Yosemite National Park, CA

Yosemite National Park, CA

Things to do in Yosemite

Saturday

Yosemite was on my bucket list for years. I finally got to go! It is as, if not more, amazing than it is in photos. I loved it and hope everyone gets a chance to go one day. Alot of things did not go as planned, but it was still worth the trip. Originally we wanted to camp there, but it was nearly impossible to reserve a site, so for Plan B we decided to just get a hotel for the weekend. Make sure to make park reservations ahead of time, as you cannot enter without it. Car reservations are about $35 and are valid for 3 days from the first day of the reservation. Since it was a 3 day weekend, we were not able to get reservations until Sunday, so our Plan C was to go to Bass Lake, CA for the day on Saturday. We wanted to rent some jet skis and enjoy the warm weather. Sadly, Plan C did not work out either. There were California forest fires and so they closed down all the CA State Forrest at the time.

So for plan D, we decided to leave around noon and drive straight to our hotel. On our way, we stopped for some delicious drive-thru tacos from Tacos Gavilan. The food was provided fast and quick, and was really good.  

It took us about 7 hours to get to our hotel from SoCal with gas/bathroom breaks. We stayed at the Yosemite View Lodge. The guest check in has a gift shop where we were able to get snacks and souvenirs. Our room was so cozy with an in-room jet tub, fireplace, and kitchen (stocked with pots/pans, etc.). We asked for a river view room, which gives you a gorgeous view of the river from your balcony. And the best part was the hotel was only about a 10 minute drive to the entrance of park. The only downside is service sucks up there. However, they have WiFi available for purchase.

Once we checked in, we had dinner at their on-site restaurant called The River Restaurant and Lounge. After dinner, we had a few drinks, enjoyed the jacuzzi in our room, and went to bed.

Sunday

We left ready to go by 7am and headed straight for Mist Trail. Because of covid, the shuttles are not in service. We parked at the Yosemite Valley Trailhead parking lot. Get there early because this trail gets PACKED! There were only a few spots left when we got there early in the morning. The hike is pretty much all up-hill so bring your hiking sticks if you have some. Here are some similar to the one we have. Once we got to Vernal Falls, we went off the side to enjoy a close up view of the waterfall. Even though it was smaller than normal because we went during late summer, the view was still nice. If you keep going, the same trail leads you to Nevada Falls, but we were pretty tired already, so we decided to head back. 

We stopped by and grabbed some pizza for lunch at  Degnan's Kitchen. The employees were so grumpy and looked like they hate their jobs, so don't expect good customer service. I would advise to go to the Village Store for some food instead.

After looking around, we headed for the Tunnel View. The view was breathtaking. It seemed as if it was a fake backdrop. I loved it. 

We then headed towards Glacier Point. It took about 40 minutes to drive there. When we got pretty close, there was a huge line going towards the parking lot to the view, so we decided to turn around and stop at the Washburn Point instead since it was on the way back. The view there was still really nice and there were plenty of parking spots. We were then planning to hike Taft Point on our way back, but at this point of the trip we were so low on gas and we were all exhausted, so we decided to skip the hike and head back to the nearest gas station, to then head back to the hotel for a snooze. Don't let this happen to you! Make sure you always have at least half a tank of gas, if not more, to get around the park. 

After showering and napping (yes we are old young adults that nap sometimes haha) we had dinner at the hotel. It was such a beautiful experience to sit at the table outside right by the river and have dinner and drinks as the sun set. We then got into our bathing suites and enjoyed the heated indoor pool from the hotel, which was a lot of fun. They have many options for outdoor pools and jacuzzi as well.  

Monday

We packed our stuff and checked out of the hotel early in the morning. We started our day at around 9am and went straight to the Sentinel and Cook's Meadows Loop. It was a beautiful flat trail with easy paths to walk on. It is open with little shade, so wear sunscreen and bring your hat! I got my cute bucket hat on Amazon. We wanted to rent bikes from the Yosemite Valley Lodge Bike Rental that was nearby, but we were short on time so we just walked it. The trail allows you to jump onto the Lower Falls Trail head by crossing the street, so we got to see both at once! There was no waterfall, but the walk was still beautiful and worth taking. After our short walk, we headed on the road back home and stopped by Tacos Gavilan before calling it a night. Overall a great trip! I can't wait to come back and try all the trails that we didn't get a chance to do. I also want to come in April or May so that we can see the full beauty all the waterfalls have to offer.  

Weekend Itinerary for Yosemite National Park

Saturday

• From SoCal, pick up Tacos from Tacos Gavilan before heading on the road
• Drive towards Yosemite and stop by Bass Lake to rent Jet Skis
• Drive to Yosemite View Lodge and check in
• Dinner at the The River Resturant & Lounge

Sunday

• Hike Mist Falls
• Pick up lunch at the Village Store
• Take photos at the Tunnel View
• Visit Glacier Point
• Take photos on the rock at Washburn Point
• Sunset hike at Taft Point
• Dinner at The River Restaurant & Lounge
• Relax and enjoy the swimming pools or jacuzzi

 Monday

• Bike Sentinel and Cook's Meadows Loop
• Walk the Lower Falls Trail Head
• Grab lunch on the way back home

-Out of Office.

With love, Erica

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