Camping at Big Basin

It was looking like 2011 would be a shut-out year when it comes to camping.  However thanks to Tinker (Merie) and John, we managed to sneak in a weekend in Big Basin at their camp site.  

We broke the unwritten rule of camping - never put up a brand new tent for the first time in the dark.  After a few failed attempts we finally read the instructions and got the tent upright.

Thankfully, John and Merie had the fire going and the wine flowing so frayed nerves were dealt with quickly.

The hardest part of camping is having to go outside before the sun has reached high enough in the sky to get through the dense canopy of Redwoods.  I was on coffee patrol.

The new tent looked good in the morning light, complete with standing room clearance at the top....luxury)

By noon we had thawed out enough to decide that we needed to do something to stay warm for the day.  The sun was a blaze in the sky, we just couldn't feel it inside our redwood canopy.

We decided to go to Berry Creek Falls, 11 miles round trip going out on Sunset trail and coming back on Skyline-to-the-sea trail.


We weren't the only ones trying to find some warmth, it seemed like all the banana slugs in Big Basin had come out - presumably to ripen??

The mushrooms were enjoying the dampness as well.

Thanks to the rain some weeks ago, there actually was water in the Falls.  Berry Creek Falls is definitely worth the hike and we must remember to come back in winter after a storm.

A cute picture of Fred and me at the bottom of Berry Creek falls.

I neglected to mention that we did this hike rather unprepared as somehow we forgot to pack a backpack and could only carry one bottle of water and no food.  That made the first beer at the campsite taste particularly good.

When we got back to the campsite  it looked like we had been invaded - we had.  

 Kate reckons that she has the system down and makes the best Smores EVER.

Ecstasy!

Fred agreed that Kate's Smores were the best.

The best part is sitting around the campfire telling Ghost stories and just hanging out.

Even the campground breakfasts are gourmet.

Loretto and Michael's 25th Wedding Anniversary

The main reason for going back to Ireland was for R&R but it was nice that we could organize it such that we got to celebrate Loretto and Michael's 25th wedding anniversary as well.  They chose a quiet family celebration at the Grand Hotel in Tralee.
Loretto and Michael made a particularly handsome couple on the night.

As always, Rebecca was the belle of the ball.  Of course the irony of the night was that her date was the son of Michael's best man.  

Damian, Kathleen and Aisling

Martha and Damien Byrne

Fred and Barbara

Our meals were fabulous, but all eyes were on the cakes which were only stunning.
Loretto's home made wedding cake and Rebecca's decadent chocolate cake.

The O'Connors celebrating together.  Notice how much William is enjoying all the attention.

Aisling raises her first pint.

Houses and Gardens of England (and Ireland)

I can't believe I have been so delinquent.  September is my favorite time to vacation.  All the kids and tourists are gone back to wherever they belong and the place takes on a more relaxed mood.
This blog will cover the trip thematically rather than serially.
We started in Kent, also called the Garden of England,  and it truly deserves the title.

We started with Chartwell House, the private residence of Winston Churchill.  Apart from being a wonderfully preserved museum to Winston Churchill (who died broke by the way and his house was donated to the state by some friends who bailed him out), Chartwell shows off Churchill's other great loves - the English countryside and gardening

The gardens are beautifully preserved by the National Trust

Chartwell is a stone's throw away from Orpington, the birthplace of Ginger's lineage.  This could be a distant feathered cousin.  

Our next stop was Ightham Moat (pronounced Ita) a 700 year old grade A listed house (they have so many they can do this).

This one has a special treat - a national trust preserved dog kennel that can be seen in the courtyard below.

The vegetable garden.

 A walled garden with classic english border

Now here is where we jump countries - the war memorial in Dublin with fabulous rose garden, looking its best following the Queen's visit

The luckiest donkey in the world, in the residences of the Irish Government at Phoenix Park.