So we finished off in San Francisco – got our photos of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and the bay. We picked up our car and just under 4 hours later we were in Yosemite national park.
It was an easy drive and we didn’t get lost coming out of San Francisco thanks to Agnes the marriage saving GPS. Our hotel or “Lodge” is fantastic – inside and outside pools, spa, shops and of course, set in a beautiful location. Last night we went on a 90 minute night time flashlight hike. I’m so brave! Clearly the highlight for the kids were the 6 inch millipedes, giant ants and beetles and the pink snakes. We also saw a baby deer and of course the stars and the serenity of the park at night.
Today we did a tour interspersed with various hikes around the park for 9 hours. Unfortunately after a relatively dry winter the waterfalls and rivers were quite dry – the Yosemite falls were virtually completely dry. We saw El Capitan, Cathedral peak, Glacier point, Bridalveil falls, Sentinel Dome and Clark point. Of course we saw the Giant Sequola trees in Mariposa Grove – like me, once they’ve reached their mature height they expand their girth! They are a touch older, at over a thousand years old!
We also saw numerous of Steven’s friends – I didn’t realise he had released them so far from home! There are at least 6 different varieties, including chipmunks!
If you want to see a video of Steven fooling around with one of his friends, click here
We saw a stag grazing by the roadside. No black bears, but a brown bear that Steven was brave enough to pose with – see photo!
Tomorrow we leave this peaceful place for LA – what a contrast. We have stopovers at Carmel and Pismo Beach before arriving in LA on Thursday. Glitz here we come!