The rest of Wednesday we puttered around camp; I wrote some journal updates; Dar worked on photos. We ran into Oakhurst, a few miles north of here, to pick up some info for our Yosemite visits. We explored Park Sierra... enjoyed happy hour with friends.
This morning, Thursday, Julianne, Jimmy, Dar, and I piled into the Focus "exploration-mobile" and we were off on our first visit to Yosemite National Park. The focus of today's trip was Yosemite Valley.
I don't think it'd be interesting to give a blow-by-blow description of our day, and I think my inadequate descriptions would fail to inspire. So here are some random thoughts on our day:
* Exiting the tunnel, the valley opens up into the most spectacular view I've ever seen.
* Stunning; breath-taking!
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| click any photo to enlarge |
* This must have really been something before the general population discovered it.
* Too many people... even on a Thursday in October.
* The Ahwahnee Hotel, the main lodge of the Park since the 1920s, is fittingly impressive and reflects it's awesome surroundings. Equally awesome was our $38 tab for two bowls of soup and two beers in the pub.
* Waterfalls everywhere. We hiked to the base of Bridalveil Falls and Lower Yosemite Falls. In the Fall, waterfalls in Yosemite often dry up completely from lack of precipitation. This year, due to some snowfall a couple weeks ago, the falls were lightly flowing.
* We must return in the Spring some year to see the falls at their best.
* We're told this place is a zoo in the Summer. It was surprisingly busy today.
* Shadows were growing long and light was quickly evaporating when we stopped briefly at Mariposa Grove. Sequoia Trees are so cool. The largest trees on earth. Some more than 3,000 years old. I feel so small.
We're going back to Yosemite, but not until Monday so we can avoid the heavy weekend crowds. It was a spectacular day.
Of course, more photos from our day can be seen by clicking here.
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