Tag Archives: yosemite valley

Yosemite Valley, Curry Village, and Snow

Spent the night in Yosemite Valley last weekend with Yum. It was very cold! At night it got below freezing, and in the morning everything was frosty and frozen. We stayed in one of those little tent cabins (frames made of 2×4 and draped with canvas). Luckily we had a heater, which ran all night. Yum slept like a log.

My trips to Yosemite Valley are a bit bittersweet. I love going, but can’t help but feel a little sad as I think of my mom and her favorite place on Earth.

Love ya mom, see ya next time.

Yosemite Valley For The Day

What to do on a beautiful Sunday morning? I know, let’s drive up to Yosemite Valley for the day!

Living in Manteca, I’m a whopping 99 miles from Yosemite Valley. A nice, leisurely drive takes about two and a half hours to get there. That’s certainly close enough for a day trip.

So Yum and I left the house, with just ourselves and what we had on. Well, Yum brought her camera of course. One stop at the gas station and one bathroom break later we were holding our breaths through the tunnels on the road down to the valley.

It was a gorgeous day in Yosemite. Clear skies, deep blue. Slight breeze. The temperature almost broke 60, but not quite. Snow everywhere, but melting fast. Waterfalls gushing. Icebergs floating down the rivers.

Yum and I had a nice meal the cafeteria next to the Yosemite Lodge. Double bacon cheeseburgers without the bun, large side of meatballs with meat sauce, and a chicken caesar salad. A quick detour after lunch to get Yum some much-need chocolate, and we were off.

Spent a few hours walking up to the base of Yosemite Falls, and took the long way back to the parking lot. Many pictures were taken by Yum.

The spray from the falls felt wonderful on my face. I turned my face towards the sun and closed my eyes. The ache in my legs from the hike up the hill let me know I was still alive.

Soon the sun was going down and poor little Yum was getting sleepy. I drove home with a smile on face while Yum snoozed happily.

Sometimes living in California ain’t so bad.

Click here for some pics taken with my mobile phone.

Yosemite Valley January 2010

Yum and I spent three glorious days in Yosemite Valley this week. We drove up on Monday morning and stayed a couple of nights at the Yosemite Lodge, near the base of Yosemite Falls. Winter in Yosemite is the best time to visit–no crowds!

The hotel is nothing special–it’s definitely not the Ahwahnee! But the bed was comfortable, the room was clean, and it was quiet. We had a huge window next to the bed where we could look out at all the snow and admire the pine trees and sheer granite walls.

On the first night we dunked (coffee and pie) at the food court, had drinks at the Mountain Room bar, and a great dinner at the Mountain Room proper.

On day two the weather cleared up a bit, but it was still cloudy and it rained at times. We spent the entire day taking pictures as I hit all the highlights–Swinging Bridge, Curry Village, Stables, Visitor Center, Museum, etc.

On our last day the weather was gorgeous. Clear blue skies and warm(er) temperatures. Too bad we had to come home =(

Click here for pics of our trip!