On December 29, 2014, my mother and I visited Yosemite National Park on our way to San Diego, California. This was the first time either one of us had been to Yosemite and I am glad we had the opportunity to experience this beautiful place together.
My mother is originally from southern California and moved to Washington state in 1980. Shortly after moving there the state celebrated her arrival with the eruption of Mount St. Helens. A few years later I was born and graced the state of Washington with my presence up until the year 2000. |
Before even entering the park, we both were amazed at the beauty of the area leading in. The weather that day was cool and clear, which allowed us to see far past the valley and into the surrounding hills.
We were traveling east on New Priest Grade Rd (120) near the Moccasin Reservoir. As we climbed in elevation and cut through the landscape, the views became even more breathtaking. It seemed like every few turns I was pulling off the road to take pictures. The scenery was amazingly distracting. I think I only looked at the road four times during that drive. How we did not fall off of a cliff is a miracle. I think at one point I might have even yelled YOLO! |
Yosemite falls in the top twenty largest national parks by size within the United States. On average, Yosemite has approximately 4 million visitors a year. Due to that number, Yosemite typically holds a top five spot on the list of most visited National Parks in the nation.
Year round, there is always something to see and do here. One of the most iconic parts of Yosemite is known as Half Dome. The majority of pictures you see from here have Half Dome in them along with the surround granite cliffs. This picturesque scene normally uses the Yosemite Valley as the backdrop. It is an impressive site to see on film, but much better in person. |
While my mom and I were there we decided to stop off and see Bridalveil Falls, which has a hight of approximately 617 feet (188 meters). Unfortunately, it was more of a walk than my mom felt like doing, so I continued on and did the exploring for both of us.
When I reached the base of the falls I observed it was almost completely frozen over. There was a small amount of water flowing down, but for the most part it was all ice which was a neat sight to see. |