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Have I ever mentioned to you all that my dad is Swedish and that we are
kinda-sorta-really into being Swedish? We grew up hosting our Swedish cousins (many of them came to live with us), and visiting our Swedish family in the mother land. Some of my most idyllic memories happened around picking berries and milking cows at my family's farm in Sweden, swooning over the quint yellow and red houses, swimming in their endless lakes, eating crayfish dinners on warm breezy nights, and being spellbound in Stockholm's old city of Gamla Stan.
Four years ago Kevin was introduced to my lovely family in Sweden, as we jumped into a week of Swedish craziness at a family reunion in central southern Sweden. For a week, our family toured all the birth places of our immigrant family, ate delicious food, sang Swedish songs, and just generally got to know everyone on a deeper level. It was one of the most amazing weeks of my life, and i'm so happy Kevin was able to share it with me.
Since then, we've hosted many of my Swedish cousins at our home, and now, four years later, we are all headed to a week of Swedish fun at a retreat center in Yosemite! Our whole big Swedish family has made the trek across the pond and over to California! Kevin and I leave today, and I'm so excited for all the activities planned! {think campfires, hiking, and even a Swedish Midsommer celebration complete with a maypole! epp!!} Not to mention we will be in one of the most magnificent valleys in all the land, Yosemite.
For more of the fun, follow along on instagram
here!
Happy Swedish week to me, and Happy American week to you!
The last stop on our California road trip with our British friends was Yosemite. I grew up visiting Yosemite many summers in my childhood, and have still never gotten over the beauty of the valley and the gorgeous rock formations! It honestly takes my breath away each time I'm there. We took Matt and Kate (and little Isaac) to Glacier Point first to see the incredible views of the valley! If you've never been to Yosemite, you should definitely start at Glacier Point as it helps orient you to the park! We only had one day in the park, so this is what we did: 1) Bridalveil Falls: This is a short little hike, but a fun one and you can see the waterfall from the lookout point and climb the rocks around the area. 2) Lunch at Curry Village: We brought a packed lunch, but there are a few restaurants and some fun shops here. We got many an ice cream cone here as kids! There's also a great Information Hub at Curry Village with maps and shuttle information, so if you have questions about what hikes to do or things to do, this is super helpful! 3) Vernal Falls: This is my absolute favorite hike in Yosemite as it's not as hard as others, and you get some really great views. The last stretch of the hike you actually get misted on by the waterfall (which in the summer is SOOO nice!). Matt and Kate did this hike while Kev and I took Isaac. 4) The Awahnee Hotel: This incredibly amazing and historic hotel was built in 1927, and you can walk the grounds outside the hotel (which are stunning), as well as meander through the inside of the hotel (which is equally gorgeous and regal!). My favorite part of this hotel is the massive fire place in the great room. We sat around the table and ordered hot drinks and just took in the stunning landscape!It was so fun to show our British friends around Yosemite which is such a unique California classic! Enjoy the pics!! If you missed any info on our road trip, you can see the posts here:Laguna BeachSan Luis Obispo and Big SurCapitola and Santa Cruz 
