Partying with the Fantastic Four

As mentioned, the Fantastic Four took time out of their busy schedules to visit us, and we were thrilled to have them for 1.5 weeks!

You've got to admire their energy level and positive vibes. There was no downtime at all, and everyday was practically a party.

Marin Headlands:



Monterey (I have one photo of Dad dancing but I better not post it!): 



Sonoma:





Worthy of mention is our 3D2N trip to Yosemite. I had been there countless times with visitors, but it has got to be the prettiest this time round. The foggy weather on the first day made everything looked surreal. We literally drove through white fluff on some parts of the road, not being able to see beyond fifty feet of us. It was strangely enchanting.

On the second day, we experienced light snow at Glacier Point while having simple homemade salad lunch, cramped in our 7-seater. It was cold, even in May! 

We were finally blessed with good weather on the third day, as we attempted the moderate uphill hike to Vernal Fall footbridge. Trust me, the sign says 0.8 miles from Happy Isles but it took us eternity to get there because of the incline. We were all ready to kiss our knees goodbye after that. 

On my previous visits, I have always stayed at Tenaya Lodge down South. Slightly pricier but very comfortable. This time round, Gugu booked a 2-storey house at Groveland under Hotel Charlotte, which is about half an hour away on the West. 

The house itself is located within the Pine Mountain Lake Golf Course. It came with three bedrooms, two toilets, and a gigantic kitchen. Awesome because we were able to cook dinner, but bad for the neighbours because we made such a din!

 

The rest of the Fantastic Four's stay included outlet visits, silicon valley tours, and day trips to the city. We even went down to Santana Row to sit in Tesla's trunk, just for the fun of it. Those are proper child seats, but our butts are obviously too big for them!

Yes, the silly things we did!

It's been more than a week since Gugu and Gucheung went back to Hong Kong, and Dad and Mom departed for Toronto. I will be joining them in Edmonton, and then at Yellowstone. I look forward to continuing the fun, because family time is hard to come by when we stay in different countries.

I'd also like to put on record a big thanks to the Fantastic Four for sponsoring our travels for this trip. Grateful for all the treats - accommodation, car rentals, gas, food... I hope I can return the favour one day, when I go back and start working again.

Till then, stay tuned for more family updates in the next few weeks!