At the end of day one we headed to our hotel in El Portal, Yosemite View Lodge. We left spur of the moment so camping was out, (lodges on site are pricey being the start of peak season) but we still wanted to stay close by since Yosemite stretches over 761,268 acres and speeds are limited due to the curves, traffic and possible run ins with wildlife. The hotel is "rustic" (not a five star modern hotel), but it had air conditioner, a small kitchenette in room, a snack shop, and had a couple restaurants on site. After getting some breakfast at the hotel we headed in for the day.
Again it is just breathtaking, various rugged terrain, (which may lead to some hot tummies to those in the back seat) lush green prairies, and also remnants of fires from previous years.
At Bridalveil falls.
From a Bridalveil Creek overlook (before Glacial Point).
M's photo of a lizard he was being entertained by.
Half Dome in the background.
Our final stop on the trip was to Lower Yosemite Falls.
The boys had a wonderful time and lil' J kept on saying how great nature was and how he wished he could stay longer...I am sure we could have spent several more days exploring the 1,200 square miles of Yosemite, but unfortunately leave was coming to an end and with the impending move we just couldn't spare any more time. If you get the chance to go, go...don't wait almost three years either ;)
