On my way to Yosemite for the long weekend! A 3 1/2 hour drive from SF. It has been on my list for 4 years. Can’t wait to see the Giant Sequoia trees. Pictures soon! (Okay, not so soon. There is only a verizon tower near Yosemite, which mean all other cell providers do not work.) The drive is part of the experience – I took Highway 140 because 120 was closed. It was incredible to watch the flat land turn to swells, then hills, then rocky mountains and forests. Below is just the beginning – still an hour or more away from Yosemite:
I had done a teeny bit of research like: Yosemite National Park covers 1200 sq miles, but mostly I was focused on seeing the Giant Sequoia trees, and I was totally unprepared for the sight of the gorgeous glacial-made mountains and waterfalls pouring off them.
The entrance fee for a week in the park is $20 – worth it! But note there is usually at least a 10 minute wait getting in and out of the park (and save your receipt you will need it to exit).
more Yosemite
A place not to miss is ‘Glacier Point’, with drop dead views and there isn’t a photo I took that fully expresses what it really looks like or its vastness:
Glacier Point, Yosemite CA
Hotels around and near the park can be quite expensive. The Ahwahnee Hotel: Despite the not-so-good reviews, I was still keen to stay there but it was sold out. Of course, I dropped by to see it and deemed the reviews to be correct. It is very expensive, but dusty and well ,well, well worn…With its grand old sitting and dining rooms, it’s a fun place to have lunch but maybe not to stay overnite due to the price-vs-value factor. The upside is the location: it’s within the park – right in the valley with mountains on each side. There is the option of staying in the main hotel or in little cabin cottages. The Tenaya Lodge, where I ended up staying, is located 10 – 15 minutes outside Yosemite Park in Fish Camp, CA. It’s a bit bigger resort with several restaurants and a convenience store on-site. The rooms are clean and updated lodge-y style – still feeling a bit too expensive for the experience. Note :The rooms all have a view of forest OR the parking lot?!?!
top: Ahwahnee Hotel / bottom: Tenaya Lodge
Okay, so here it is, the reason for my trip: to see the Giant Sequoia’s. As it happens it’s actually 3 hours south of Yosemite where the Sequoia National Park is – but I heard there are some great ones here. Here’s why I love these trees: Giant Sequoias can be over 3000 years old; approx 300 ft tall; can be as large as 40 ft in diameter. They seem like wise old souls. I must tell you that I almost didn’t get to see them on this trip…the parking lot was full. But, determined, I drove to the next town Wawona (“big tree” in Native American’s from that region), 20 minutes away…took a park shuttle back to Mariposa Grove then wandered happily among the Sequoias, then shuttled back. Time consuming- yes! But so worth it if the Giant Sequoia’s are calling you.
ah….the Giant Sequoias in Mariposa Grove in Yosemote Park – love!
Okay, no more words..I’ll let you enjoy these trees. Oh and PS…don’t wear flip flops and a dress to walk around Mariposa Grove – kinda tricky with the incline…