekend), shady lawns with views, and outdoor terrace for cool drinks and people watching. I really loved the fact that the hotel serves as a kind of way-station for travelers of all stripes; they were welcoming to both guests staying overnight and guests passing through. There is also a lovely, accessible trail that departs from the hotel and ends in a lake-like bulge in the river where families were lounging, picnicking, and generally cooling their heels (quite literally). We loved it so much we walked that trail twice.
We did cook and pack picnic lunches each day, but it was so, so hot that cooking was not much fun for anyone, and I definitely did not stop to take pictures. My sister-in-law was undaunted, however, and used the blender provided in our cabin to make amazing multi-veggie/chicken purée for my niece. No wonder little M is growing up so nicely!! She is one well-fed little lady.
For me, the culinary highlight of the trip was definitely the lavender lemonade I drank on the terrace of the Majestic. They used a brightly colored lavender syrup as a base, and floated icy cold lemonade on top. It was beautiful and tasty, and just my kind of thing. I’m working on my own version (as yet unperfected) (maybe you need the extreme heat to make it taste good?), but here is a photo of what I’m aiming for:
Pretty, right? Anyway, watch this space. I’m less confident about concocting beverages, but I’m giving it a try!
I made a batch of date bars to take with me, and totally forgot them at home. In the end, I’m not sure they would have stood up to the heat in the park – they might have turned into date crumb sludge. But they were perfect for eating when I got back, while looking at millions of pictures of Yosemite and wondering how Ansel Adams worked his magic. I’ll post the date bars soon, because they are yummy and definitely useful for Labor Day picnicking and back-to-schooling in general.