The mountains are calling, and we must go!
Yosemite is such an enchanting National Park. When Becky approached Amanda and I about taking a weekend trip, we were geeked!
The Lodge
We choose to go in September before fall began to catch the few days left of warmth. The park was of course crawling with people. Staying in the park was not an option as everything is typically booked well in advance. Becky researched and found this awesome place called Evergreen Lodge that had both cabins and a small area of tents that were already set up with the necessities.
Our tent had chairs with a small log table, 3 mattresses, blankets, pillows, toiletries, and a lantern. There are also access to restrooms and a shower nearby. The lodge also offered a variety of activities including tie-dye shirt making, a nightly bonfire including the makings for s'mores, live music and our favorite, a hot tub!
The Park
The Valley Floor was our first stop into the park. We did some small hikes, wandering around the floor surrounded by gigantic mountains. Since this was towards the end of the summer, there wasn't any water coming from the waterfalls. California was also in the middle of a drought, so this wasn't a surprise to us. Spring is probably the best time to hit Yosemite, when the snow is melting the rivers are flowing!
Glacier Point
There are hikes that take you up to Glacier Point, we decided to drive to the viewpoint. The drive is about 45 minutes from the valley floor to the top, along a tree lined squiggly road. Once you get to the top, the views are breathtaking.
You get an amazing view of Half Dome and the whole valley floor. This place is definitely worth the stop even if you can't hike to it. On our way back down from Glacier Point we stopped at Sentinel Dome for a hike. It is roughly a 2 mile out and back hike with some pretty incredible 360 degree views.
After the steady incline up the dome to the top, you are blown away from every angle. We must have taken a million pictures. It was such a clear day, you could see for miles! Although our trip was short, we tried to see as much as we could. I would recommend doing any of these things when visiting Yosemite! Check out the map!
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