THIS is why people go to Yosemite: Photoblog
Half Dome, Yosemite National Park
Yosemite is so beautiful, and yet it’s like the Grand Canyon: there’s no way for pictures to do it justice. This is a place you really should go and see yourself! We are attempting, with these photos, to show you why people love Yosemite National Park!
The Homestead Bed and Breakfast Cottages
I also want to tell you about an immaculate place to stay that we found. Now, if you are trying to see Yosemite without spending any money, I have good news for you. You can camp on the park for nothing more than your park admission fee.
I don’t camp. Nope. I do not. The last time I went camping was in 2003. Alan was in Iraq. I had not seen my friend Katie in a while, and she invited me to go camping at this big Christian concert event called One Day, in Sherman, Texas. It was like 100 degrees. We slept in tents. I didn’t know any of the songs the bands were singing. We washed our teeth using water bottles, and we used port-o-potties.
I do not use port-o-potties. Yes, I know I’m sounding like a diva, so you might as well know that I have decided that I’m okay with that. I’m an adult. If I don’t want to sleep on the ground, I don’t have to. 🙂
That camping experience truly made me empathize with Alan. I couldn’t get him out of my head that day. He was in 130 degree IRAQ, wearing “full battle rattle”, and there I was wilting in 100 degree Texas, in summer clothing. I decided that while I still felt desperately sorry for my husband, there was no reason I should subject myself to that heat any longer, so I hugged all of my dear Alabama friends, got back in my car, and drove home. They stayed there and camped another night! Now this may make me sound like a wimp, but I think it’s just pure good sense. 😉
Just so you know, I don’t think any of you will melt at Yosemite Camp grounds. With that altitude, I doubt it gets too hot. I looked it up. It gets as high as 89 degrees in the summer, but the nights still get as low as 32, so take your warm blankets and shorts, if you’re camping!!
For non-campers like Me: Try The Homestead Bed and Breakfast Cottages This place is beautiful and clean, it’s just 10 minutes from Oakhurst, and it has Wifi! You get the personal touch of a bed and breakfast, with the privacy of a cabin. This was so much more peaceful than a hotel stay! I just cannot tell you!
The Homestead Bed and Breakfast
We stayed at the Country Cabin.
We didn’t hit the road until lunch time on day 2 of our trip. (For Day One details, click here)
We stopped off in Oakhurst and picked up more of those incredible BBQ sandwiches from Alice’s Cookhouse. As I said before, coleslaw INSIDE the sandwich–who knew!
We actually ended up doing more driving than hiking in Yosemite because we wanted to cover a lot of ground in only one day. This worked out just fine, but I was disappointed that I didn’t get more exercise.
First stop: Giant Sequoia trees
Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias
This fallen tree is so old, there are photos of the Buffalo Soldiers posing on this fallen tree, on their horses!
There is a loop you can hike and see 10 or so of these giant trees, and the loop is only around a mile. This would have been more exciting if we had not already been to Henry Cowell State Park, where they have Redwoods, in Santa Cruz. We are such spoiled tourists! But here are a couple of impressive new things we got to see:
Giant Sequoia
Forest Fires: Surprisingly important to the life cycle of the forest!
The forest fires actually help to spread new sequoias. For many years, well intending people stunted the spread of these trees by putting OUT fires. Isn’t that funny!? As it turns out, the fire heats up the cones, which releases the seeds inside of them.
tiny pinecones of the Giant Sequoias
“The Grizzly Bear” tree
Are you curious as to the difference between a Giant Sequoia and a Giant Redwood?
Well, I certainly was, so I looked it up for you and made you a little chart:
Giant Redwoods Giant Sequoias
- live up to 2,000 years live up to 3,000 years
- branches: up to 5ft in diameter branches: up to 8 feet in diameter
- Bark: up to 12in. thick Bark: up to 3 feet thick
- Can reproduce by seed or sprout Reproduce only by seed
- Grow taller than Giant Sequoias Typically shorter than Redwoods
- grow in moist, coastal Nor. Cal. live at higher altitudes, require periodic dry heat: Nor. Cal.
Driving up to Glacier Point, which is at over 7,000 feet above sea level, there was still snow on the ground!
snow, still on the ground, in mid-May
Glacier Point is a must-see. These views!!!
the half-dome of Yosemite
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park, at Glacier Point
Glacier Point, Yosemite National Park
Glacier Point, Yosemite National Park
one of the many waterfalls of Yosemite
Yosemite National Park
April, eating an Ice cream at Glacier Point
Yosemite
But let me warn you about the bathrooms…..they are a lot like port-o-potties:
I got really good at squatting…ewwww
Just for the record, Alan took that picture. I would never….but apparently I would share it on the internet, so I don’t know what that says about me…
Back to beauty:
Yosemite Falls
Alan and me at the Mariposa Grove
Wow.
feeling on top of the world
Alan and me at Glacier Point
We, in our matching sunglasses, decided that we were the King and Queen of Souvenir t-shirts. Yep. We bought Yosemite shirts too.
Yosemite
Bridalveil Fall
so silly
Yes, we did do some rock climbing, and obviously I was quite proud of myself.
“Are you coming, April?”
Alan, probably wondering if I was coming, or if I was just going to take pictures of myself.
Glacier Point
Tunnel View
These beautiful rapids are near Yosemite Falls.
This morning we slept in again, and then we headed home. Right now we are at the library, working hard again.
Hope you enjoyed the photoblog!
“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse” (Romans 1:20)
1{{To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. }} The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handy work. Psalm 19:1
My husband and I have been to Yosemite many times and I loved how you captured my favorite places (except for the toilet). You and Alan in sunglasses- did someone take that for you? We were also spoiled by the redwoods in Santa Cruz. Aah, simply beautiful post!
You sound like you enjoy traveling as much as I do. I just love seeing new sights. That photo was…..a selfie…but don’t worry, we did not, and never will, purchase the selfie stick.
Beautiful pictures!! Those trees are amazing!
Thanks!
Your photos are absolutely stunning April. Love the different vistas where the photos were taken. I have never been to Yosemite, but it is on my must do list. A wonderful comparison you have made between the Giant Sequoia’s (visited King’s Canyon 30 years ago), and the Giant Redwood’s. Witnessed the coastal redwoods on the same trip, and camped among them, actually bivouacked without a tent. April, you don’t know what you would have been missing going to sleep while looking up at trees that tower 250-300 feet above you. 🙂 I totally understand everyone is not a camper, and respect that.
Even though I am older, I would probably still do the same way of camping if it was not raining , but if my dear wife were with me, it would definitely be the bed and breakfast. 🙂
I am so happy for you and Alan, that you were able to get away like this. It is so important for our physical, emotional and spiritual well being. Can tell just reading this how invigorating and inner recharging it was for you.
I really did enjoy the photoblog. Thank you so much for sharing! 🙂
~Carl~
You know, that does sound wonderful, camping under the trees. Maybe someday. I hear King’s Canyon is AMAZING, and I’d love to see it before we move back east. It sounds like you have had many wonderful travels too! I’m glad you enjoyed the pictures. It’s impossible not to take good pictures in a place like Yosemite!
Oh my goodness, sign me up now, I wanna go to Yosemite! Actually I believe I’ve been there once when I was really little, but heck if i remember it so I need to go again! So beautiful!
Thanks. It is magnificent. You’d love it.
April, thanks so much for sharing your trip! I’ve always wanted to go to Yosemite. Now I Really want to go. 🙂 But I’ll probably camp. lol
Oh, you are tougher than me!! I hope you do get to go!
Haha all of that beauty and then the whole in the ground toilet! What a beautiful and majestic place! Oh how I wish to go someday.What a wonderful adventure!
It seems so close to you, since you live in the west, and yet it’s forever away! These western states are huge. I hope you get to go someday!
I don’t camp either! And I barely do temps over 80 so this spoke to me! I only went to Yosemite once and it was in October. Cold at night and warm during the day. Total shooting stars at night. Ah, so good.
I miss it so much. I lived in California for about two years and I always kick myself for not doing Yosemite more than once.
We only live here for two years too. My husband is here for grad school. Hmmm. Maybe I should learn from your experience and visit it more than once. 🙂
What wonderful pictures!! I have always dreamed of going to Yosemite, but have as yet not made it there. Ever since I saw a film about the park in 5th grade, it has been on my bucket list, and your photos here show me again just why!! I’m glad you had a lovely vacation – and I enjoyed your smiling selfies! Lovely – Mother Hen xx
hehe Thank you! I hope you get to go!
Absolutely stunning! I just had a couple of friends get back from Yosemite. They go every May but I haven’t been with them. This makes me very regretful.
Ooo, you should definitely go if you get another chance!
These are amazing photographs. Some are almost so amazing that it is hard to believe they are real although I know they are. I have not been but would love to go when my boys are older. It is too long a journey at the moment (We are in the UK). Thanks for showing these.
Thanks, and amazingly enough, we took these photos with our cell phones. HA! That just shows that you can’t take a bad picture of Yosemite. The UK…yes, it may take a while for you to make it out here. We saw quite a few UK’ers at Yosemite that day. 🙂 We loved their accents. Meanwhile, we would love to visit the UK some day, the home of our ancestors!
April, the pictures are BEAUTIFUL!! Incredibly breath-taking photos of your trip. I’m really glad y’all got to go to Yosemite. Too bad you couldn’t stay longer.
Thank you!! Have you been there?
Great picture of y’all at the Mariposa Grove. “Alan, probably wondering if I was coming, or if I was just going to take pictures of myself.” HAAA!!! Looks like a great trip – I didn’t know there were waterfalls – those are beautiful! Greg and I hiked over some boulders when we lived in OK – best hike ever for us both. So fun! So jealous, but happy for y’all, that you had a fun weekend away!
1. Thank you. 2. I didn’t know ANYTHING about Yosemite before this weekend! 3. I know. I’m jealous of us too. I booked this on a day that I had had more than I could take. Then by the time the vacation arrived, I was doing better, and Alan was the one who turned out to need it the most!