Here are some pictures from our amazing trip to Yosemite National Park over the Labour Day holiday. My brother and his fiance gifted this trip to me as a birthday present. The four of us headed up north monday morning. After a quick five hour drive we started to wind around in the Sierras. I (of course) started to get car sick so my back seat was taken by Courtney as I moved to the front to contain some composure...ugh!
FINALLY!!!!!! after the 1,254th curve we pulled into Curry Village. There we unpacked our luggage and game boards and started off to our cabin. What a cute little house! The fire place was as big as one of the walls and the fold out couch was a grade A bed. We dropped off our bags and headed out to the village for a beer. After a terrible bean and cheese burrito (note: if the talented burrito makers from the south of the boarder aren't making these... I wouldn't get one) and a beer we all headed back to our home for the night. S'mores were in order so out the matches came and up roared the fire, on a 80degree night, inside the cabin, where the windows were all open, causing our clothes to all smell like smoke. BUT, it was totally worth it! It's been ages since we all had them and we savored every bite! Thanks Court! After a couple more beers and lots of laughs it was time to say, "good night."
The next morning we woke up to the birds chirpping and a crisp coat of fresh air. A light breakfast and then we were off. Off to the waterfall! We hiked up and up and up and down and then up and up and up and sideways and then down and then up and up and up and up. Shit forget the stair master... Just go to Vernal Falls! WE MADE IT! Just gorgeous! Everything was just perfect. We stopped and ate our packed lunches and rested for a bit, then down, down, down we went. This time off to the Ahwanee Hotel. Oh what and experience that was!
To the Hotel we jaunted. It was just down the road from our cutest little cabin. We checked in and then went for a drink and a quick little pick-me-up bite. This old Hotel is filled with memories dating back to the 20's. It's insides are filled with enormous wood pillars and hard wood floors. The dining room is something of a specialty. We were to eat there for dinner but, weren't informed of the dress code until too late. I know that the majority of people going to Yosemite aren't going to be packing a collared shirt and some damn slacks... Anyway, off to another place for dinner. It was yummy and we came home with big smiles on our faces. Constantly on the look out for bears we stayed up a bit more and had a nite-cap outside. Then with a stretch and a yawn we went to bed.
NEXT MORNING! I woke up first (as usual) and went down to the dining room for breakfast. (no dress code for breaky) So, there I am waiting for my three other comrades to awake and join me. I am drinking a coffee and sipping some very tart fresh grapfruit juice. My waiter keeps giving me the evil eye. Now, I know I'm holding his table but, Judas Priest there is only five other tables there and the place is huge... point is, there was no wait and the guy didn't need to be so pushy with his looks... Anyway, an hour goes by and then the rest of my family joins me. After a while we order, get pissed about the service in the poncy, stuck-up, overpriced place, complain, then laugh about it, then eat and get an apology from the EYES waiter, leave him a hefty over-priced tip and leave.
Off to the bikes. Each of us hopped on our beautiful, rented, red beach cruisers and rode around the park. It was awesome! It's been ages since I've been on a bike. After our trip around we decided to take a trip to the top of the park, Glacier Point. There we could see everything. It was like being on the top of the world.
Then, well then it was time for us to leave. We stopped briefly to see some Redwoods and then piled into the car one last time. I started out in the front seat this time. Prepared for the 1,254 curves I was good to go and off we wheeled. The four of us. Driving down the road remembering the laughs and forgetting about the bad service. Remembering the beauty and forgetting about smoky flavoured clothes. Remembering all the stories we told, forgetting about the one's we didn't.
Yosemite....A MUST SEE!
4 comments:
That's awesome! I've only been as far west as 5 miles into Montana...I loved the badlands of South Dakota...Yosemite is a goal of mine to get to. It sounds like you guys had a lot of fun!
Oh Sara, I am so glad you got to visit Yosemite! I was going to ask you if you ever got a chance to see one of California's greatest wonders before you went off to see the rest of the world! I grew up (almost literally) at Yosemite. Every year, from a baby onward, my parents and I would camp in Yosemite. I would ride a blow-up raft down the snow filed river (I guess the cold doesn't bother you as much when you are young). I also biked the trails and I even have pictures of me leading a donkey, with my little brother astride, going throughout the park. But, my most cherished moments (besides just being with family), was when I got to go horsebackriding! I really recommend the horsey experience in Yosemite. Again Sara, I am so glad you got to experience Yosemite
Hey Sara--sounds like you had a great time--California has some of the greatest places on the planet and Yosemite is one of it's best. I love the mountains and forest--and this would be an awesome place for you to bring your gutiar and perform. If you ever get a chance to visit Lake Tahoe or the north coast you'll find some breathtaking places too. The last time I was in Yosemite was when me, one of my brothers, and 2 buddies went camping--now you have to keep in mind this was in the days when I still rolled my own cigarettes (wink) and drank wine straight from the jug, so on one of my "adventures" with my buddy, we happened across some Japanese journalists doing a story on how Americans vacation. They interviewed us on camera and I can only imagine how we must have looked on Japanese television--wouldn't you know I'd have my 15 seconds of fame this way! They actually were pretty cool--we hung out with them by their campfire and they played spoons (of all things) and sang american folk songs with Japanese accents--it was so freakin funny. I love going places like this were you meet people from all over the world--you never know who you're gonna meet or what's gonna happen.
This is great info to know.
Post a Comment