Yosemite National Park

Going to Yosemite must be on everybody's bucket list.  Now I can cross it off.  What a spectacular park!

We drove from the Walker River Lodge in Bridgeport, to the small town of Lee Vining near Mono Lake, and turned right up into the Tioga Pass.  In about 11 miles up beautiful, but winding, mountain roads, we reached the entrance to Yosemite at 9945 feet elevation.  We drove to the Valley Floor, went to the Visitor Center and Miwok Indian Village first.  Then we went to two places to view El Capitan before hiking to Bridal Veil Falls.  A stop at the overlook called Tunnel View and then on to Glacier Point, another hour's drive, but well worth it.  The views of the entire valley floor are spread below you and Half Dome is right in front of you. Unbelievably spectacular. There are just not enough words to describe it.  I also got my National Park Passport stamped for Yosemite.  What a day!

As you can imagine, we got home at 11:30 at night, exhausted and fell into bed.  Evey and Eric had to get up and go to work today. Sad for them, but Mark and are having a relaxing morning.  Eventually, we will walk up to the gym again to do the weight routine.  Then we are doing mundane things like paying bills and shopping for new sneakers.  We also owe Evey and Eric a new shredder since we broke theirs with too much shredding.  LOL!

Evey is coming home from work at 12:15 today and will be baking my birthday cupcakes.  I can't wait to see them, and I bet it makes the house smell wonderful.

I ate breakfast at the Walker River Lodge (2 hard boiled eggs and a small amount of Raisin Bran with milk), and we had lunch at a picnic at Yosemite Valley Floor parking lot (almond butter and sugar free apricot jam sandwich, blueberries, and celery and peppers).  Dinner was at the Tenaya Lodge.  I had Ruby Trout with spinach, asparagus, and quinoa.  The menu said it was 628 calories.  I also ate half of a Nestle's Crunch Ice Cream bar, shared with Evey.  I think my calories came to 1485 for the day, not bad considering all the walking and hiking we did in Yosemite! 

Today all of my meals will be eaten at home.  Plus I'm going to an hour long Zumba class with Evey at 7 p.m.  I hope I survive!

Enjoy the pictures of Yosemite.  These are not in the order in which they occurred because my blog program was being very weird today.  It wouldn't let me move them to the correct order.  Enjoy them anyway.

Entrance to the Visitor's Center

In the Miwok Village.   This is a Ceremonial Lodge.

El Capitan behind us.

About to take a short hike up to the falls.

Bridal Veil Falls.  Not much water this time of year.

Eventually the wind shifted and a bit more water started to come down.

El Capitan is on the left behind them.

Looking out at Glacier Point.

Getting my passport stamp in the Visitor Center.

With a statue of John Muir in the Visitor Center.

At a viewing point for El Capitan. Mark and I really wanted to sing Row Row, Row Your Boat and eat marshmelons.

Half Dome in the distance from Glacier Point.

In the lobby of the Tenaya Lodge after dinner.