WOW! Yosemite National Park

   Saturday morning we woke up earlier than the alarm, about 6:20 and made the decision to head on to Yosemite. We decided not to return here for another night in this “tiny room”! We opted to just go through the park and seek a hotel on the other side.

   We headed southwest for 7 miles to Mono Lake. If you are a big High Plains Drifter fan, this is where the movie was filmed. Hollywood built the town of Lago and shot the movie. They then tore down everything and left Mono Lake as they had found it. Darlene said they should have left a marker for the grave site of Marshall Duncan to let people know.

   We drove a short 8 miles to Lee Vining, California and had breakfast at Basin Cafe. The restaurant was small but had a quaint charm about it. We both got sausage and biscuits. They were ok but I will quote Alan Jackson’ song Where I Come From; ” I’ll be honest with you ma’am, it ain’t like mama fixed it.” The biscuits were ok but the gravy had a bunch of herbs and spices and barely any sausage. I also don’t believe they started the gravy with any “sausage drippings.” Well we weren’t in the south, so we forgave the cook and went on our way.

   We hit Highway 129 or Tioga Road just out of Lee Vining. This is the only route that goes directly through Yosemite National Park from one side to the other. This road is also only open from approximately mid May through mid October. This is due to weather and altitude so make ypur travel plans accordingly. We kept a check on this and was glad we booked for mid June because Tioga Road had only been opened for 3 weeks when we passed through .We began our assent up into the Sierra Mountains and could tell immediately why the road is only open when weather permits. The road going up to Tioga Pass winds and climbs in elevation with each turn. There are steep drops on either side of the highway but also the views are gorgeous. The High Sierra’s are different than the Smokey Mountains, The Tetons, and The Rockies, but are just as spectacular. Heading up the mountain pass we stooped at Tenaya Lake and a couple of pull offs to view the scenery.

   We continued on up higher to Tioga Pass. The temperature was chilly but the views of Tioga Lake and pass were absolutely beautiful. Tioga Lake was like many of the other mountain lakes we had seen; a deep dark blue. The  water stays cold year round.

   The entrance to Yosemite National Park is only 8 miles further to Toulumne Meadows ( pronounced To All Me Meadows.) We entered the park there and it was so easy. We have the lifetime pass, so all we did was show them that pass and our reservation, and we were in. Yosemite is one of the parks that you must make a reservation for because they control the number of visitors per day. I made our reservation back in April. The cost was $2.00. The entrance fee at any National Park is $35. Since we are traveling more and seeing more, the lifetime pass and one time fee of $90 is well worth it. Toulumne Meadows is the highest mountain meadow in the United States and is just beyond the entrance. There  is a small stand of Giant Redwood Trees down a 3/4 mile trail that also rises 500 feet in elevation. We decided the length wasn’t bad but was afraid the knees wouldn’t like the climb! In all, we drove 150 miles through the park and exited in Manteca, California.

   We began our descent down into Yosemite Valley. There is so much to see and do in the park. You have to study what you prefer to see or plan more than the 1 day inside the 12,000 square mile area. Making our way down into the valley we saw Mule Deer (a big buck), many squirrels, chipmunks, and a big surprise; a wolverine. The deer and wolverine crossed right in front of us so quickly, we did not have time to get any pictures. The wolverine knew right where he was going as he scurried into some brush and rocks into a hillside. We later learned they are native to this area. We also saw many tall Ponderosa Pines, Sugar Pines, Black Oaks and Douglas Firs.

   We got into Yosemite Valley and saw El Capitan, Half Dome, Bridalveil Falls, and Yellowstone Falls. The scenery is beautiful and majestic.

You can book a tour of Yosemite Valley that is 2 hours long and leaves from the Yosemite Lodge several times a day. We chose the  tour that goes up to Glacier Point and looks down into the valley. That tour allows you to see all of the sites from above the valley. For Darlene and I, this was the right choice and I think would be for anyone doing Yosemite in a day. You can drive by each site in the valley in your car. There are pull outs at each location. There are also hiking trails throughout the valley, anywhere from a mile to 8 miles.

   Our tour also left from Yosemite Lodge, but only goes twice a day.  We booked our tour in mid May and chose the 1:30 departure. The tour bus driver/guide is very knowledgeable and entertaining. He is very familiar with the history of the park and the area. The guide is how we learned the wolverine is native to this area. The bus takes a little over an hour going up to Glacier Point and the same back, which gives you about an hour and a half to look around, visit the gift shop, and take a short hike on one of the many trails. The views are stunning.

   We got back from Glacier Point at about 5:30 and still had a good hour to get through the park and exit at Manteca. We drove to Sonora, California and stopped for dinner. We ate at Emberz Wood Fire Grill. The food was outstanding and highly recommend eating here. Darlene got Bacon Wrapped Prawns and I got Bacon Wrapped Scallops, Wild Rice, and a Salad.

   We finished eating and looked for a hotel for the night. We decided on the Holiday Inn Express 45 minutes away in Jackson, California. That is a safe choice as you know what to expect. We got checked in about 10:20pm after a long and rewarding day in Yosemite National Park. Put this on your bucket list if it is not already. WOW!!!!

   Check back on this blog in a few days and hear about the drive back to Reno for our last 2 days in the northwest part of our beautiful country.