Yosemite National Park

This weekend, Mansi and I got away to see Yosemite National Park. We were really astounded with the beauty of the park. We also found a really nice place to stay. If you can get a room there, we really recommend staying at the Poppy Hill Bed and Breakfast. We were hosted by a wonderful woman named Mary Ellen. Every morning, we had a hot, fresh breakfast and Mary Ellen may be the nicest person in the whole world.

 

Day 1 - Yosemite Valley

Our first day was all about waterfalls. Drive in on 140E. Stop at Bridleveil Falls as you drive in. The walk from the parking spot to the base of the fall is only 1000 feet so it is a nice start to the morning. Then head on further and park at the Visitor Parking. From here you can use the free shuttle to get all over the valley. We planned on seeing both the Lower Yosemite Falls and Vernal Falls on this day. However, due to a freak thunderstorm we pushed the Vernal Falls to Day 2. I include it here because both are doable on the same day if you get there early and push it. Both are beautiful although be prepared for a bit of a uphill hike to get to Vernal Falls. Climbing on the rocks around the waterfalls can be a lot of fun and great for getting some really nice photos. We did this a lot for Yosemite Falls but didn't for Vernal because the water was pretty fast and just getting there was pretty exhausting. We ended the day by driving up to Tunnel View and watching the sunset from Glacier Point.

 

Day 2 - Mariposa Grove

Wow! Mansi and I have seen lots of various Redwood forests but nothing prepared us for just how large the sequoias were. We spent a long time hiking all over Mariposa Grove. We were lucky to find a parking spot but you can always take the free shuttle from Wawona. We checked out every tree on the map and more. The one thing we didn't catch on camera was a beautiful deer crossing the trail and not remotely caring about our presence.