Part 2: The Plan - The Right Balance

Anyone who has planned a family vacation knows... it's impossible to make everyone happy at the same time. For this reason, "g"-clan had its planning moments. "a" was consumed with one idea: basking on the beach in the California sun; "s" wanted a "pool-guarantee" at every hotel; "k" was drawing up a list of museums to visit; and, "g" was climbing Half Dome in his head.

What's Half Dome? Picture a landscape. Insert a huge granite dome... lets say... about 8,842 ft high. Cut the dome in half... there you have it: Half Dome.

Half Dome is an awesome rock that struts itself as one of the most spectacular formations in the Sierra Nevadas at Yosemite. Although rock climbers will climb it's face, hikers climb its steep granite backside (800 ft.) up a one lane alley flanked by a chain railing at an angle of about 45 degrees. It's steep.

When "g" and the Boys hiked Yosemite in '99, plans to hike Half Dome fell into oblivion. Two days before they arrived, the cable system had come down for the season... there was some moderate pessimism as to whether or not one could summit The Dome without its "hand rails." For "g", this trip with his daughters represented, "Revenge of Half Dome."

OK. A plan was hatched. Here goes...

Chapter 1: Arrive in San Francisco and spend night #1 at the Fisherman's Wharf;

Chapter 2: On day-2, drive south 4-hours and spend 2-nights along the coast between Carmel/Monterey and Big Sur;

Chapter 3: Day-4... drive back north to San Francisco for 2 nights at Fisherman's Wharf and mega-touring;

Chapter 4: Day-6... 5 days at Yosemite Natl. Park

Chapter 5: Day-10... 3 days of unscheduled, unplanned mystery days in CA.