Yosemite National Park

Not only did I love this place, but we decided we want to see it in all seasons... well, maybe not summer as we are told it is very crowded and not so scenic in July and August. This is our "Yosemite Story". (Canadians in our parks this winter kept calling it Yo So Mite and it is hard to pronouce it the right way now - Yo sem i tee.)

We camped at the Mariposa County Fairgrounds in the town of Mariposa (where a heated race is being waged for Sheriff/Coronor/Dog Catcher - winner will be a busy person!) for four days and each day, we drove into the park. It was a distance of 37 miles if you took the direct route which we did at least one way each day. We also came into the park from the south and left the park via the northern route. As usual, we racked up just a few miles on the Jeep and all of them were worth it!

The direct route, highway 140, follows the Merced River. The Spring Red Bud bushes were in full bloom so I couldn't resist putting them in lots of photographs.

Remnants of an old mining town

The Merced River

HIghway 140

Once we got into the park, it just got better! There was always something to look at...

the river,

the mountains peaks and valleys,

the structures,

and the waterfalls. This is Bridalveil Falls and if you look closely at the mountain photo, you will see if from a distance. You can't go very far in Yosemite without seeing a waterfall.

We found a perfect spot by the river for our picnic lunch and we were joined by some friends... the Stellar Jay and the Acorn Woodpecker kept a close eye on us.

The Brown Ground Squirrel wasn't far away at any time.

Barry couldn't resist sharing some of his chips; only later did he find out that the fine for feeding park animals is up to $5,000. Good thing there wasn't a ranger around!

That first day, I took a lot of pictures falls. In the afternoon, Bridalveil had a rainbow spray.

Earlier in the day, I spotted a reflection of Yosemite Falls.

Half Dome was also a point on which to focus. This is one of two popular climbing "faces".

And that was just the FIRST DAY!

On our second day, we came into the park from the southern entrance down by Two Rivers. It was not a real scenic drive, but it did give us an opportunity to see an old railroad area - thought of you Dan.

It was a place that made it easy to step back in time.

And we stopped at the historic Wawona Hotel. (This place reminded Mike of the Dirty Dancing hotel.) It provided comfortable chairs for _ _ _ birds to rest.

What a beautiful destination for an anniversary... our 20th is coming up...

Or enjoy an elegant meal...

The four of us had a picnic lunch on the grounds.

Then we stopped at an old village site. I had never really thought about the reason for covered bridges... seems it is easier to replace a roof than rebuild a bridge that has been ravaged by severe winters. Makes sense, but not as romantic as Madison County would have you believe.

There were some wonderful old structures and a delightful lack of people - I like this traveling off season! Bonnie, of course, made her way into the jailhouse.

(I do love reflections, no matter where I find them.)

And then we headed into "The Valley" where we were on day one. We checked out the high water spot. It is hard to believe that on January 2 in 1997, the river rose to the height of this sign.

The Three Brothers was striking against the blue sky.

And that was only the SECOND DAY. So instead of just rambling on and on, I will stop here and do a separate entry about my photography class and some of my efforts.