Beautiful Yosemite

We headed home from Vegas via Yosemite (on a whim). After much desert - real desert with sand and tumbleweeds and lots of nothing we finally entered California from Nevada. It is astounding how quickly things come to life (literally) once you enter California. There are trees and normal looking mountains. But all through Nevada from Vegas to California it was desert - no trees, no real mountains and absolutely nothing green.

The desert view out the car window

Once we entered Yosemite I was blown away by the beauty. There were giant sequoias, waterfalls and massive mountains made out of granite. While driving through Yosemite we decided to attempt to make a reservation in the park (we expected them to be totally booked and to stay somewhere outside the park). They had space! They had a tent cabin available. In case you are wondering what a tent cabin is (as I was) it is a cabin that has walls made of canvas, like a tent, but is built on a solid wood platform. It was a single room with 2 twin beds and a queen. Nothing else.  It is in a campground-like set up and it does not have its own bathroom.

By the time we got there to check in, it was dark. Keep in mind we were coming from Vegas and had absolutely no camping gear - no flashlight, sleeping bags, nothing. And while standing in line to check in, I was handed an informational paper about bears and hantavirus (illness caused by rodent droppings). Yuck. I was expected to sign both to acknowledge that I had read them. Yikes. This trip was quickly becoming interesting. To keep bears from vandalizing the car and tent cabin I was told to get every crumb out of my car to put the car seats in the bear box (big metal bins with handles that bears can't open) and not to take food into the tent cabin store it in the bear box. I also watched a video while standing in line to check in that showed a bear pulling the door off of a car to get to the food inside. Keep in mind that our kids had been in our car for a long road trip, and there were tons of crumbs all over their car seats and the back of the car. Needless to say, I was a little shaken up by all of that and pretty much became the crumb/food police.

Anyway, we got to our tent cabin and settled in for the night after a couple of trips (as a family) to the community bathrooms. We were a little more prepared for hotels in Vegas than for "roughing" it in nature. We were used to mid-80's and it was chilly at night in Yosemite. We could have packed a little more appropriately if we had realized we were going to add this stop. Thankfully our tent cabin was heated. So, I guess I have to take back the "roughing" it comment.

We woke up early and headed out for a hike to Vernal Falls. The kids were super excited to hike but couldn't care less about the beauty surrounding them. I had a different perspective. I couldn't believe this place. How can something like this exist? Thank goodness for people recognizing how special it was and preserving is as a national park (after, ironically, the said people who preserved it took it from Native Americans who seemed to be doing a fine job preserving it until the gold prospectors showed up).

The Vernal Falls hike was steep and had lots of steps that were cut into the rock itself. Quinn was a champ and hiked the whole thing! Joe was a champ and carried Finn most of the way. I was a champ and continued on after a mild queen-out about the possibility of any of my family members falling and dying. We were seriously on the edge of a super steep rock and a long fall would have landed you on another large rock.

The top of Vernal Falls

After a super fun hike we grabbed a late lunch and headed on our way home. I was so glad we decided to incorporate Yosemite into our vacation. I was also happy to end a very busy Vegas trip with a nature filled beautiful experience.