YOSEMITE FALLS
SAM AND TOM AT GLACIER POINT
Until last weekend, I hadn’t been to Yosemite since I was about 12, even though I’m a native Californian. At twelve, it’s all very pretty and grand, but - come on - at that age there was much more on my mind, like a cute redheaded boy.
This time I found myself in complete awe, turning around at every curve in the roads that wind through this magnificent park and emitting noises of joy or being stunned into silence. I took my two nephews, Tom and Samuel, with me and they seemed to appreciate their surroundings almost as much as I did. Perhaps they're more mature than I was at their age.
Yosemite National Park doesn’t require a lot of selling. Most people know it is a wondrous place. But there are a few tips travelers might appreciate.
1. The admission fee of $20 per car is good for seven days. The park is far too vast to take in during the course of one day, so plan for at least two, three if you can spare the time. I went for one day and barely scratched the surface.
2. Get there early. We arrived at 8 a.m. and were only 4 cars back from the front of the line. By about 10 a.m. the park began to fill up and cars lined many of the roadways.
3. Take time to ride the shuttle bus in Yosemite Valley. It’s about 45 minutes to go round to all the stops, but you’ll get a sense of where everything is and can hop off at any stop. A new shuttle will show up in about ten minutes.
4. I know nothing about the Tuolumne Meadows area, because we didn’t make it that far, but I do know you must not miss Glacier Point. It’s a long drive to the top – 32 miles – but well worth it. All along the way there are viewpoints, each more more spectacular than the next. However, once you look out over the insanely beautiful, almost surreal grandeur of Yosemite Valley, across at Half Dome and beyond, you’ll think the other views that went before so much smaller in scale.
5. Bring lots of water. Drinks are expensive at the stores and you’ll find yourself gulping down bottles at an alarming rate, between the walking and summer heat.
Every thing else you need to know is available online at the park’s website: http://www.nps.gov/yose/
Go, enjoy, take pictures and remember.
