When people ask me what is my favorite place we have been, I find that is a very difficult question to answer. This country has so many beautiful national parks to explore and it’s hard to pick just one. Some of my favorites are Bryce Canyon, Glacier, Yellowstone and Grand Teton. Now I can add Yosemite to my ever-growing list of favorites because I just loved it!
We had to take a few days off work to visit Yosemite because we stayed at Yosemite Lakes RV Park where there is no cellular coverage at all. That’s okay though, sometimes it’s nice to go somewhere and disconnect and really focus on enjoying our time at the park.
On our first day driving into the park we were lucky enough to spot a bear grazing in the grass beside the road. We pulled over to get a few pictures.
Our first hike was to Lower Yosemite Falls. I have to say that when we were there in early May the rivers and waterfalls were raging and so powerful! The large amounts of rain and snow that California received over the winter have resulted in amazing falls to see in Yosemite.
Lower Yosemite Falls
We hiked a portion of the trail up to Upper Yosemite Falls but did not make it the whole way. It’s a long way up there, but the views along the way are beautiful even if you don’t make it all the way to the top.
Next we went to Bridalveil Fall which was overflowing onto the trail. As soon as we got close to the falls it seemed like it started pouring rain even though it was a sunny day. The spray from the falls was like a drenching downpour. And our feet were freezing walking through the ice cold water.
Bridalveil Fall
There were some ponchos to borrow on our way up to view the falls; Chris was the only one smart enough to grab one. The rest of us got soaked!
Ooh, that’s cold!!
Raging river below the falls
After this we went to Tunnel View to see one of the best views in all of Yosemite. You can see El Capitan on the left, Half Dome in the distance in the middle and Bridalveil Fall to the right.
The next day was a cold and drizzly day in Yosemite so we just took care of getting the kids’ Junior Ranger books done and watched the park movie which was very interesting.
On day 3 (our last day in the park) we did a really long hike to Vernal and Nevada Falls. We hiked a total of 9 miles which included a mile each way from the parking lot to the trailhead. We had hoped to also hike the 2 miles to see Mirror Lake after this but we were all way too tired after this hike to do it. Next time!
The hike up to Vernal Fall is very crowded, but starts to thin out once you get past this waterfall and continue on up to Nevada Fall.
Vernal Fall
There is so much spray from this waterfall that you get soaked on the way up. It felt like we were getting rained on in the picture below.
With the spray comes beautiful rainbows!
Once you get to the top of Vernal Fall, there is a large flat area to rest, let your clothes dry and have a snack before continuing on up to Nevada Fall.
Top of Vernal Fall
Continuing on up to Nevada Fall was strenuous but so worth it!
Nevada Fall
Top of Nevada Fall
There was a nice, large flat area at the top of this waterfall also which was a great place to rest and have lunch.
Starting our hike back down the other side of Nevada Fall
We really enjoyed our stay at the RV park because we got to park next to the Travaglino family. They are the ones that started the Fulltime Families group. Fulltime Families runs all of the rallies we attend and it is through that group that we have met so many other like-minded traveling families. We are so thankful for FtF. We had met the Travaglinos before, but never had the chance to get to know them very well. We enjoyed hanging out by the campfire each night and getting to know their family better.
Unfortunately one night while we were sitting around the campfire someone ran into our truck. An RV was pulling into the campground at night and took a turn too wide and the back end of his RV hit the back of our truck. With us always traveling we wondered how in the world we’re ever going to get that taken care of. I prayed that God would help us work out all the details and that something good would come out of the inconvenience. Well it did! First of all, the other guy’s insurance took care of everything and they did it quickly. They got it fixed at our next stop in Santa Cruz within a week, and meanwhile we had a nice fuel-efficient rental car to use to sight-see around Santa Cruz and Monterey. If you are at all familiar with Highway 1 (also known as the scenic Pacific Coast Highway), you would understand that having a smaller vehicle for that was a true blessing. The timing could not have been better to have something besides our big truck to drive around in for a few days. Romans 8:28 says that all things work together for the good of those who love God. I find that promise to prove true in our lives all the time, and this was one of those times. 🙂
4 Radical Roadschoolers and a Fat Cat 
I absolutely love Yosemite, too! I’ve never seen so much water flowing down the waterfalls and rivers, that must have been incredible to see and feel! 9 miles, wow! We made it as far as Vernal falls, but not Nevada. Now I really want to hike all the way to Nevada Falls, it’s beautiful! Glad you had a wonderful time in Yosemite and everything worked out even when an RV hit your truck! 😄
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Thank you! I hope you make it up to Nevada Falls next time. I thought it was even better than Vernal; maybe because it was less crowded. 😉
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My father has talked about camping in Yosemite for years. I’ve got a photo book of the amazing national park on my kitchen table right now. One day when we are financially able I want to road trip out there. (We live in Wisconsin), but we’ll probably fly out there before we have that opportunity. We can’t let money be the limiting factor right. Thanks for sharing. The photos are cinematic.
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Thank you so much! A road trip would be amazing so you can see many national parks along the way instead of just one. But if you fly out and can only go to one, this would be an excellent choice. I hope you make it to Yosemite soon!
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