Noor’s Blog
I’m heading to Yosemite with my friend Erin this coming weekend. Having grown up in Southern Illinois, neither one of us has ever been there and I’m a bit overwhelmed trying to figure out what we must visit while we’re there. We’ll only be there for 2 days/one night so we won’t have time to see everything. If you’ve been there, what would you recommend that we see/do/hike during this first visit? Also, I’d love any suggestions for restaurants in the area, guide books, and places to see along the way (from Mountain View).
3 Responses to “Yosemite Weekend”
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About this blog
My name is Noor and this is my blog where I write about the mundane details of my life. I’m 30 and live in Northern California with my cats Mulder & Scully.
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cari
August 11th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Check out Yosemite valley. The major sites are there including lower Yosemite falls. Are you planning to hike. We did the yosemite falls hike (to upper yosemite falls) which was nice. Also, mariposa grove has the giant redwood trees which are pretty cool and mirror lake has great reflections. We were only there for 2 days and that’s pretty much what we did. We camped so we brought food. The park is huge, so the lodges may get crowded.
Theresa Ho
August 12th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
Yosemite Falls is a seasonal waterfall - meaning that it is HUGE in the spring, and this time of year is hardly more than a trickle. This is true of most of our waterfalls, and Mirror Lake is really more like Mirror Meadow this time of year. But, no trip to Yosemite is complete without a trip around the Valley. The granite cliffs are amazing with or without water.
I’d also recommend the Mariposa Grove - the giant sequoias are truly amazing. You can walk and read the many interpretive signs, or you can take a tram tour with an audio track that will teach you a little bit about the grove. For a happy medium, get off the tram at the Upper Grove and hike back to the parking lot (they have maps there for 50 cents or so) so that you can take your time and appreciate the quiet of the Grove. One of my favorite spots.
Glacier Point - is a great view of Half Dome with minimal walking, but if you’re looking for a hike, I’d recommend the loop trail to Sentinel Dome and Taft Point, which is just a few miles before you get to Glacier Point. Great views from the rim looking down into Yosemite Valley. Odd fact, people buy an inordinate amount of ice cream at the store at Glacier Point. Don’t know why.
Tuolumne Meadows - most locals head for the high country in August. The temps there are much cooler and the scenery is fantastic. Especially recommended if you’re looking to have a ‘quiet nature experience’. There’s a stables up there, a Grill for food, and a small convenience -type store, but it is kind of out of the way.
It’s hard to really recommend stuff without knowing more about what you like to do, but Glacier Point and the Mariposa Grove can easily be combined into a day. Then, for day two either hanging in the Valley, or making a quick hit of the Valley and then check out Tuolumne Meadows.
Full disclosure: I work for the concessioner in Yosemite, but this is MY opinion. Have a good trip.
Sylvie
August 13th, 2008 at 5:56 am
I remember going to the BridalVeil Falls (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridalveil_Fall_(Yosemite)) and rock climbing to almost the top because it was barely a trickle. At the top, it forms a small pond and everyone was swimming in it. Beautiful view from up there. It was eyars agto and that’s the only activity I remember.