No doubt about it; it’s great to have money. But never forget, money is a tool. At a low level, money is security. No need to worry anymore about losing a job. After that, it gets more interesting. Money enables adventure.
I don’t like to sit still, so when left to my own devices, I stand up and move around. Most of the time, I’m just wandering around town. Sometimes, I jump in the car or get on a plane and go explore other parts of the world.
Yosemite
I’ve been to Yosemite before and just went again. It’s an incredibly beautiful place that keeps pulling me back.
This visit, my goal was to hike to the place where Ansel Adams took one of his most famous pictures, Monolith. I started at about 6am and had the trails mostly to myself. I got close, but because of dark skies, I didn’t get my photo.

Perhaps next time.
Incredible Beauty




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Did you get a chance to see the giant Sequoias? That’s one of my favorites and impossible to capture in a picture.
…because they’re too damn big!
I am currently on vacation and taking 1000 pics. Your post has me thinking about the genius of Ansel Adams. I can take 50 shots and maybe get lucky with 1 and delete the others. He only had like 12 or 24 exposures per roll and no view screen! Sorry you didn’t get the shot but that is why there is a next time 🙂
I’ve been 3 or 4 times but not for about 10 years now. Need to get back there soonest!
Ugh; gorgeous! Ever since watching Free Solo, I have wanted to stand at the base of El Capitan. I can’t imagine the magnificence.
I love the mountains. Any of them. Some may be more breathtaking than others, but at this point in my life just escaping into any mountainy or foresty area rejuvenates me. We are taking our kids for a surprise at our family cabin in the mountains this weekend – yay! and then my friend and I are escaping to hike the Sawtooths (incredible – google them if you have a minute) July 1.
Love love love me some wilderness!
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Such a beautiful amazing location! “In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks”, John Muir. Yep, John got it.
The Outer Banks of NC are my happy place. Going from one end of Ocracoke Island to the other feels almost being on another planet. My goal is to retire somewhere in the OBX.
These pictures are gorgeous! I’m sure the hike was fantastic, too! I’ve always felt, though, that being there (wherever “there” is) is much more impactful than seeing it in video or on a picture. You just can’t get the vastness or majesty of places through a computer screen or print. Waimea canyon is pretty spectacular, too- none of which photos convey. And my favorite spot in the world- sitting on a bench at the edge of a small cliff in a botanical gardens at home, overlooking the lush green Ko’olau mountains, watching the clouds roll over the peaks. Just seeing nature- that’s moving. Having the time to just sit there and take it all in- it’s priceless. Trust me, I see so many tourist come and go being hustled on a tour bus .They just get out and snap pics, stretch a bit for maybe 10 minutes, and then are gone to the next place. It’s a vastly different experience having the luxury and freedom of time to take it all in.
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Beautiful! I visited when I was a kid. My wife has never been so we really need to visit at some point.
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It’s on our list, would be nice to find it not crowded but maybe impossible. We found at Glacier that if you just hike trails that are more than six to eight miles that most of the tourists realize they don’t want to go that far so after about two miles you are generally pretty much on your own. But the half mile hikes are like Disney. We almost went this year on the early shoulder of the season but the week we had planned Yosemite had way too much snow and falling ice to be safe on most of the trails. You really made me want to do now!
Just made the bucket list….
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We go almost every year… My two favorite hikes are the panorama trail from Glacier Point down to the valley and Half Dome hike itself. You need a permit for the Half Dome hike, so it takes some planning, flexibility and luck.
Where did you stay? Accommodations during summer around Yosemite are super pricey…
I’m looking now, and it’s hard to find anything near the park under $300 a night.
We stayed in a tent cabin in the park. They still aren’t cheap ($160/night) and are difficult to get, but the location was fantastic.