Yep...took another weekend trip to the woods. This time, Chris and I headed out to Yosemite National Park. He was able to make reservations at Curry Village, right there in Yosemite Valley. It was the weekend before Memorial Day weekend, so I didn't anticipate it being too busy. Boy was I wrong! The place was packed ! We had to wait to get into the park in a long line of cars. It must have been at least a 30 minute wait just to get in the park. But that 30 minutes seemed like 30 hours, because I had to pee SO bad. I am talking emergency status here! Luckily, there was a restroom right there at the park entrance, so I was saved from the potential embarassment of "pee pants." Whew! The road to Mariposa Grove was blocked because the parking lot was full up there. They were basically letting in one car everytime one car left the grove. We decided to head on down to camp to get a parking spot and get our stuff set up and maybe check out Mariposa Grove on the way out.
We did stop at Bridalveil Falls on the way down to the valley. Boy, the river was roaring and the falls were pounding down, spraying mist everywhere. You could get good and soaked if you stood there for too long. It is one of the landmarks of the valley, and it is a waterfall that flows year-round, unlike some of the others, which dry up in the summer and freeze up in the winter. This time of the year is the best for viewing waterfalls. They were everywhere you looked!
The next snag in the trip came down at the entrance to Yosemite Valley...another traffic jam. This time, the wait to get in was like 40 minutes. At one point, we heard that they closed the valley, but that was just gossip. You know how fast gossip travels. We finally got in and checked in and got our stuff situated. It was a pretty nice place. They had cots inside the "tent cabins" with bed linens and pillows and towels for the shower house. The bathrooms were within a few feet from us, as were the food lockers (you can't keep any food or any "scented" items, such as lotions, soaps, etc inside the tent due to bears). There was an ampitheater for evening discussions and presentations, a dining hall, pizza place, bar (for those beer drinkers - hehe), gift shop/market, and a taqueria, and ice cream place. It was really nice, and had just enough rusticness to it to make you feel like you were really camping out and not just staying in a motel. Plus they have a shuttle to take you around to various spots in the valley, and bike rentals , too.
We hit up the shuttle and went to Yosemite Falls first. It was beautiful! The falls were really roaring due to all the melting snow and all the rain we have had this year. Standing at the base of the falls, we got really wet. If you stood out on the bridge, you would get soaked. We didn't do that. It was pretty chilly already without getting wet...although, if it had been a really hot day, that would have felt great! The falls are huge! Yosemite Falls is the tallest waterfall in North America, and 5th tallest in the world. It is a breathtaking sight. It really is.
We didn't get to do a lot of hiking or go on many trails cuz Chris's back was hurting him. I felt so bad for him, but he didn't want me to miss out on anything, so he grinned and beared it the best he could. But I still felt bad for him. I know how much he likes to hike and camp out. I want to go back in the summer when Tioga Road is open. I want to see what it looks like from 10,000 some-odd feet up! But the road was closed due to snow, and then after they clear the snow, they have to repair the road and all, so it probably won't be til mid-summer when it is open.
Today, on the way back, we took a lot of pit-stops at meadows along the way out of the valley to stop and take pictures and to look up at El Capitan and see the rock climbers. Boy, they were up far! I would never be so brave to do that....ever! lol. I prefer to keep my feet on the ground. We also took the road a little farther down toward Merced to look at another waterfall that was flowing. I have never seen so may waterfalls in one place in my life.
After this trip, I definitely want to go back again. I would love to see it in the winter when it is full of snow. I bet that would be beautiful. Maybe I should invest in some snow chains - lol.
I love weekend trips!
... Carrie! Wow! I am surprised. I figured with all the girls out there voting, Bo was sure to win ... of course, I like Carrie's voice better, but then, Bo is just so sexy! lol. I woulda voted for Carrie had I actually voted. I am really glad she won. She is just super nice and has a great personality ... and her voice is flawless. You go girl! Finally, American Idol voters got it right and the 3 people who were in the top 3 actually deserved to be there. Thank goodness Scott didn't make it into the top 3. Had he made it, I would have lost faith in the show. Thank goodness there was some real quality in the show this year. I can't wait to see what next season's competition will be like.
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