We have been able to witness a lot of incredible sights on this trip, and taking in the beauty of Yosemite today is certainly near the top!
With crystal clear blue skies, and a blanket of snow still covering the ground, it was pure heaven.
Our trip into Yosemite was a little unexpected. With recent snowfalls, and an impending storm on the way, we weren’t sure we would be able to make it in.
But fortunately, we arrived at the park on a bright sunny day right between two storm systems. And in the process, rewarded with spectacular views.
We thought we would share some of our favorite photos from the day below.
The Beauty Of Yosemite National Park
The drive in was almost surreal with the lifting mist and fog. It is one of the most scenic drives we have taken so far on our journey.
As we neared the park, the sheer size of the rocks towering over the narrow road were enough to make us feel extremely small in this big world.
The Yosemite Fires
There are still vivid reminders and scars from recent fires that have ravaged the park. All along the roads, homeowners and businesses still display signs thanking firefighters for their courageous efforts.
There are so many streams and rivers fed by the snow melt from Yosemite. And the crystal blue waters flowing down the stream and over the rocks filled the air with the ultimate sounds of nature at its best.
The Trees…
And then there are the trees!
Giant Sequoia, Mountain Hemlock, Lodgepole Pine, Douglas Fir and Black Oak all call Yosemite home. As do so many other species too numerous to mention.
A little video of the drive in to Yosemite:
And a few more photos…
One thing is for sure, we both feel so very fortunate that the weather broke enough to see the incredible beauty of Yosemite. You can catch up on all of the past days of the trip here on the Daily Blog at Live Simple Now.
Happy Traveling – Jim and Mary
CURRENT TRIP STATS
- Day 89 of 365
- States : 12 / 50
- National Parks / Monuments : 11
- Stayed In : Visalia, California
- Miles Driven : 296.7
- Total Trip Miles To Date : 9303.9
- Total Gallons Used : 694.32
- Biking Miles : 0.0
- Biking Miles To Date : 142.5
- Hiking Miles : 1.9
- Hiking Miles To Date : 191.4
About Our Living Simple Tour
On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States
You can follow along by signing up for our twice weekly email updates at the bottom of the page. You can also follow us on Facebook : Live Simple Tour Facebook and Instagram : Live Simple Now Instagram Page.
Thank you for making myself and my husband recap our days in USA beautiful Yosemite. As Australian seniors seeing this sort of mountain formations and experiencing elevation we created wonderful memories . Life is too short to not enjoy such magnificent gifts from mother nature.
We are so glad that you enjoyed our visit to Yosemite as well! You are absolutely right that life is too short not to enjoy what mother nature provides! We would love to visit Australia as well! Thanks for following our journey – Mary and Jim
Jim and Mary,
Thank you for sharing that beautiful video! Iām sure it must of taken your breath away because it did mine.
I did have one question as to do you both do the writing on your updates or do you take turns? Either way I look forward to them.
Safe travels,
Anne Redman
Hi Anne Yes, Yosemite was breath taking! We both write the updates and most often we take turns writing each day. However, depending on what we did or saw, one of us might prefer to write about that specific day, even if they wrote the update the day before. Hope that makes sense! Jim and Mary
Yes that makes perfect sense. Sometimes I can figure it out if one of you mentions the other but both of you are great writers.
Thank you!
Wow, now I am jealous! š
You can always come back and travel on the road with us!
We visited Yosemite in mid-September, and were also in awe of the huge rock formations towering over us! Love these pictures with the snow cover. Thanks for sharing!
It truly is a beautiful place and we were so glad that the passes were open for us to visit!
Love the video. Keep them coming.
Thank you so much!
Hi Jim and Mary – with the bustle of December I am just now catching up on your journey into California. Though my husband and I work in the Bay Area, we have a home that is 30 minutes from Yosemite “northern” gate (via Hwy 120 -then about 45 minutes to the Valley Floor). We get to the park in off-season, as its crazy busy during the tourist season. If we plan it right, we grab our chairs and beverage of choice, then head over to watch the sunset on Half Dome. You are spot-on with National Park passes – can’t be the deal! If you get back, do come to Yosemite during the summer but travel to the upper reaches of the park (that are closed for the winter)… its just spectacular. And the trip over the Sierras (Tioga Pass) to the eastern side is magical. There is a working cattle farm in Bridgeport, so one could enjoy Yosemite and then have fun on the eastern side at the ranch. Or just cross the Sierras, have a fabulous meal at the Whoa Nellie Deli (located at the gas station at the intersection of Hwy 120 and 395) and return, or head up/down Hwy 395. Continued safe travels and fun!
Thanks Sally! We can’t wait to come back to Yosemite in the summer. There is so much to see and this trip is helping us determine where we want to come back and visit for longer periods of time.