Upon leaving Coalinga, perhaps one of the least attractive points in California, we headed about 4 hours up the road to Yosemite, perhaps one of the most attractive places in the state. This is just one of the incredible views you see as you enter the valley. No picture really does it justice. Over the five days we were there we never got used to how beautiful the landscape is.
We weren't sure what to expect from Camp Curry, our home for the entire week we were there. We had booked online and just knew the basics. We were greeted by "Mother Curry" and a set of questions about crumbs and car seats that made us realize the bears of Yosemite mean business. We had to make sure our car was cleaned out and the car seats hidden from view. The bears have come to learn that car seats mean kids, and kids mean food crumbs. They will literally tear into a car if they see a car seat through the window. Incredible.
We had reserved a tent cabin, which is essentially a wooden frame covered by canvas. We had to keep all of our food (and we brought a lot), our toiletries, and anything else with a scent in the bear locker provided outside the cabin. We quickly made this our home. Because we arrived after Memorial Day the heaters inside the cabin were no longer functional. We quickly learned to sleep in full sweats with all of our blankets. The girls were snug in the sleeping bags we bought for this trip.
Day one at Yosemite was full of activities meant to introduce us to all that was around us. We started the day with a show at the Camp Curry amphitheater with Ranger Ned. He taught us all the dos and don'ts of life in the Valley and the girls loved it. Next up was the Green Dragon tour of the Valley floor. This was literally an open tram as pictured to the right, and we spent about two hours driving from one beautiful spot to another. It gave us a great orientation to what we would want to explore more in the days to come.
That night we returned to the Camp Curry amphitheater for their night time show. And we are so glad we did. It was a documentary about an incredible tradition that connected Camp Curry to the Glacier Point Hotel thousands of feet above. This tradition was known as the Fire Fall. It is too long to tell here, but the basics are this. Each night at 9pm, the folks at Glacier Point would have a bonfire of redwood bark perched on the edge of the Point. Following a series of calls and responses between the folks on the Point and the folks at Curry, the men on the Point would push the embers of the fire off of the point to create a spectacle that looked like a waterfall made of fire. This was, not surprisingly, referred to as the Fire Fall, and it was performed nightly for decades up through the 1960s.
Needless to say, we all thought this was both obscenely cool and highly irresponsible for a national park. The girls loved the documentary, and especially loved the moment when the person at Camp Curry shouted up to Glacier Point, "Let the fire fall!"and the person on Glacier Point responded, "The fire is falling!" Once the show was over the girls put on their headlamps for the walk back to the cabin.
Our accommodations did not include a private bathroom. Instead we used community bathrooms where one of the options was a family bathroom that had a toilet and a shower. No privacy within the room but at least you were among family. That night, as we got ready for bed, everyone had to make sure to use the toilet before heading back to the cabin. John is unique within the family for he can stand for this activity. And following the earlier show at the amphitheater, Reese quickly noticed and yelled, "Let the pee fall!" It is quite possible that this was the loudest we had all laughed together ever. And once it started we couldn't stop. "Let the pee fall!" became a routine exclamation on nearly every trip to the bathroom from that point forward.
The girls enjoyed having their sleeping bags and separate beds in the cabin. And every night we had a little downtime to color, read, or play cards before we turned the lights out. And because every day was filled with so many activities, as soon as the girls put their heads on the pillows they were asleep. Their parents didn't last much longer.
On day two we decided to see the Valley on bike. And what made it even better was that Callie could have her own. There was a lot of ground to cover and the fact is Yosemite makes it easy to get around on bikes. There are great bike paths that will take you anywhere you want to go. And at any given moment you can stop and take a picture in front of one more incredible piece of scenery.
We planned ahead and packed lunches to ensure that we could stop at some isolated spot along the Merced River and enjoy a bite to eat. As you can see, we were successful on all fronts. In the distance you see Half Dome, which became a point of reference throughout our stay. During lunch Reese nicknamed a visiting duck Delilah. This was the beginning of the animal naming game that produced Donnie the Deer, Bob and Tom the squirrels, and Barry the Bear.
After lunch we parked the bikes and hiked to the base of Upper Yosemite Falls. It was quite an experience for a number of reasons. John (a.k.a. Captain Caution) had just a tad bit of anxiety watching Reese and Callie scamper up trails that were relatively narrow and had a steep drop on one side. Hence, as you see to the left, John took the lead on the way down. He could be there to catch anyone who slipped and fell...but really he led so he didn't have to watch anyone else. We looked at the guidebook afterward and the hike was labeled "strenuous" or words to that effect and was about 5-6 miles. Impressive for the girls' first major hike.
After finishing the hike we got back on the bikes for the last part of the bike trail loop. We made one more planned stop by the Merced River where John and the girls took a plunge in the water. It was beyond cold, but definitely refreshing. Then we made an unplanned stop when we saw a bear. Yes, that is right, we saw a bear and Sarah thought it necessary to stop. John wanted to keep moving, Sarah wanted the camera, and Reese wanted out of the bike trailer so she could see the bear. If you look at this picture closely you can make out the bear as it is almost done crossing the road from right to left. Truly an amazing experience.
Day three brought Grammy Gayle to our little slice of heaven. We had arranged to have a fancy lunch at the famous Ahwahnee Hotel and it was a great way to kick off her visit. We walked the grounds and took a good look at the way you could experience Yosemite if you didn't want to deal with bear lockers and community bathrooms. We would still go with Camp Curry.
After lunch we joined a family adventure led by Colleen, one of Yosemite's naturalists who was phenomenal. Her passion and knowledge had us all engaged and she had the kids in the palm of her hand by the end of the two-hour adventure. We used GPS devices to navigate a scavenger hunt that introduced us to the history of the park as well as its natural environs. All in all, it was a great time.
That night we (and that we is actually Sarah) decided that it would be great to see a show about John Muir. In her mind this was going to be a movie about John Muir. In reality, it was an hour long monologue by a man renowned for his impersonation/reenactment of John Muir. Definitely two different things. Within two minutes, Callie was asking, "Is he just going to talk?" Reese, meanwhile, wanted to know, "Is he real? Is he a president?" Fortunately, after a little bit of whining and a few grapes, both girls fell asleep and allowed the adults to enjoy some pretty incredible stories told by a guy who looked a lot like John Muir.
On the morning of day 4 Grammy got a taste of what had become our morning routine. We brought our breakfast to the steps of the Camp Curry hangout and usually managed to stake our claim to the big stump which also happened to be right in the morning sunlight whenever we were there. Always a great way to start the day.
Unfortunately Grammy had to leave, but we had more hills to climb. That day we hiked the Mist Trail to Vernal Falls. This was another strenuous hike and it was made all the more exciting by the slick stone steps created by the mist from the waterfall. No anxiety here for Captain Caution. The girls never hesitated or complained the entire time and we got numerous comments from folks who were taken aback at the ages of our intrepid hikers.
To mark our accomplishment we took a photo at the top of Vernal Falls. Then we headed to the rocks to have lunch where we received a clear lesson about why you should not give food to animals at parks. The squirrels at the top of Vernal Falls are aggressive and required constant vigilance in order to protect our meals. This is not an exaggeration. While the girls sat and ate, John stood near them and stared down and shooed away the 5-6 squirrels that circled our chosen dining area. We laughed at the situation afterwards, but it was definitely a little intense at the time.
On the morning of day 5 we got up early, got cinnamon rolls, said our good-byes to Camp Curry, and headed to Mariposa Grove. This was one of the key spots in Yosemite that led John Muir to try and convince Teddy Roosevelt to protect Yosemite beyond the Valley. In case you were wondering, Mariposa Grove is a place with big trees.
How big? Well this picture should give you an idea. Cutting such holes in trees is no longer common practice, kind of like the Fire Fall, but it provides a perfect setting for a fun family picture. As you can imagine we feel extremely lucky that we were able to spend a family vacation in such a beautiful place. More than anything it allowed us to be together in a natural environment that is breathtaking. It seems cliche to say we were getting in touch with nature, but it really was the case. And this setting allowed us to be together as a family and build memories that will drive us to plan another national park excursion in the near future.
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