OMCA is pretty impressed with our second-place winner, Cira Seyer-Ochi!

The juniper-loving eight-year-old was so inspired by the John Muir exhibition that she even created art work of her own to submit as part of her entry. We loved the submission so much that she was voted runner up! As second- prize winner, Cira will enjoy an OMCA Store and Tenaya Lodge gift bag filled with fun gifts to inspire her journal writing, as well as her next outdoor adventure. Congratulations, Cira!

Dreaming about my dream visit to Yosemite. I can hardly wait. Starting planning today. Mom and I visited the John Muir exhibit at the Oakland Museum. I drew lots of pictures and took notes, just like John Muir.

I can't believe how much he wrote. And his pictures were so tiny. I want to try to draw like that. I loved the "listen, smell, feel" section at the beginning (my favorite smell was the juniper, mom's was the field of wildflowers) and the climbing wall was fun. But the best part was sitting in Muir's cabin looking out at the amazing views and thinking about what I'll do when we go there!

Packing list:

• New journal
• Pencils and pens
• Camera
• Binoculars
• Good shoes for a nice long hike
• Warm rain jacket (for our waterfall hike!)
• Lots of snacks (s'mores?)
• Swimsuit for the Tenaya Lodge pool
• Wildflower and nature books
• Duga (my stuffed dog)

 Dream plan:

• Family drive to Tenaya Lodge, I take pictures for our album
• Check in to Tenaya Lodge
• Find our room, choose my bed, settle in
• Explore the Lodge!
• Change into swimsuits for fun in the pool
• Mom goes to the spa for a massage and "quiet time"
• Dinner at the Lodge
• Journal and early to bed (how can I sleep!?)
• Get up early for a full day in Yosemite
• Don't forget my journal
• Hike at the waterfall, see if we can find a bear (but don't feed it!), look out for deer, count leaves, hope for snow! Smell, look, listen!
• Lunch in the Park
• More exploring (can I ride my bike in the snow?)
• "Home" to the Lodge
• Rest and relax
• More swimming?
• Evening walk at Tenaya
• Dinner!
• S'mores for dessert
• Look for stars
• Sleep
• Wake up for another day of wonder, exploration, adventure and action before we have to leave for home
• I miss Yosemite and Tenaya already. We'll be back for the summer.

 -Submitted by Cira Seyer-Ochi