Yosemite: Day 1

Stace has been itching to get back to Yosemite National Park since our first family trip in 2018. In April, we purchased an annual national parks pass when we visited two parks in Utah. So, when I  knew the girls had a random three-day weekend in October, I wondered if we could put together a quick trip to Yosemite. 

On Friday, we drove up after work and school to hotel in Fresno, so we were more than half-way there when we woke up Saturday. Plus, we were all packed with clothes and food, so it was quick to get off on the road. 

We arrived to the park by around lunchtime - here is the famous Tunnel View, when you come around the bend and first see the glories of the Yosemite Valley.

After we got checked in and got keys to our tent cabin, we wandered around Curry Village, where the eateries, shops and amphitheater are. This fat squirrel grabbed our attention thanks to his girth.

We got our stuff settled into the cabin, ate a late lunch/early dinner, and then took a nice walk. We started off going down to the Merced River, which was much more shallow than our June 2018 trip.

We even spotted a deer - see it across the river from us?

We carried on until we walked to the Ahwanee Hotel, a fancy 100-year-old hotel built to bring in the rich people who then would advocate for Yosemite.

We walked around, admiring the splendor, and enjoyed a Women of Yosemite museum exhibit. on our way back, we stopped for a photo. We couldn't get one with us all smiling, and then this happened. 

So many "WOW" moments in Yosemite!

We were heading back during the "Golden Hour," that perfect time for photos, and many photographers with huge lenses were setting up for artsy pics of Half Dome.

 Queen of the Mountain!

We also had fun looking around the shop as we picked out treats to eat back at the cabin for dessert. Cora found a book that was right up her alley. ("Off the Wall: Death in Yosemite") 

We then returned to our tent cabin, had dessert, and played card games. It was a great day together!

Yosemite Day 1

Our buddy Cooper started Stace's birthday early, when he generously gave him his Lego Imperial Star Destroyer. Wow!

Stace was thrilled to find it on the doorstep Saturday, while we all were getting ready for our Yosemite adventure with Cooper and his family.

We began our trip Sunday morning, leaving home around 9:30 and reaching Pam and the boys at her aunt's home in Visalia two hours later. They had spent the night there to visit with their extended family.

We embarked, stopping for lunch in Fresno and then entering Yosemite around 3. We then headed into the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, with its beautiful trails and visitors center. The visitor center and parking lot had reopened two days prior to our visit, after a yearslong renovation.

The ancient trees are amazing, reaching over 200 feet into the sky.

Stopping also gave the kids a chance to run around, stretch their legs and climb rocks and logs.

(Thanks to Pam for this one - and many more over the trip! This photo makes me smile - these kids are good friends, but actually touching each other friendly-like for a photo is a big stretch. There's a lot of cooperation going on behind the scenes here!)

We spotted a deer in the Mariposa Grove, but too far away for a good photo. Our next stop revealed this pretty creature.

We had pulled in at the Tunnel View area, just after a l-o-n-g tunnel, after which you're faced with the most gorgeous view of Yosemite's highlights.

The three big kids were a little more interested in climbing the hill behind us, finding the deer and sliding down the rock face.

We adults were fascinated by the view, however.

 Our next stop took us to Bridalveil Falls, our first waterfall of the trip. It was pretty!

From there, we drove into the Yosemite Valley, got checked into our lodging, and started the unpacking process.

Yosemite: Day 2

On Sunday morning, Stace and I were up earlyish, having our hot drinks and oatmeal (thankful our tent cabin had a heater and an outlet for an electric kettle). 

Then, Stace and Violet went down to the river

Later, we all took our bikes out and rode on the trails to some of the nature centers and hiking spots. 

Along the way, we stopped to admire this little bear, as he wandered a bit too close to the campground for some visitors' comfort. A lady was yelling and banging on a pot, which is understandable, since you can't let young bears get used to being close to tents and little kids. 

We relaxed for a bit and had a snack overlooking the river; Cora climbed down and sat on the big boulder across from Violet. She's in the photo but is hard to see.

We also went into the nature center nearby and checked out the exhibits. This was near the start of the Mist Trail, which we did on our last trip but decided to skip this time. 

More wildlife! These guys were so cute, and unafraid. There were four, though I think there are only three in the photo.

We then continued on our ride, stopping later at Yosemite Village for another snack and walk around the big market. We also went through the old Yosemite Cemetery, and the Ansel Adams Gallery, where we bought Violet a travel watercolor set.

We proceeded to Yosemite Falls, but since it's autumn, there wasn't much water coming down.

Then, we agreed that the girls could ride back to the tent cabin to relax.

 

Stace and I carried on a little further, finding another nice vantage point to enjoy the river and all the scenery.

We found a sandy beach where kids in bathing suits were braving the cold water. Stace thought he'd join them, though very briefly.

Riding home!

When we got back, Stace and Cora went to order a pizza for dinner, while I got showered. The toilet and shower blocks are very well kept, and stocked with shampoo and body wash. So, it's all shared facilities like any campground, but a step up from most I've been to!

We aren't sure why we couldn't get the auto-timer photo to come out clearly, and we tried a couple of times. But you get the idea - we had our dinner outside the cabin, and later went for another walk around Curry Village before retiring for more card games in the cabin.
 

Yosemite, Day 4

Stace bought a fishing license, so he went out nice and early Wednesday to take advantage. He didn't catch a fish, but he did catch sight of a couple of bears.

When he came back, we got ready for a big hike, up to the top of Vernal Falls. We rode our bikes to the foot of the trail, and then joined the throngs on their way up. And up, and up.

We took quite a few breaks to rest, breathe, and take in our surroundings.

Doesn't Wylie look like a perfect Boy Scout?

Eventually, we made it up to the bridge, where you get a great view of the river.

I promise, no Coras were in danger during the taking of this photograph.

We stopped on the other side of the bridge for lunch, where some crazy squirrels eagerly tried to charm us into giving up our leftovers.

And then, we carried on, up, and up and up. The weather was warm, but we soon came along the Mist Trail, where the waterfall cast off enough droplets to cool us off and soak the rocky path.

The views were worth it!

Violet amazed us all - she did it all, cheerfully.

And this is why you come to Yosemite and complete the hardest hike you've ever done. (#NotAHiker.)

Just beyond the top of Vernal Falls is the Emerald Pool. The water was pure snow melt - gorgeous and freezing. Pam loved it.

You can see how my feet were going into shock.

Crazy kids!

On the positive side, they got thoroughly cooled off for our warm hike down.

Violet took some artsy photos while we enjoyed our mountaintop experience.

The long hike back down was painful on my out-of-shape thighs! But we all made it.

We rested when we got back, and then went back to the river for a bit more fishing and some archery. Pam is an amazing mom and coach - she know so much about so many things, and she helped all four kids with their archery technique.

Both Cora and Wylie ended up in the river to rescue their lines and lures. Eventually, they moved to the other side of the bridge, where Stace got out the fly rod he borrowed from his boss.

Eventually, we ended up back in the village, where we got a very late pizza dinner. And, because it was Birthday Eve for Stace, Wylie and Cooper, we celebrated with ice cream.

It was our last full day in Yosemite, and we lived it to the fullest!

Yosemite Day 2

After a very full Sunday, we took our time Monday morning getting going. At least, Pam and I did. Violet was up with the sun, thinking it was time to be out and about since it was light. By 5:45 she was dressed and bugging Stace to take a walk with her. He gave in, and they had a nice, quiet look around our beautiful surroundings at Half Dome Village.

A bit later, the four kids took off on their bikes for an exploratory mission. They had a great time, with walkie-talkies connecting them to us at base camp.
(I ADORE this photo Pam got of the kids on their time away! They didn't know she was nearby.)
After lunch, we rode our bikes to Yosemite Village to check out Yosemite Falls.
Here's another awesome pic from Pam. Those silhouettes!

After checking out the waterfall, we found a quiet part of the Merced River to rest.

Violet, after her early morning, took a nap on a blanket, while the rest of us played in the river. Stace showed the big kids how to skip stones and play the "duck-drake-goose-mallard" game, for how many times your rock kicks up after you throw it.

When we were around our tent cabins, the kids usually were whittling sticks into differently shaped sticks.

Our tent cabins were perfectly adequate for our four-night stay. Beds were fine, and the bear boxes out front held everything with a scent so we didn't attract bears.

We couldn't cook, but we could figure out breakfasts and lunches with food we'd brought. The food in the eateries at Half Dome Village was quite good, and reasonably priced, given the nature of the captive market.

On Monday evening, we took our girls and Wylie to the village amphitheater, where we watched a cool documentary on the park. We also discovered that the ice cream shop offers a fabulous product at a great price. Win!

Yosemite: Vernal Falls Hike

Violet and Cora had a long weekend and Violet was anxious to get back to the mountains, so we planned a quick trip to Yosemite. Cora had to stay behind for rehearsals, so it was Stace, me and Violet on this trip. We were able to leave around lunch Friday, and got settled into our tent cabin that evening.

On Saturday morning, we got started on the hike to Vernal Falls and the Mist Trail to Emerald Pool. 

It's a hard hike for me, since I'm not really a hiker. Violet and I love our nature walks, but we're not going uphill to this extent. My calves were so sore later! Definitely a great accomplishment to reach our goal, though, and many memories made.

This is the bridge with a view of Vernal Falls - so pretty.

See the rainbow? 

Last time we were here, the falls were much more full, and we got quite wet on the Mist Trail. This time, we only had a bit of mist when the wind blew.
 

When we reached the Emerald Pool, we stopped for a lunch break. This squirrel wanted us to share.

This group of college kids from UC Berkeley was having so much fun, sliding on the smooth granite into the pool.

Another squirrel, eating acorns, like he should.

Violet was in her element!