Yosemite National Park – Pick-up and a Pop-up

During past summer road trips, we have had to change our plans on the fly, and this summer has been no exception. The truck started making a strange noise after we left Sand Dunes National Park, and we decided to head for Visalia, CA, where Matt’s parents live. In doing so, we had to skip the north rim of the Grand Canyon, where we were planning to meet my parents. We pushed on and thankfully made it to Visalia without a breakdown.

Those who know California’s geography know how close Visalia is to Yosemite National Park. We had been watching posts for months about Yosemite waterfalls being spectacular due to the record-breaking snow the Sierra Mountains received this winter. Once we knew we would be in Visalia for a few days, I jumped onto the internet while Matt was driving and scored a tent in Yosemite’s Curry Village for two nights! **BONUS PARK!!!** Getting a camping site, hotel, or tent more than six months in advance is challenging, so I’m sure we benefited from someone else’s cancellation.

We parked the trailer, and thanks to my in-laws, we left Eli and my nephew Josh to be spoiled by their grandparents in Visalia. Soon into the drive to Yosemite, we realized that this was our first trip sans kids in several years!

As always, Yosemite National Park did not disappoint. As we came into the valley, we noticed waterfalls we had never seen before due to the immense snow melt. We stopped at Bridalveil Falls and were amazed at the water coming down. Once we settled into our tent, we had pizza and wine for dinner. Since there was still some light left, we headed over to the Mist Trail and got as far as the bridge before it was too dark to go any further.

Early the following day, we took the shuttle bus to the upper Yosemite Falls trailhead. The hike took the entire day, and we were rewarded with breathtaking views of the valley and the waterfall. As we were hiking down, we stopped at one of the switchbacks to have a snack. The view from that switchback was one of the best I have ever seen. We sat there, talking and taking in the view for quite a while! It’s in moments like this that I realize how truly blessed I am.

Neither of us wanted to leave the following day, but we were excited to get on the road and head down to Thousand Oaks to see the Nungesters. We stopped back in Visalia and drove south towards LA with Matt’s parents. That night we had a late Father’s Day celebration and enjoyed spending time together.