Continuing with my photo-sharing from our four days in Yosemite …
Entering the park through Tioga Road is my favorite way to start any Yosemite trip … especially when everything is super bright green and rushing with water. It feels like a magical fairyland almost … I think most people who visit Yosemite get in that “Yosemite Valley” mindset, but honestly, I love this part of the park so much more than the famous Valley !!
we saw our first bear literally within the first hour of entering the park! a cute little cub just rolling around in one of the valleys …
I love the snowcapped mountains in the back!
We pulled over at Olmsted Point so that Jim could get his first look at Half Dome in real life! It was kind of cool (read as: very freaking cool) to point it out to him and say, “we’ll be climbing to the top of that in the morning!”
We kept our first day in the park pretty light, hiking-wise, since we knew we would be getting an extremely early start the next morning for Half Dome. We checked out both Bridalveil Falls and Lower Yosemite Falls. If you have to choose only one to stop at, I recommend Lower Yosemite Falls over Bridalveil. I also recommend (if you’re spending a day in The Valley) loading your bikes up on your car so that you only have to park once! Parking in The Valley is an absolute nightmare! Get there early, park once, and bike the rest of the day … or utilize the amazing bus-shuttle system they offer for free! A lot of the trails in The Valley intersect in one way or another … grab a map and get hiking!
thanks for stopping by & stay tuned for more!
xo!
—
LAUREN LIVES 