26 July 2016

We had decided that we would spend the morning by the pool, for Oliver's sake, as he was desperate to spend some time splashing about. The hotel is really nice (Tenaya Lodge). We have our own little cottage, set amongst the pine trees. After the hustle and bustle of San Francisco, it is a welcome rest.

The plan was to eat a leisurely breakfast, sit around the pool, swim and relax. Then head into Yosemite National Park after lunch. However, after talking to a fellow guest at breakfast, who told us that he had taken two hours to get into Yosemite the previous day, we decided to bring things forward.

Our hotel is around an hour away from the main Visitor Centre of Yosemite. The National Park is VAST. I think that being British, we struggle to understand how vast everything is in the US. It seemed that the world, his wife and his dog had decided that they were going visit Yosemite today. It took us over an hour to park, and we were just lucky that someone came out of a space as we were approaching. It's odd, Americans do organising quite well, but this? No, not this.

On top of parking hell - too many cars, not enough space - there was the fact that nothing is very well signposted. Nor is the Visitor Centre in a very easy place to find. And the tours that are run, are not even booked with the visitor centre, they are booked in the lobby of one of the hotels on site, which is half an hour on foot from the Visitor Centre. Add to that a very small cafe/deli to get something to eat. Not a happy start.

By the time we had collected our tickets for an event we had booked; 'Starry Nights', it was almost 4pm. We decided to hire some bikes, and told the rentals finished at 5.45, so we wouldn't have time to do all the bike trails. By this time, I was ready to blow!. It seems simple to me - park everyone outside of the main park, bus them in (Disney style), have the whole place free of cars, and build more food places. Easy.

The scenery is just amazing, and I had to keep reminding myself of it, because so many parts of the park could be improved (did I even mention the toilets?). Let me get back to the scenery. It is just awesome - an over used word I know, but it is truly awesome. Huge cliffs and beautiful waterfalls, glass like water, tall trees - so beautiful.

We hired the bikes anyway, and raced our way around one of the trails before finding our way back to the bike hire shop and finding somewhere to eat. Again,not great, but not too bad.

Then we realised - most of the visitors had gone home. 7pm, and there were very few people left in park. So we took a lovely walk to Yosemite Falls (which had been mobbed earlier) and saw it again, with less noise. Our event was to start at 9pm.

Our host, Ashley, came to collect our group from the meeting point at 8.50pm and it was almost dark. She took us to an open area, where tarpaulin was laid on the floor. We all laid on our backs and within 10 minutes we were treated to a sky full, and I mean, full, of stars. Yosemite has the 6th darkest summer sky in the world. Ashley treated us to stories of legends of the stars, from Ancient Indians, to the Greeks to current day. She was a brilliant host, and pointed out star after star with a laser. One hour, laying on our backs, in Yosemite - it has to be up there with the most mind blowing thing I have ever seen. Just thousands upon thousands of stars. Yosemite - you have redeemed yourself.

If I did this visit again, I would pay any extra I could afford to stay in the park itself. To avoid the stress of parking and to have a base to go back to for a break when the crowds get too much.

Back to Tenaya Lodge at midnight.

Tomorrow we head back to the coast. There are some pretty horrific fires in the Monterey area (our next stop), so we are crossing everything that people are safe.