Yosemite!!!

First off I'd like to say that Yosemite is awesome! If you ever have the opportunity to go there GO! You'll be glad you did.

So, after Tim and I decided we were staying in SF for only one more year we made a list of things we HAD to do before we left the West Coast. Yosemite was on it. We planned the trip for 5 days and 4 nights camping in Yosemite Valley over my April vacation. Tim booked a Dodge Caliber for the trip. He was very specific about getting that vehicle. It worked out really well, and had there been tons of rain it would have been big enough for us to sleep in. :-) Luckily we had fantastic weather and didn't have to sleep in the car.

Boy did we have a heck of a time getting there. To sum it up, due to several unforseen issues we left 4 hours later than anticipated. About 45 min. out of SF we stopped for dinner and realized we had forgotten some fairly key equipment like well, our sleeping pads and the tent!!! Yikes! So, back into SF we went. Since it was now well after dark and we didn't want to set up camp in the middle of the night we decided to leave again at dawn. This time it went much smoother. It was a great drive for the day time. Not a great drive for night time as the roads were VERY VERY curvy. Lesson learned: don't plan on getting to Yosemite after dark.

This image is from the top of a hill we drove up and up and up. If you look closely in the upper Left corner you can see the windy road. Only pretty little flowers as a barrier between your car and a very steep hill.This is a beautiful lake that we came upon on our wat to Yosemite. Just a taste of what is to come... It was soooo good to get out of the city for a while.

Then finally, we made it!

Immediately after entering the gates of Yosemite we had our first wildlife encounter. A deer was standing literally 100 yards past the sign. We asked a ranger if it had been real or not. It just seemed too perfectly ironic. He said for sure that it was real.

About 20 min driving into the park towards the valley the views became incredible.

Tim got right to work.










Soon after we got our first glimpse of Bridalveil falls and...




















El Capitan!!!

Very soon we would be exploring many other beautiful and breathtaking sites around Yosemite Valley. But for now...





...It was time to settle down and unpack for a great adventure. Boy were we psyched.





Day 1: we slept in a bit and walked around Yosemite village. We saw the Ansel Adams Gallery. Unfortunately we were unable to see the private collection tour that we were both excited about. We'll just have to go back sometime.


We also put on our hiking boots and went for a warm-up hike to Lower Yosemite Falls. A mere .5 miles but a good way to get a feel for the area.

Lots of BIG rocks...

beautiful trees and greenery.


So after a wonderful first day in a beautiful place we settled down for a chilly but snuggly sleep.

And this is where I will leave you for now. Tune in next time for part 2 of the Yosemite adventure. The long and high trails.
Much love,
Tim and Jenn