So this morning we knew it was gonna be a big day as we had an hour drive to Yosemite. This is one of the most popular parks in the US Park system and after we drove into the park we saw why. After driving for about an hour through the woods on 120 we were presented with an incredible view as you can see from the pictures here.
Coming around the bend into the park going out of the tunnel is one of the most magnificent jaw dropping sights of the whole trip. We were met with an amphitheater of granite cliffs and waterfalls. It was a drastic change in scenery from what we we were used to driving that morning and once we arrived there we knew we were in for a treat. You drive along the valley floor in order to get to the parks visitor center.
This national park features one of the most diverse and well-kept visitor centers in the system as there are hotels and restaurants throughout the park. There are so many hikes in this park it’s hard to even begin on one, but the one that is above all is the half dome hike. This requires a permit to do so, thus we were unable to get that for the day as it was already very busy. We decided to do an 8 mile hike to Vernal and Nevada Falls. This is the first half of the Half Dome hike, but you must turn around before you head up to the permit only section. These are some of the highest waterfalls in North America and the volume of water is absolutely massive.
These are spectacular sights coming over the granite ledges. There are two waterfalls on this trail of equal awe and beauty. To reach The Vernal Falls you must walk up steep rock face trails which are built along the side of the river. You must hike for about a mile until you start to ascend the steep staircase tot he base of Vernal Falls. The mist from the waterfall can completely soak you depending on the strength of the waterfall at the time you are there but we ended up getting soaked by the time we got to the top.
The second part of the hike is a similar sight but you do not hike near the waterfall. It is quite amazing the view from the top as you can see from the pictures and you’re usually presented with a rainbow due to the mist coming out from below. The water that flows evenly over the granite surface is quite mesmerizing to see the power that it can create. This hike took about four hours to complete and it was quite busy as those wanting to do the Half Dome usually resort to this, but also those who are doing the Half Dome are on this trail as well.
After seeing a primary attraction such as Fairy Falls (the highest falls in North America) we decided it was time to head on out and find a campsite after lunch. I loved eating breakfast and lunch at the actual visitor center as we’re lucky enough to find a parking spot. It was time to leave now and on our way out due to construction it got very busy and it took almost 3 hours to get out of the park which was a severe hindrance on our time frame. The south exit of the park leaves you an incredible image to take with you at sunset, overlooking the valley and containing one of the most famous photos of the park.
We eventually got out of the park and (with about two hours of sunlight) we could not find a campsite anywhere. This at first seemed like a bad thing but it forced us to head south to Fresno where there were cheaper hotels than in the vicinity of the park. We ended up staying at one of the worst hotels of the trip however. Driving into Fresno there are many plains and wineries along the way. The layout of landscapes were very pretty with golden grass everywhere along the hills dotted with tiny trees along the road. This is what I envisioned in the trip driving through the west and enjoying the evening sunsets. This was definitely a great drive into the city.
We decided on a hotel in Fresno. Even knowing it was a cheap hotel it was the worst of the trip with roaches everywhere and if I could remember the name of the place I would easily tell you to avoid this hotel. Our dinner, however was very nice, as we ate at a local Italian place called the Annex Kitchen. It was rated very well on trip advisor and we ended up having some great drinks and fresh trout which was a nice change of pace from previous night.
Overall today was a success as we are now back on track for our daily itineraries, and were in position for the next days adventure in Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks!
June 29 Expenses
17 breakfast Yosemite
19 lunch yosemite
56 hotel
80 dinner
Total 172.00