It’s Cool, Crisp and With the Most Spectacular Views Possible

You Want a Photo Tour, Here It Is

Destination:  YOSEMITE VALLEY!

Summertime is filled with travel to your favorite vacation spots, or perhaps you have plans to visit family and friends.  Kids and grandkids are out of school so it’s time to make the most out of this summer.

Living in California certainly has its benefits when it comes to great places to vacay.  One such place is one of the most gorgeous destinations in the world, Yosemite Valley.  If you haven’t visited, it’s absolutely required to put it on your bucket list.

Located in the center of the state, it is readily accessible by plane and/or automobile.  Your choice of major airports makes it easy if you’re coming in from out of state:  San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, and Sacramento.  From southern California you can also find your way:  Los Angeles, Orange County, Burbank, Ontario.  However, the drive is slightly longer from any of those hubs.  Two other airports in Nevada also make it possible, Reno and Las Vegas.  So, what’s stopping you???

John Muir and Yosemite are synonymous—it was he after all that inspired travelers to visit the wonders of this spectacular 10-million-year-old geologic vista since 1868.  After he worked as a ranch hand, he shepherded a flock of sheep to the Tuolumne Meadows in the high Sierras.  There he studied the flora and fauna and proceeded to sketch the mountain scenery and then published his first book, “My First Summer in the Sierras” and the rest is history.  He lobbied Congress in 1890 to declare Yosemite as a National Park.  

As a young girl my parents would often take us [my two sisters] to the Yosemite Valley for summer vacations.  Ever since I laid eyes on that beautiful landscape with its thundering waterfalls, towering mountains and bountiful meadows I have been in love with the Sierras.  

While the most famous and most photographed sights are El Capitan, Half Dome and Bridalveil Falls, honorary mention goes to so many other wonderful locations within the park:  Cathedral Rocks, Mount Conness, Columns of the Giants, Mount Lyell, Lyell Glacier, Cathedral Range, Royal Arches, Sentinel Rock and the three Brothers. 

I spent several months one summer with a group of friends where we worked odd jobs here and there and shared a very, very small cabin.  This is where I started my love for running up in those mountains…if you can run at that elevation you can run anywhere.  Of course, as age takes hold, running soon turns into hiking to the trail heads, then to fast walking and now biking.  Oh well, it’s a good thing we can adjust.

My BoomerGuy and I absolutely love the mountains and the freedom they express through their awesome wonder, enormity and seasonal inspirations.  We have lived in a number of locations with beautiful mountains as a backdrop, but none can compare to Yosemite.

If there is truly a God’s place on earth it is Yosemite.  

Here are a few photos taken by our niece and her husband on a recent outing.  He just so happens to be a professional photographer.  We just had to share this beauty with all of you.  Photos by Bobby Meyers–own work.

Because it is such a mystical and magical place, the best time to visit is in early spring or late fall.  Many friends who have gone with their RV’s during the summer months say it’s a zoo.  Thousands of people trying to get into the park and then into the cabins, hotels and campgrounds.  

Our favorite time is in the fall when the foliage is turning into brilliant colors and the crowds have disappeared.  We’ve even been in the winter for snow skiing.  Yep, and the skiing’s not bad.

Here is a list of our favorite places to stay while you’re in the park.  If you’re not into camping, then there are a variety of cabins for rent through www.allcabins.com.  Lodges inside Yosemite include the most famous Ahwahnee Hotel, Tenaya Lodge, Yosemite Valley Lodge, the historic Curry Village, the newest is the Auto Camp for the camping and RV enthusiasts located near Yosemite where they rent the iconic Air Stream Trailers.  Check out National Park Reservations before you go.

Please do yourself and your bucket list a favor and visit the majesty of Yosemite.  I hope this little history and photo tour gave you the impetus to check that box.  Enjoy your summer and remember to stay RELEVANT in your day-to-day.  

Your Number One BoomerGal, Connie.