Milestones:
- 18th camping trip in 18 months. SHOW ON MAP
- 14th county in California to camp.
- 4th time camping in a National Park (SEE THE 3rd)
- Camped in 4 out of the 9 National Parks located in California (SEE THE PREVIOUS).
- 2nd time camping/riding bikes with my friend, Tony Annunziato. (click here to see our previous trip to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park)
The Campsite
Getting a reservation in Yosemite National Park was hard after Memorial Day. I was able to get a very convenient campsite at Wawona Campground (4,000 feet elevation, 27 miles from Yosemite Valley).
The campsite was located along the South Fork of the Merced River. Gorgeous!!! The sound of the rushing waters was in the background all night long. Perfectly peaceful.
The Drive Up …
California’s longest highway tunnel is the Wawona Tunnel in Yosemite — a 4,233-foot passage blasted through granite in 1933.
The “Tunnel View” (made famous by Ansel Adams) is just outside the Wawona Tunnel on State Highway 41. From this point you can see El Capitan, Half Dome, and Bridalveil Fall…
Biking through the valley floor…
We parked at the Ahwahnee Hotel, unloaded our bikes, and set out on our afternoon ride.
Tony said it was OK not to wear a helmet on this ride. I agreed, if he promised not to tell my mother.
The Ahwanee Hotel
We had reservations for dinner, but we got there a little early. I changed clothes in the men’s room, because I didn’t want to wear my bike riding shirt/pants inside the hotel. Tony and I had drinks in the bar and relaxed before dinner.
After dinner, this was our view of Yosemite Falls as we drove away from the hotel.
We next drove over to Yosemite Valley Lodge Amphitheater for a night tour led by a naturalist. The 90-minute walking tour included talks about sensory adaptations in humans and animals and the significance of protecting our dark skies. It was a bit too “out-of-the-box” for my normal taste. But, I’m glad we did it.
Driving out of the park the next day…
This was along California State Route 120 headed west, looking back at Bridalveil Fall…
Final Thoughts…
Awesome, ceremonious, dignified, elevated, epic, exalted, grand, grandiose, imperial, imposing, impressive, lofty, magnificent, majestic, marvelous, monumental, noble, regal, royal, splendid, stunning, sublime, superb, wonderous.
Post-Script:
I was talking with friends of a friend about my trip to Yosemite. They had an interesting story. Both the husband and wife had worked at Yosemite in the early 1980s when they were in their twenties. They met for the first time and later got married. But, the wife had been a maid at the Ahwahnee Hotel. One day she went into one of the rooms to clean up. She had made the bed, and done some other tasks when she suddenly realized that there was an old man in the room. It was Ansel Adams. He had been so quiet, and she was so focused, she just hadn’t noticed him. She quickly apologized and left the room. Ansel was 79 at the time. What a story. I told her that after telling her story a few times, I would embellish it. My version adds the part where Ansel is dressed in a bathrobe, just getting out of the shower and he then throws a shoe at her.
Post-Post-Script
In September 2024, I visited with relatives in Oklahoma. My Aunt Maxine had an old photo album that belonged to my Grandmother Dera Romine. These were two of the pictures contained inside:
Your adventure looks amazing. This is an especially good time to visit the Valley with all the water running. We were there with Janell on the way to Gail and Rex’s last year and walked up to the base of Yosemite Falls at the bridge – good memories. Your pics reminded me of that trip. Thank you for sharing!
I’m sure Tony had a great time.
WOW Van, How beautiful. What an amazing place. You made me jealous with the shots of and particularly the video of the river, because it screamed out “FISH ME, FISH ME”. I would just have loved to fly fish that beautiful river.
You did not say anything about the actual camping and did not show us pics of the actual campsite – I’d love to have seen these.
But what an AMAZING place – When I am next in your neck of the woods, I’d love to go on this trip again with you!!
Blessings my dear friend
Great zoom action and depth of vision, and superb capture on all the runoff in the water shot. It’s an absolute cathedral of a valley that is just a natural wonder that commands your attention with every new vista. The frequency of your shots is a testament to the incredible beauty and ever changing landscape around every turn!
Thank-you…. you’re quite a poet.
Entering the park from Wawona, as you did, and exiting on Hwy. 120 was our route to Yosemite a few years ago with Robbie. We too had dinner at the Ahwahnee (and changed in the restrooms beforehand). We left the park needing a place to spend the night but blithely thought there must be many choices outside the park, the most famous park in the whole entire state. Boy, were we wrong! Around 10pm we came upon the Groveland Hotel and quickly stopped to inquire. They had one tiny room left; with gratitude we took it. The full size bed (and rollaway bed) met our requirements. However, when we unfolded the rollaway, we discovered there was no floor space – at all! The beds, the walls, the door were jammed chock-a-block tight! To get to the bathroom one had to walk across the beds. But laughter ensued and sleep soon followed.
Well I can’t compete with those adjectives!!! Your photos are stunning! You’ve again inspired many to follow your journey and envy your will to “just GO”!
No bears? My first visit was a short solo backpacking trip for my 25th birthday. Everyone warned me to be careful. My first morning, lying in my sleeping bag, I heard slow footsteps close behind me. I slowly raised my head & turned in that direction, and standing there about 15 feet away, was a doe! I resumed breathing, and she resumed grazing. Never did see any bears.