Free Camping in Yosemite - Part 2

The parts arrived and we were moved across the steet to a lovely spot in the alley beside the garage.  Once the blocks were in place and all the tires removed, it was clear to everyone that we weren't going anywhere.  The mechanics there are top notch and the staff kind and helpful in every possible way.  We remained living comfortably in the rv while the work was done.

We had the only campsite in Yosemite with an electrical connection!!!  And it only cost us $4500.

And now, on to our 7 day stay in Yosemite National Park:

The grand view of the valley at the first overlook.  El Capitan on the left, Half Dome in the middle, and a thundering Yosemite Falls on the right.  A couple little known facts:  Only spring visitors get to see the falls flowing and Half Dome never had another half.

A couple close-ups...  The falls - always impressive.

I found myself staring at El Capital.  Climbers come from all over the world to scale it.  Why?!?!?  It's big...and dangerous!  Maybe because it's there...

The Dogwood trees were blooming all over the valley.  Beautiful!

Finn was able to go anywhere that was paved and that included a couple of trails.  We took him to Lower Yosemite Falls.  He had a great time watching squirrels and other dogs.

A beautiful walk...ending at the lower falls.

Ed signed up to take a camera walk and Finn and I were invited to walk along.  Our instructor took us out to one of the meadows and talked about telling stories with your photos.  She suggested that we think about each press of the shutter costing $1000.  Decide what story we want the photo to tell, how we want it framed, consider all aspects of the picture - and then press the shutter.

I just put this photo here because it's my blog and I like the picture.  I can do that...

These are some of the photos Ed took during the walk. 
The pond we had walked by several times and never noticed the reflections in them.  See Yosemite Falls?  Upside down.  And the trees.

I love this photo with the perfect reflections.

We took a drive to the South end of the park - a little over an hour - to visit the Mariposa Grove of redwoods. 

These giants are known as the Sentinels of the Sierras.  One has to stand beside them to appreciate their sheer size. 

Their unique thick red bark is what protects them.  Something about its spongy texture and bad taste... 

 Look how they stand out from the other trees in the grove.

The fallen giant.  It came down several centuries ago!!  It allows for an excellent view of the trees short root system which accounts for the fences preventing visitors from walking around them.

We hiked (ok, walked), rode our folding bikes, rode the tram, went to an evening performance of stories of John Muir (he's responsible for Yosemite Valley being preserved and not filled with water), took a class, toured the magnificent Ahwanhee Hotel, but I was not leaving until we rafted down the Merced.

We picked up our life vests and collected our raft and paddles, which we schlepped about 1/2 block to the river.

Ed's first words when we hit the water:  "This is so much fun!"

We went under 4 bridges, spun around a few times, hit a few mid river plants, and became quite a good paddling team.  We went about 3 miles down river in a little over an hour. 

So cool...

A few thoughts on the park:

*There are a lot of people wearing outfits they wouldn't be caught dead in anyplace else.

*Hair is very much the vogue - head, face, legs.  And most of it is wild. 

*Headscarves can be worn in a variety of ways.

*Room rates are in the sublime.  $450 and up at the hotel, $200 at the lodge, $100 for a yurt.

*Too many people show up on weekends.

*It's a great place to guess what languages are being heard.

*Make-up is definitely optional - but I need my eyebrows.

All in all, we spent a glorious week in Yosemite NP.  The weather was perfect - warm days and cool nights.  And we had the only campsite in the park with an electric hook-up...

We'll make a stop in Sacramento to continue our tradition of visiting state capitols.  Then on to the wine country.