Mom...hold the wheel with two hands!

The drive up took FOREVER...almost 7 hours to be specific. I think I was mentally ignoring how long it could take to get here. We made several stops along the way with lots of “firsts”. We saw our first wildfire, a brush fire to be specific. Berk was quite scared for a few moments and then was fixated on the helicopter being used to fight the fire. We watched is fill up in a creek and spray the water on the fire. So for the next hour I had to not only navigate the driving directions, but I also had to navigate the 1000 questions about helicopters and forest fires. Bottom line, firemen and women are "very brave and will always save us". Our second "first" was going to a drive-in for lunch. We pulled in to a Sonic and ordered food through a microphone. It was brought out on a tray that hooked to the window. That in and of itself was worthe the price of admission! Berk was thrilled and can't wait to go back. She ate an entire foot-long hot dog! The third “first", was that we have done a great job of raising a back-seat driver. The whole way up Berk was giving me driving instructions. Everything from “Mommy, hold the wheel with two hands” to "don't drive so close to the edge". I think she may become a driving instructor when she gets older.

By the time we got to the campsite it was late…after 8:00 and only a few moments of daylight left. Thank goodness for the campers next to us. Two guys ran over and helped with the tent. It was so big you really need two people to put it up. I had forgotten that when we went “glamping” last year. We quickly made some dinner (chicken and some fruit). We were both tired so we went to bed around 10:00, I just wish our neighbors had done so as well. It was well after mid-night when it finally quieted down. We slept fairly well until 4:00 AM when the neighbors who helped out earlier with the tent, decided to get up and hike Half Dome. These guys were serious mountaineers! Berk swears she was up ALL night listing for bears. She said she heard lots of scratching on the bear containers. Oh well, I think she was worried about it. I can tell you though, she slept quite soundly. Even snored a bit, even though she does not believe she ever snores.

We made a new friend, a bluebird Berk named Woodrow. Since our first intruduction in camp, helping Ally finish her dinner, Woodrow has followed us all over, or at least that is what Berk is convinced is happening. "He must really need a new home".