A few posts ago I wrote about our pending Half Dome hike, which was an amazing hike through some of Yosemite's finest.  And on the first weekend of August, we finally drove up for it.  And though the small point-and-shoot camera won (I needed the extra space for more water), here are a few images:

Our first night we had a rainbow, a sunset, and an amazing view - what can be more perfect?  Of course, a few minutes after that it started to rain, which led to a mad dash to the car.

It looks like everyone is all over the place, but it's actually a series of steep switchbacks on the last leg of the hike.

I took this picture a few years ago.  Yosemite is probably one of the most easily recognized landscapes in the United States. I haven't been there recently, but this month has been rolling by far more quickly than I ever imagined it to.  And looming over it all in August is our Half Dome trip, which I am excitedly anticipating. 

A few years ago a few of us hiked for about six hours to the top of Upper Yosemite Falls (above).  It was supposedly the equivalent height of two Empire State Buildings, but of course, far more scenic.  There was also a lot of snow at the very top of Upper Yosemite Falls (picture below, right).

... but Half Dome is going to make Upper Yosemite Falls look like a cakewalk. 

So I'm faced with a dilemma: bring my SLR or bring more water?  I had initially glibly answered, "camera, of course!"   However, according to Tony, by the eighth hour on a hot August day I will probably be thinking differently.  And I also saw this recently, had a few second thoughts, and am now back to square one.  Perhaps more water isn't a bad idea after all.

Quite recently I embarked on a mini road trip to Death Valley with Ellen.  However, there's nothing very "mini" about this vast, seemingly desolate stretch of desert.  It is the lowest, hottest, and driest location in North America.  I was a little apprehensive because of the heat (about 113 degrees, and high 80s at night), but we had a great time and the landscape was very starkly beautiful.  Though I admit, nothing quite prepares you for the scorching heat of Badwater. 

This is a "self portrait" on a tenacious little puddle of water on the salt flats, how it managed to remain I have no idea.  A sturdy hat is necessary, as strong gusts can cause you to bid goodbye to your only source of shade.

The adaption of wildlife in Death Valley is nothing short of impressive.  Nighttime driving became and unwitting game of Frogger, as we attempted to avoid coyotes, jackrabbits, and countless mice dashing across the road.  Our accommodations were at the kitschy little Atomic Inn.

There is something very peaceful about the stillness right before sunrise, about being the first set of footprints to walk on the dunes at morning.  It's also kind of fun to run down the sides.

Others left tracks the night before. 

A few intrepid hikers managed to walk even further than we did (see if you can spot them in the picture below).

No trip to the Mesquite dunes at sunrise is ever complete without some milk tea, especially when sunrise is at 5:40am.  Thank you, Ellen.

I love the silvery sheen of the desert holly.  It's the only plant I've seen with built-in reflectors.

In Mosaic Canyon you can find marble polished to a smooth sheen from flash floods.  We took advantage of the coolness at 7am and  took a few shots from "Pride Rock" (think Lion King) and also attempted a few ill-timed jumping shots on a timer (very challenging) on Ellen's camera.

This modest, colorful restaurant in Beatty, Nevada had one of the best chili verde dishes I've had in awhile. 

Rhyolite ghost town

An eccentric house made out of glass bottles. 

Gross truck with missing grills that Ellen made me (sort of) climb onto.  It was completely missing the bottom and completely overrun by other inhabitants.

The lush oasis that is Scotty's Castle is located at the northern end of Death Valley.  It's a surprising bit of luxury in an otherwise very inhospitable place.

Ubehebe crater dwarfs everything around it, and surrounds the nearby landscape with dark volcanic ash.  This doesn't quite indicate how incredibly large it is, it is roughly about half a mile wide.

As accustomed I am to light and noise, nighttime at Death Valley is a bit eerie since it's so quiet and almost completely dark.  You feel incredibly vulnerable, but then you look up, and there are no words to describe how bright the stars are.  Pictures certainly do not do it justice.

I have spent more days than I care to remember glued to my computer, so this past Saturday Tony and I decided to trek out to Santa Barbara for a little r & r.  The moody weather was a little less than ideal, but Santa Barbara was still lovely.  The wildflower blooming en masse along the highway is a wonderful reminder that its spring.

We lined up early and reaped our rewards at La Super-Rica Taqueria, a modest little Mexican restaurant that was made famous by Julia Child.  I love the handmade tortillas.

We also went along Stearns Pier, and one must admire the sheer tenacity of this pier, which was repeatedly rebuilt despite three fires.

It was a beautiful day in Playa del Carmen when Jen & Dave spoke their vows in front of forty of their closest friends and family.  There was a lot of love, a lot of laughter, and even a few tears. 



I knew even from their engagement that Jen & Dave are a special couple, so it was no surprise that the rest of their friends and family was equally fun.  They made everything easy. :)



It was a gorgeous day for their event.





After the ceremony, the whole wedding group walked behind the Mariachi band as they paraded around the street.  Kudos to the talented team of Two Penny Productions for keeping up with the crowd with all their equipment. :)



The wedding group partied it up for the rest of the night at the Blue Parrot. 



Did I mention that their whole group is incredibly musically talented?  There were a lot of performances that night, including a very sweet surprise song performed by Dave for Jen.



At the end of the night there was a fire dance, which was amazing!  Kelly and I were transfixed.



We had a great time in Playa del Carmen, and were so honored to be able to capture their beautiful wedding day.  Congrats Jen and Dave!

See their slideshow here .  Enjoy!