Yosemite

One of the real joys of being in the military is getting to see things you otherwise wouldn't.  We try to make a point of really exploring the local area as much as we can.  With Josh's study schedule for the past year, we really haven't had as much free time on the weekends to do long trips as we would have liked.  Now that he has graduated, he still has to study to maintain/improve proficiency, but we don't have to worry as much about tests/quizzes/schedules/etc.  About a week ago, we up and decided to try to visit Yosemite National Park for part of our Columbus Day weekend.  Most people schedule a trip like this months in advance.  Not us.  We waited until one week out and then just happened to get reservations at a place in the valley on the night we were looking for.

We had high hopes of leaving "really early" - like 8:00.  Since my guys don't normally roll out of bed until around that time, that's pretty early for us.  We're not die hard or anything (wake the kids at 2 am in their jammies and hit the road), but we don't like "wasting" the day.  As it was, we couldn't actually check in to the hotel until 5:00 pm, so we hoped to arrive around lunchtime.  We weren't too far off schedule, and managed to stop for lunch at the last town on the way in to the park.  The drive in was beautiful, but I was totally unprepared for the breathtaking views as we entered the valley.  Both Josh and I were fortunate enough to visit several national parks when we were growing up and remember them vividly, so while the kids might not really remember this, it was important that we take the opportunity to visit while we're here.  We might not get another chance.

B on our way up to Vernal Falls

The road system in the park took a bit of getting used to.  Luckily, we were able to arrive on Friday, so it was not terribly crowded.  We stopped in at Bridalveil Falls first to stretch our legs before heading further in to the park to start out trek to Vernal Falls.  We parked near Curry Village (not realizing it was still almost a mile to the parking lot we were supposed to park in) and then walked to the trailhead for Vernal Falls.  The description for the hike to the lower falls said something about a "mild" 400 foot gain in elevation, but I swear to you, it was rough.  The second half of the hike - from the lower falls to the upper falls - was mostly stairs, and honestly, I found this much easier to take.  Josh meanwhile felt much more uneasy on the second half as he had the task of corraling the boy and making sure he didn't walk off the edge of the path.  The hike was well-time though as we arrived back at the car (taking the bus this time to get back to our parking lot) just in time to head over to the hotel and check in.  The room was... well, it was a room.  Clearly, you're paying for the view when you stay in the valley.  And what a view we had!  We could see Yosemite Falls just outside the front of our room.  Can't beat that.

The family at Vernal Falls

We had dinner at the food court by our hotel, had showers and baths for everyone, and then tried our best to sleep.  While the shower had nice hot water, the towels were relatively soft, and the sheets were nice and warm, double beds for two fully grown adults (one of them taller than average) just aren't what I call relaxing.  I suppose that's the price you pay to stay somewhere that gorgeous...

After breakfast (again at the food court) we walked from our hotel to Yosemite Falls - the fifth tallest waterfall in the world.  It was truly awe-inspiring.  The kids were totally happy climbing on the rocks - I mean, who really cares about waterfalls when there are cool things like logs, rocks, and dirt.  It was a bit brisk in the morning (when we checked the weather on Thursday morning to help decide what to pack, it was only 21 in the valley - BRRR!).  Lucky for us, the weather on Saturday was not quite that cold.  I think it was probably in the 40s.  Once the sun starting hitting things, it warmed up quickly though to the mid 50s - perfect weather for wandering around.  We got on the free shuttle bus and took a trip around the valley.  The kids were good until we had about 10 minutes left; then they pretty much made everyone miserable.

After the bus ride, we headed back and had some lunch at the food court, then picked up the car and headed up to Glacier Point.  I will say it again - the views on the way were incredible.  But now for reality.  A short while in to the drive, I had to pee.  Naturally, a portion of the two-lane road was closed on the way to Glacier Point and so traffic was reduced to one lane requiring everyone to stop and wait for an unspecified amount of time...  That's always nice.  So we get past that delay and get on to the road heading up to Glacier Point.  There was snow on the ground, so we started rethinking the wisdom of taking a 2 mile hike with kids and no boots.  Upon arriving at Glacier Point, the traffic has stalled to a standstill, so I get out of the car and head toward the bathroom - only to discover that for all of the people visiting this particular attraction (and there were a lot), there is only 1 single functioning chemical toilet.  After waiting in this line for about 20 minutes, I hear tell of another bathroom a short distance away "that has no line".  Immediately I am suspicious, but curiosity got the better of me - which was good since B (who was stuck in the car with Josh and K - who was sleeping) had decided in the interim that he really had to pee as well.  Luckily, this mythical set of bathrooms did in fact exist and I got B in just in time.  Again - gorgeous views at Glacier Point.  On the way out, however, all traffic was again stopped because someone had managed to drive all the way to the Glacier Point parking lot and promptly run out of gas.  So the tow truck delivering the fuel blocks the road for 15 minutes while he delivers said gas to the stranded motorist.  Meanwhile no new guests can come in, and we can't leave.  Eventually the flow got moving again and we got out and back on our way home. 

View from Glacier Point

I'm not going to lie - the ride home was pretty miserable for all of us.  The kids hadn't napped in 2 days, and none of us really slept well, so the kids were loud and we were DONE.  After the sun went down, they finally started checking out, and silence reigned supreme.  In the words of Tom Chapin - It was a long, long, long, long, long way home.  And if you haven't heard the song, you really need to.  So, check Yosemite off the list.  Now we need to figure out what to do for Veterans Day...