A Very Special Time

I write a lot about Africa (hey this is the Infinite Safari Adventures blog ain’t it?), and I love being out in the bush away from electronics, bright lights and the trappings of home; being out in nature among amazing wildlife. But sometimes we forget that there are special places near us as well and we sometimes get so busy with our lives that we forget to share them with someone special.

Alan Feldstein and Son at Young Lake, Yosemite National Park

My son is a very special person. He is an amazing young man who loves nature, being outdoors and teaching people about the incredible nature that is around us all. He has taught me to enjoy my own backyard looking at birds. It is amazing what you can see when you look.

But his favorite area, his sanctuary is Yosemite National Park. For the last several years he has spent the summer seasons working for the National Park Service. This year he was on “owl crew” where he went out for days at a time tracking and documenting Great Grey and Spotted Owls.

Young Lake, Yosemite National Park

Recently he and I went up to Young Lake about 6.5 miles from the popular Tuolumne Meadows and camped for a few days in the backcountry. It was just he and I. We spent two nights napping, talking, hiking, cooking and connecting in the woods. Something we had not done in a very long time. It was a very special time for me. One that I will cherish forever. I know he will spend a lot more time in Yosemite and I look forward to more trips with him – learning from him and enjoying just watching him in his element and being the proudest Dad there can be.