Where We Be
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| Suddenly we have snow all around us as we drive along Tioga Road |
| Yosemite National Park, California |
| From Tunnel View you get a stunning view of the southwest face of El Capitan to the left, Half Dome in the distance, and Bridal Veil Falls to the right |
We drove 12 hours from Boulder to Las Vegas,
where we met my parents and spent two days
enjoying the Las Vegas vibe. Then we drove 10
more hours to Yosemite for a huge dose of nature.
As we approached the park, a panorama of white
peaks rose up before us and the scenery turned
stunning. The air cooled and we went from the
incredible high heat of Vegas to actual snow by
the roadside in a single day. It was early June, the
perfect time to be visiting Yosemite: the whole
place seemed alive with rushing water. We passed
roaring rivers and huge waterfalls at every turn on
Tioga Road near the western entrance of the park.
Next day we toured Yosemite Valley and saw the
must-see sights of any visit here: Bridal Veil Falls,
Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, and El Capitan. A bonus
was all the rushing water of the Merced River,
which runs down the valley. The waterfalls were at
their most spectacular: five of the ten tallest in the
world are right here in the Yosemite Valley.
The following day we drove to Glacier Point. From
here you can see one quarter of the park and get a
bird's-eye view of one of the prettiest places on
earth. The overlook juts into the heart of the valley
so you can see Yosemite Falls to the left, Half
Dome dead center, and Vernal Falls and Nevada
Falls to the right. Half Dome looks like an
enormous whale breaching the water's surface.
Then it was on to Mariposa Grove at the southern
end of the park to see some of the largest living
things on Earth. Right in the parking lot were two
huge specimens. We hiked a short distance to see
the biggest of the big, the “Grizzly Giant,” with a
circumference of 21 feet and an age of 1,800 years.
Nearby is California Tunnel Tree, cut in 1895 to
allow horse-drawn stagecoaches to pass through.
where we met my parents and spent two days
enjoying the Las Vegas vibe. Then we drove 10
more hours to Yosemite for a huge dose of nature.
As we approached the park, a panorama of white
peaks rose up before us and the scenery turned
stunning. The air cooled and we went from the
incredible high heat of Vegas to actual snow by
the roadside in a single day. It was early June, the
perfect time to be visiting Yosemite: the whole
place seemed alive with rushing water. We passed
roaring rivers and huge waterfalls at every turn on
Tioga Road near the western entrance of the park.
Next day we toured Yosemite Valley and saw the
must-see sights of any visit here: Bridal Veil Falls,
Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, and El Capitan. A bonus
was all the rushing water of the Merced River,
which runs down the valley. The waterfalls were at
their most spectacular: five of the ten tallest in the
world are right here in the Yosemite Valley.
The following day we drove to Glacier Point. From
here you can see one quarter of the park and get a
bird's-eye view of one of the prettiest places on
earth. The overlook juts into the heart of the valley
so you can see Yosemite Falls to the left, Half
Dome dead center, and Vernal Falls and Nevada
Falls to the right. Half Dome looks like an
enormous whale breaching the water's surface.
Then it was on to Mariposa Grove at the southern
end of the park to see some of the largest living
things on Earth. Right in the parking lot were two
huge specimens. We hiked a short distance to see
the biggest of the big, the “Grizzly Giant,” with a
circumference of 21 feet and an age of 1,800 years.
Nearby is California Tunnel Tree, cut in 1895 to
allow horse-drawn stagecoaches to pass through.
| Cascading whitewater is everywhere |
| The rippled sky mirrors Yosemite's rippling waterfalls |
| Half Dome -- Yosemite's most famous rock formation |
| During an evening drive to Hech Hechy Reservoir we came across a mother black bear and her yearling |
| Next morning on the way to Glacier Point we stopped for this panoramic view. From this angle Half Dome (left) looks like a whale breaching the water's surface. |
| From Glacier Point you can see one quarter of the park and get a bird's-eye view of Yosemite Valley |
| Oops, completely blocking the view of Half Dome! |
| Yosemite Falls from Glacier Point |
| June has to be one of the prettiest months to visit Yosemite |
| Grizzly Giant sequoia is one of the world's largest living things |
| Looking up -- way up -- at the Grizzly Giant |
| That's a whole lotta rings! |
| California Tunnel Tree, carved in 1895 and still standing |
| The Sierra Nevadas rise up ahead, a welcome respite from the Las Vegas heat |
| Bridal Veil Falls runs at full volume in early June |
| Five of the world's ten tallest waterfalls are in Yosemite |
| We stayed at Evergreen Lodge on the western border of Yosemite |
| Our favorite traveling companions |
