Taking The Long Way: Yosemite National Park

Today we turned inland and traveled to Yosemite National Park.

There is a big fire on the edge of the park at the moment. All the places we wanted to visit are open but it meant the road we planned to travel into the park was closed. We didn't realize this until we passed one of those temporary orange signs, and we passed it so fast we didn't get the details of the detour we were supposed to take (Ros was driving)! Before we knew it we were passing through random small towns with no idea if we were heading in the right direction or not!

We stopped when we saw a tourist information bureau and got new directions from the lady there. It was a bit of a circuitous route but fun driving, winding up and down the sides of canyons. It's a good thing we sorted out the driving too close to the curb thing because the drop off to the side of the road was a bit scary!

It took us a couple of hours longer to drive the new route so we stopped at a picnic area just outside the national park for lunch. It seemed abandoned, like no one had visited here for years, I'm not sure where everyone else picnics! I was too scared to use the drop toilet because it was all cobwebbed over - I was disappointed with myself - last year we used to trap massive spiders in the salad bowl and throw them out of the van and now I'm worried about a few cobwebs!

On the way to Yosemite

Picnic time!

Lunch with a view

We bought new flip flops in San Francisco! (I also bought a San Francisco top - saving on laundry!)

After lunch we continued on to the actual park. We stopped at every viewpoint and walk we could on the way to our campsite - the best ones were Bridalveil Falls, Sentinel Beach and the El Capitan viewpoint where some American men lent us their binoculars and we could just make out the tiny climbers on the way up the rock face!

Then, after we had checked into the camp we went out again and made the 1 hour winding drive up to Glacier Point for views of Half Dome and Yosemite Valley.

We had to leave the park to get fuel on the way back because as usual we think we have enough and then don't, we NEVER learn. It was dark and late when we got back to camp to make our classic camp meal of pasta and bolognese. Lucky for our camp neighbours because we have to keep all our food in a bear locker here so cooking involves a lot of clattering and banging around getting stuff in and out - well it does for us!