An Inspired Day at Yosemite National Park

Millions of years ago Mother Earth created one of her greatest art installations. Yosemite National Park, a stunning and popular attraction, is America’s first national park. My husband and I planned a trip to Yosemite, visiting the park during and after a few days in Mammoth. It was the last chance for Richie to squeeze in some snowboarding, before the season ended. It was also before the official summer season began, when huge crowds would arrive. The waterfalls were at or near peak flow, and the weather was perfect.

Yosemite national Park

We were scheduled to review the Mammoth Mountain Inn. It is about 45 minutes away from the Tioga Pass entrance to Yosemite. If you are familiar with ETG, you know that while Rich is off “shooting and shredding,” I am wine tasting or reviewing restaurants. In this case I was doing the latter. Rich was snowboarding, while I was having an awesome breakfast. Then, when hubby headed into Yosemite, I relaxed before my delicious dinner. See below for review links. 

Easy Trails at Yosemite

Unlike my husband who is a professional photographer, I usually stick to the easier trails featuring 1-2 miles. He visited the park prior to me joining him, so he could scope it out. Let’s face it, he also wanted total freedom to stop or hike as desired for his photos. While he often has specific photography goals in mind, he actually prefers allowing the natural beauty around him to determine his shots. It’s a reactive style of shooting that drives anyone with him nuts.

Just before we entered the park we stopped at the Mobil Station to fill up and grab some grub. It has a great little food shop called Whoa Nelli Deli. Rich bought some pizza the previous day and loved it. It was good, but alas I am from NYC, hence a bit of a pizza snob. So, after taking a bite of the pizza, I determined it was not “worth the calories” and handed it back to my husband. I opted for a large piece of chocolate cake instead. Now that was worth my calories. Whoa Nelli Deli, 22 Vista Point Drive/ Po Box 253, Lee Vining, Ca 93541; https://www.whoanelliedeli.com/

Tioga Road

Since we drove from Mammoth Mountain, we entered the park at the north east entrance via Tioga Pass. After driving past some beautiful lakes, we continued on through Tuolumne Meadows with a few brief stops to enjoy the surrounding. Just past Tenaya Lake, Olmstead Point was our first scenic overlook stop (see photo above). It offered views of Half Dome, Tenaya Canyon and the valley. There is no hike required here to enjoy the spectacular views, but lots of people do get out and walk around the rocks. After Olmsted point, there is a small but beautiful waterfall on the right. 

As we ventured on, we saw a group of rock climbers ascending a steep sheer rock wall. So, we pulled over for a few minutes to watch. It was something truly amazing to witness. The massive rock formations along this drive astounded us. Each section was a one-of-kind work of art. As we drove by, my husband and I marveled at nature’s sculptures. He probably wanted to stop numerous times, but we needed to keep rolling.

As mentioned previously, Richie went to Yosemite the previous day, while I was off reviewing a restaurant at the base of Mammoth Mountain. He literally stops almost everywhere for photos, which he knows drives me a bit bananas. That’s why he went the day before. Well, he still stopped numerous times to catch the light, when I was with him. I loved it but was anxious to see those waterfalls. His target the day before was Vernal Fall via the Mist trail. He got exactly what he hoped for and will be writing his own article about that – stay tuned. He also found out where some of the scenic viewpoints were and identified easy hikes with the best visuals for me. 

Bridalveil Fall

When I joined him, he knew just where to stop. It took a mere ten minutes for us to walk from our car to Bridalveil Fall. I absolutely loved the serenity of these tall dancing Fall. A massive rock theater lay before it. Hence there was an audience of tourists. Since I am a lover of theatre, I sat down on a rock and enjoyed the show. It was glorious. The wind redirected the falling water on a continuous basis. It bent dramatically then straightened out again and again. At times we felt a slight refreshing spray. It was a perfect time to relax, while my husband scrambled over rocks with his massive camera and tripod in tow. He was determined to catch that perfect photo. I prayed that he did it safely, and wouldn’t fall on his ass.

I found another path close by which led me to the main Bridalveil Fall parking area. Then I discovered an entirely different trailhead there which led to another view of the waterfall. So, depending on where you parked, you would find different access to this Bridalveil Fall. However, I cannot stress the stunning view, that we had at our first stop. It was far less crowded than the other viewing areas. There were numerous rocks, immersed in rushing water, all set amongst the trees. There was a straight sightline to the waterfall from my seat on a rock. I suggest parking on the main road. Then follow the crowd in on the easy flat trail. 

Merced River

Another favorite spot we visited was the Merced River which is formed by Yosemite Falls joined by several other falls. They all coming together to create the river. We ended up returning the following day just to relax here, because it was so nice. I needed a day of respite. While I laid back on a blanket watching the clouds roll by, Rich once again was off taking photos. 

Lower Yosemite Falls, which is the lower part of the main attraction (Yosemite Falls) was stunning. It was an easy paved walk (a little over 1 mile). However, it was quite crowded even this early in the summer. To be honest, there were crowds everywhere already… so glad we went when we did and not a week later.

Yosemite, Something for Everyone

The great thing about Yosemite National Park is that there are many options for all kinds of visitors. If you prefer not to walk much at all, or you have limited mobility, just stay in the car, – the drive is glorious. There are many scenic viewpoints that you can stop at to enjoy the natural surroundings as well. You can even see several of the waterfalls quite clearly from the car. Awe inspiring features of the park, like El Capitan can be enjoyed this way as well.

Visit the NPS website for lots more info about Yosemite National Park – https://www.nps.gov/yose/index.htm

If you are planning a trip, make sure to read the ETG Yosemite, Know Before You Go article.