Yosemite

I have always wanted to visit Yosemite. It’s been on my bucket list since I started a bucket list. So when I finally got the chance to go, I jumped on it. A few friends were heading down and they had an extra spot in the van and asked me if I’d be down for a quick road trip there. How kind of them.

I was so excited that I couldn’t even sleep the night before. We left our town at 4am. It still felt too late to me, but It’s what everyone had agreed to. We only made a few stops so we could get there as soon as possible.

As soon as we got to edge of the park, my heart began to beat fast. The excitement was way more than I could handle.

The first thing we see is a lot of burnt trees. We weren’t sure if it was a preventative fire or an accidental fire, but looking at all the burnt areas left us with our mouths wide opened. It was definitely an amazing site regardless.

After paying our entree fee, we parked along one of the very first hiking areas. It was a really short hike but it was still amazing. We headed to a small bridge, then climbed down it to the small waterfall. After hanging out for a bit we got back in the car and headed further into the park.

Then it happened. After a few tunnels it came into view. Half Dome. Besides El Capitan, this was the other thing I was the most excited to view. We stopped at the viewpoint and sat along the edge and stared at the marvelous piece of rock that was expertly crafted by nature.

I must have taken 200 photos but none of them somehow seemed to display the scale and sheer beauty of this landform. It didn’t help that it was a bright mid-day.

After a while we continued driving. Stopping at various spots to enjoy the scenery. Rivers, waterfalls, grasslands and rocks, we took the time to appreciate it all. Taking thousands of photos in that short period of time, I wish I had brought more lenses to really capture everything from a different perspective.

After grabbing a quick bite in the food area, we continued our exploration. Checking out other small hikes and great little scenery made me wish I had brought a model or some one that was into taking photos so I could have taken some cool portraits.

By the time the sun began to set, we were already on the road to Mammoth Lakes. It was about an hour away and the only place that had any hotels available.

Driving through some sketchy ass roads, we finally got to the end of the Yosemite. Everything was beautiful and unique. It’s hard to believe such an incredible place exists.

We got to Mammoth Lake with the last bit of light still in the sky. We checked into this amazing hotel room with 2 rooms and some pullout beds. Everyone would be sleeping comfortably. They didn’t have any AC which made my friends a bit concerned because it was a hot day, but the area was simply perfect. Everyone was satisfied with the temperature with a single opened window.

We headed out to the a local pizza place and had an expense super extra large pizza that was delicious. After a beer we headed to the grocery store. We bought some stuff to make breakfast and then I headed home. I snuck out and took some night photos of the sky and of this little bridge that lead to into the trees. It was probably a hiking trail but it was too dark for me to tell.

The next morning was a continuation of amazingness. After a great breakfast, we checked out and headed to explore the town. We found a lake and rented some canoes. We must have rowed for 2 hours before we decided to get out of the lake.

We had lunch and finally began the long drive home.

Even thought it was short, Yosemite was still amazing. I will come back some day along and camp out for a few days.