Travelogue

Day 1 - Arrival and walk from the campground

Evening stroll from campgroundThe drive to the Valley from our home in Sonoma Valley takes about 5.5 hours via Highway 140 through the El Portal entrance.

We weren’t too far from our house before the motorhome started bucking and misfiring, a problem that Herb had sporadically noticed in the past. This time, it wasn’t sporadic but pretty consistent whenever we were going uphill or accelerating quickly.

Evening stroll from campgroundHerb pretty much knew that it was most likely the spark plugs and coils that needed to be changed. We even questioned whether we should continue on or go back home.

We decided to continue on, especially because Tommy and Erin would be joining us the following weekend, and it is always so much fun to spend time with them in Yosemite.

It was, however, a bit of a stressful drive for Herb as he wondered if we would be able to make it. We were towing our Subaru, which we use to get around the Valley when we are there, so we vowed to try to not think about the motorhome’s problems until it was time to go home.

Easier said than done though, as I saw it cast a bit of a cloud over Herb.

There was still about an hour of daylight when we arrived at the Upper Pines Campground, so I headed out for a walk just across the bridge to the North Pines Campground and then back to the meadow just beyond the Lower Pines Campground.

I always feel the need to greet the Valley upon my arrival.

Day 2 - Morning in El Cap Meadow and Valley Floor Bike Ride in the afternoon

Smoky El Cap MeadowOur favorite place to photograph in the morning is the El Cap Meadow. It has such lovely trees - California Black Oak, ponderosa pine, incense-cedar, white fir, aspen, and many more that I can’t identify.

And if you get there early enough, and conditions are right, there is usually mist in the meadow creating a very dreamy atmosphere just where the El Cap crossover road meets Southside Drive.

Although it did create an interesting effect, it made it difficult to breathe, especially for an asthmatic like Herb.

Smoky El Cap MeadowWe parked along the Northside Drive, near the base of El Cap, and then headed out into the meadows towards the trees along the river.

There is an especially pretty stand of aspen that was beginning to show its yellow fall colors. An interesting fact about aspens is that a stand of aspen trees is actually considered a singular organism with the main life force underground in the extensive root system.

Smoky El Cap MeadowBefore a single aspen trunk appears above the surface, the root system may lie dormant for many years until the conditions are just right.

There are also some lovely large ponderosa (or lodgepole?) pines along the river, which I gravitated to. They are so majestic and interesting to photograph.

Herb and I have different approaches when photographing an area. When Herb finds something he likes, he will spend hours in that one spot, photographing its details. I, however, like to survey an entire area so I don’t regret missing something later.

El Cap ReflectionsSo, we soon lost each other, and I crossed the crossover road and followed a path along the river, eventually getting to Cathedral Beach, where there are usually nice reflections of El Cap in the Merced River.

Herb and I eventually met up back by the aspen along the river. The mist was gone but the air was still quite smoky, so we called it a morning and headed back to the campground.

Later that afternoon, we moved the Subaru over to the Sentinel Bridge parking area to set up a base camp for the rest of the day.

Valley Loop bike rideWe set off on our bikes and headed towards Yosemite Village. From there we got on the Valley Loop trail and followed it as far as the beach before the El Cap Crossover Road.

Our intention was to take the El Cap Crossover Road to Southside Drive to do a complete loop, but the smoke was so bad that we had to turn around and go back.

When we got near Yosemite Lodge, we decided to go over Swinging Bridge and get on the Southside Drive.

From there we biked back on the bike path that paralleled the road, passing the cute little Yosemite Chapel along the way.

Because of the smoke, it was not exactly the ride we planned, but it was still a fun 8+ miles, so at least we got to get a little exercise in.

Day 3 - Tuolumne Meadows - Lembert Dome hike and Tuolumne Meadow stroll

Hiking up Lembert DomeSince the smoke was so bad in the Valley, we decided to go up to Tuolumne Meadows where the air would hopefully be better.

Sure enough, the air up here was clear and the skies were blue.

We have done most of the hikes in Tuolumne, but we hadn’t done the Lembert Dome hike since 2016, when our rock climbing sons and daughter-in-law did it the hard way, while we met them at the top.

Atop Lambert DomeIt is definitely a hike worth repeating. In the land of domes which Tuolumne is, Lembert Dome is the most iconic and the one you can see rising 800-feet above Tuolumne Meadows.

Like most domes, Lembert Dome has a steep face, which rock climbers like to play on, and a gentler, yet still steep, backside that hikers can scramble up. We were going for the gentler side, but even that wasn’t so gentle.

What goes up must come downAlthough a little bit intimidating, it was nothing compared to going up the backside of Half Dome. That it is so steep that they have installed cables to hold onto as you ascend. Still even on this dome, your heart does get pumping, and not just from the physical exertion.

From the summit there is a wonderful panoramic view - Cathedral Range to the South, the Sierra crest to the east, and Tuolumne Meadows to the west.
There were two fellow hikers on the summit - the only other people we had seen all day.

A little butt crab walkingAs with many steep climbs, going down is worse than up, and there was the occasional need to get down on my butt and do a bit of a crab walk.

All in all the hike was 2.4 miles with a 700-foot elevation gain.

While we were up in Tuolumne, we decided to stop at another one of our favorite spots - lovely Tuolumne Meadows.

Tuolumne MeadowsThere’s definitely a very different feel to Tuolumne than the Valley. Both have beautiful meadows with rivers running through them, but Tuolumne’s meadow is surrounded by dozens of glacially-carved granite domes rather than the steep, dramatic granite walls that enclose the Valley. It’s also a lot less crowded and, as a result, more peaceful and serene.

We started on the trail by the Visitor Center, and in about a 1/2 mile crossed a footbridge over the river, where we were treated to lovely views of Cathedral Peak, Unicorn Peak, the Cockscomb, and Echo Peaks to the south and Lembert Dome to the north.

Soda Spring CabinA short distance past the bridge, we turned right towards the Soda Spring Cabin, a small log cabin built by John Baptiste Lembert over a bubbling, naturally carbonated spring, surrounded by a cluster of mineral-crusted, rust-red puddles.

A surprising fact is that geologists have no idea how or why the springs formed.

It was here that I learned that Lembert was not just the name of a dome, but of the first white settler in the Tuolumne Meadows, who in 1885 filed a claim for 160 acres. He must have been pretty lonely living out here alone each summer tending his goats. In 1889 he built the structure over the spring to keep the animals out.

Mineral-crusted, rust-red puddlesBesides playing with his goat herd, Lembert gained fame as a guide and naturalist throughout the Tuolumne region, being the sole resident there in the summer and wintering in a small cabin near Cascade Creek in Yosemite Valley.

Tragically, he was murdered in this cabin in 1897, apparently for a small amount of money.

This hike had been so interesting. The only thing I love more than pristine, natural beauty is having some history thrown in.

It had been a great day in Tuolumne. I love it up here - such a different kind of beauty than in the valley.

Time to head back to the valley.

Day 4 - More Valley Wanderings

Near El Cap MeadowIt’s nice to have been to Yosemite Valley so many times, that we don’t feel compelled to run around frantically trying to see everything - because we already have.

Instead we like to leisurely wander around photographing from the various meadows.

We started our day with our morning commute to El Cap Meadow to enjoy the atmospherics of the morning mist (and smoke).

Along the Southside DriveThis time we spent less time in the meadow and more time strolling along the northern shore of the Merced River, where you can get some great reflections of El Cap.

We had some blue skies over El Cap today, so perhaps the smoke was getting better. I certainly hope so.

We decided to drive the whole Valley Loop this morning, stopping at the iconic Valley View pullout.

On the way back along the Southside Drive, we parked in a pullout near Bridalveil Falls and strolled along the river a bit to one of our favorite spots where there is a nice bend in the river with El Cap in the background.

Sentinel BeachWe’re kind of nostalgic about this spot, because Tommy and Erin (who would be arriving in a few days) had some wedding photos taken here.

After lunch back in the campground, we decided to take advantage of the little beach right near the campground, just over the bridge. Ready to settle in for the afternoon, we brought beach chairs, books, and a cooler.

An important thing to remember about Yosemite Valley in the winter, is that the sun drops below the tops of the mountains very early in the day - in this case, 2:09 pm, just 5 minutes after setting up our beach chairs.

Relaxing on Sentinel BeachHaving our hearts set on just relaxing with a book on a beach, we drove over to Sentinel Beach where we knew we could get 2 more hours of sun.

Herb wandered the beach with his camera while I settle myself in a chair with a book. We were both very happy with our situation.

Ahwahnee Grand LoungeThat evening, rather than spending it in the motorhome in the campground, we drove over to the Ahwahnee Lounge to hang out with our books and a bottle of wine. We settled into two comfy chairs right near the piano player

I love historic national park lodges, and in my opinion, the Ahwahnee, with its rustic wooden-beamed ceiling, giant fireplace, and plenty of cozy nooks to hide away in, is one of its finest. I have so many fond memories of spending time here in the evenings with the boys reading, playing cards, or just chatting. It’s my happy place.

Day 5 - Sentinel Dome / Taft Point Hike

Climbing up Sentinel DomeFor a change of pace, we decided to drive up to the Glacier Point Road to do the Sentinel Dome / Taft Point hike.

Of course, we couldn’t just drive right past El Cap Meadow for our “morning constitutional” stroll through the mist and smoke. Those beautiful trees were much too alluring to ignore.

We dragged ourselves away after about a half hour this time though and got as far as Tunnel View before stopping again. The parking is just before the tunnel to Wawona and it is pretty much always full, and it’s easy to understand why.

View of El Cap from atop Sentinel DomeFrom the low brick wall at the end of the parking lot is the iconic and breathtaking view of El Capitan, Half Dome, and Yosemite Valley in between. However, today the entire valley floor was covered with a layer of smoke, making it picturesque, as if it was a fine mist, but we knew what it was and knew we had made the right decision today to go up to Glacier Point Road to get above it.

The trailhead for the Sentinel Dome / Taft Point hike is 13.2 miles from the start of Glacier Point Road. The last time we were here, the parking lot was practically full, but today it was pretty quiet.

Us atop Sentinel DomeFrom the parking lot, we walked about 100 feet before coming to a split in the trail, left to Taft Point and right to Sentinel Dome. Unlike last time, this time we would go to Sentinel Dome first and then Taft Point afterwards.

Continuing right, we went down into a section of trees, crossed a small bridge, and then spent the next mile on a gradual uphill before getting our first glance of Sentinel Dome in the distance.

We continued through a section of trees again and found ourselves at the base of the dome.

Taft Point FissuresLike Lembert Dome, there was no real path, so we just continued up the smooth granite surface wherever it looked easiest.

After only about 100 yards we were at the summit and treated to a fantastic 360-degree view.

What a lot of bang for our buck, especially compared to Yosemite’s other hikes to Valley viewpoints.

Taft PointThe hike up the backside of Half Dome is about a 17-mile roundtrip, and the hike to the top of Yosemite Falls is a strenuous 7.4-mile one, but getting to the top of Sentinel Dome takes about 2 miles of level walking and just a brief scramble to the top.

And, the views are just as spectacular, if not even more so with El Cap and Yosemite Falls to the north (too bad it wasn’t flowing); Half Dome, Clouds Rest, and Nevada Fall to the east; and the most famous dead tree right there on top of the summit (the one Ansel Adams photographed when it looked a little livelier).

Herb and Sentinel RockHerb and I don’t take many photos of the two of us together when we travel, so I urged him to set up the tripod so we could get a shot of the two of us with this magnificent scenery as a backdrop. He enthusiastically obliged.

From the summit we simply walked back down the dome the way we came up, but when we got to its base, rather than turn right and take the same way back to the trailhead where we could do Taft Point as a separate hike, we turned left onto the Pohono Trail towards Taft Point making it a longer loop hike with some new scenery.

After about 2 miles of hiking along the Pohono Trail, we came to the Taft Point fissures, which are these immense vertical gashes in the granite that plunge hundreds of feet to the Valley—kind of like crevasses minus the snow. There were no guard rails around them, so we were free to get up close and gaze down and down. It still makes my palms sweat thinking about it.

Swinging BridgeA short distance ahead was Taft Point itself, where we stood at the edge of a cliff - kind of like the one atop Half Dome, but this one had a metal railing. From there we safely gazed down at all of Yosemite Valley.

From this vantage point, we were actually looking down on El Cap rather than craning our necks skyward to take in its immensity. The view would have been even more spectacular if Yosemite Falls wasn’t dry.

From Taft Point we returned to the car, completing our 6.2 mile with a 1,220-foot elevation gain loop hike.

On the drive back to the campground, we stopped to catch the sunset near Swinging Bridge. It had been a pretty full day.

Day 6 - Halloween in Yosemite

Horses by Swinging BridgeHalloween in Yosemite!! No trick or treaters so far. The big event for the day was going to be the Yosemite Cemetery tour given by interpretive guides from the Yosemite Conservancy. We had to meet at the cemetery at 8:00 tonight. Spooky!!

We made this a pretty chill day, parking the RV along the Southside Drive near Swinging Bridge and venturing out from there. The air seemed pretty clear of smoke, at least from here.

North Dome from Swinging BridgeWhile walking towards Swinging Bridge, I came upon two women on horseback. I had never seen that in the Valley before.

There was also a very nice reflection of North Dome in the Merced River.

Our Halloween event wasn't until 8:00 tonight, so we had plenty of time to hang around and watch a really nice sunset in the meadow.

Then we put the motorhome back in the campground and took the Subaru over to Yosemite Village for our Cemetery Tour.

At 8:00 pm a group of about 20 gathered at the cemetery. Right on time a tour guide in period costume holding a lantern appeared, explaining that tonight we would be visiting the grave sites of several people that had been important to the history of Yosemite.

Sunset in the ValleyHe told us that our task that evening was to find the guardian of Yosemite, the person or persons that would protect it for future generations.

He then proceeded to lead us through the cemetery which was lit by his lantern and candles along the way.

He would stop at a grave and its resident ghost would appear and talk to us about his or her experiences in and contributions to what is now Yosemite National Park.

Halloween Yosemite Cemetery TourThat evening we met four ghosts:

Florence Hutching - the first non-Ahwahnechee to be born in Yosemite Valley. She was an adventurous tomboy who defied the conventions of her time, riding bareback and dressing like a man. She tragically died when a large boulder loosed and hit her while guiding a party up to Glacier Point.

Her ghost looked like she was once a lot of fun and, as a tomboy myself, I would have loved to have spent time with her in Yosemite Valley

Ghost of George AndersonGalen Clark - the first Guardian of the Yosemite Grant, a position that he held for the next 35 years. During his tenure as Yosemite's guardian, Clark accompanied John Muir, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and other well-known scientists, writers, painters, and tourists on outings around the park.

I certainly wouldn't have minded being a fly on the canyon wall listening to him and Muir around a campfire

George Anderson - mountaineer known for making the first ascent to the summit of Half Dome in 1875. Without the benefit of modern climbing gear or techniques, he climbed barefoot and drilled holes to place eye bolts through which he could attach his rope for protection from falls. Those holes eventually came to house the cables of the popular cable route up Half Dome.

He was also very funny and said that John Muir would have been too distracted admiring the splendors of Yosemite to complete the climb.

Claire Marie Hodges - the first woman ranger in Yosemite and the person most responsible for developing the extensive trail system through the park

At the end, we learned that we are the "guardians" of Yosemite and must do our best to keep it as it is for future generations to enjoy.

Day 7 - Ahwahnee Meadow Wanderings, Valley Bike Ride, and Dinner at Yosemite Lodge

Ahwahnee MeadowIn winter, Yosemite Valley takes a while to wake up, as its high peaks block the rising run. The campground is often dark until 10 am.

So, we often drive over to the Church Bowl picnic area on Ahwahnee Drive, one of the few spots in the Valley that get early morning sun, so it was a good place to charge up our solar panels. We weren’t the only ones with this idea, so we pretty much had to get there by 8:30 to nail a parking space. Most of the other occupants of the spot were twenty- or thirty-something climbers in white vans (like both of our sons) prepping for a big wall climb the following day. In fact, one out of five vehicles in the Valley were white Promaster vans.

Hanging out along the MercedFrom there, Herb and I each wandered our own separate ways. There is a wonderful view of Half Dome from here, but we have so many photos of it that we now find ourselves more interested in photographing the beautiful trees in the meadow.

I also found some time to poke into the lovely Ahwahnee Hotel and sit for a bit by its cozy fireplace.

My skeletonized leavesLater that day, we moved the motorhome and parked it on Southside Drive near the Yosemite Chapel where we would use it as a base camp for the day.

We decided to go for a bike ride, and I suggested something different - riding the Valley Loop trail starting behind the Chapel.

At first the trail was flat, but it gradually became so steep and rocky that we turned around in about a mile and a half and then decided to ride over to Yosemite Village instead to visit the Ansel Adams Gallery. I usually like to pay a visit here each year to see anything new on display.

Herb's LeafThe gallery is run by his son Michael Adams, and there are many wonderful prints on exhibit—actually they are for sale, but I treat this place more like a museum—both by Ansel Adams himself, as well as several contemporary landscape photographers.

Every time I come here, I find myself gravitating to colorful, skeletonized leaves set in a frame. I have literally admired these for years. Herb said that if I had admired them for that long, it was time for me to bring them home, so we bought them. They are currently sitting in a prominent spot on my bookshelf and I am happily looking at them now.

Dinner at Yosemite LodgeWe spent the remainder of the afternoon sitting in our beach chairs along a stretch of the Merced River. Well, I sat, but Herb wandered up and down along the river's edge photographing leaves in the river. I thought it was silly at first, but then I saw his result. A simple yellow leaf floating on the iridescent purples and blues formed by the decaying oils.

When we got home, Herb made a print of his leaf and framed it. I think it's even more beautiful than the one I bought in the Answel Adams Gallery.

That evening we had dinner reservations at the Mountain Room in the Yosemite Valley Lodge, which has a very cozy dining room and very good food. In many ways, I think it is even better than the elegant Ahwahnee Dining room (especially in terms of price), but that wasn’t even a choice as it has been closed for months while it undergoes a seismic upgrade that would allow it to withstand earthquakes.

I had a delicious Rainbow Trout and Herb had the Kurobuta Pork Chop.

I highly recommend the Mountain Room for dinner, but be sure to make a reservation well in advance, as they were turning walk-ins away.

Day 8 - El Cap Meadow Wanderings, Hetch Hetchy, Lunch at Evergreen Lodge

Morning in El Cap MeadowEvery couple days or so, we figured we would mix it up and explore places outside the Valley. Today the plan was to drive up to Hetch Hetchy for a hike and then lunch at the Evergreen Lodge, where our son and daughter-in-law got married 2 years ago.

Lovely trees of El Cap MeadowBut, of course, we couldn’t get out of the Valley without stopping to see what was happening (with the light and smoke) in the El Cap Meadow.

Hmm…It looked too good to just pass by, so we stopped for an hour to photograph our favorite trees. Every day, depending on the lighting and the smoke, they looked different.
Then it was on to Hetch Hetchy.

Hetch Hetchy was the place that famed conservationist John Muir thought rivaled Yosemite Valley in grandeur and fought so hard to protect from the politically powerful men in San Francisco that wanted to dam the river and turn its valley into a reservoir. As we all know, Muir lost the good fight and many believe that the loss hastened his death in 1914, a year after a bill was signed to fund the dam project.

Trees of El Cap MeadowAnyone interested in learning more about this controversial battle should definitely attend one of the weekly performances of “Conversation with a Tramp: An Evening with John Muir” given every Wednesday night at the Yosemite Theater (behind the Visitor Center). It is such an unbelievably worthwhile experience. The actor, Lee Stetson, has been playing the role of John Muir since 1983, and trust me, he will keep you mesmerized and totally convinced that you are back in 1913 anxiously waiting with him in his study for the news of Hetch Hetchy’s fate.

Hetch Hetchy O’Shaughnessy DamIronically, this part of the park is so much less visited than the Valley that the feeling of solitude and remoteness that surrounds one here is probably much closer to the way John Muir had experienced Yosemite.

The 40-mile drive from the Valley takes about an hour and a half. We took the Big Oak Flat Road north, but rather than turn west onto 120, we continued on Evergreen Road through the Stanislaus National Forest.

We passed the Evergreen Lodge and Tavern (for now) where Tommy and Erin had their wedding. We would stop here for lunch on the way back.

View from O’Shaughnessy DamAt the end of Evergreen Road, we came to the Yosemite entrance station -- that’s right, you actually have to leave Yosemite and re-enter it again to get to Hetch Hetchy.

From the entrance gate, we drove another 8 miles along the twisty, narrow Hetch Hetchy Road to the Day Hikers parking area by the O’Shaughnessy Dam.

As we walked across the dam and gazed out across the reservoir (squinting a little to block out the water), we could definitely see how John Muir compared this place to Yosemite Valley. There was even a little El Cap, just to the left of Wapama Falls. Later, we even found a miniature Half Dome. I guess we shouldn’t have been so surprised, as the same forces that formed Yosemite Valley shaped and created this valley as well.

Hetch Hetchy TunnelAt the end of the dam, we walked through a 500-foot, dark tunnel, before turning right onto the trail towards Wapama and Rancheria Falls.

Since the falls would not be running now, we turned around after about a mile and headed back. We were very anxious to get back to Evergreen Lodge, where we had such wonderful memories of our son’s wedding there.

The Evergreen Lodge has strong ties to Hetch Hetchy in that it was originally built in the 1920s as housing for the workers building the O'Shaughnessy Dam.

Evergreen Lodge historical tavernIn the early years, the Evergreen was a post office, restaurant and general store. Lore has it that moonshine was brewed in the basement of the lodge during Prohibition.

It was fun sitting in the cozy wooden tavern, eating a delicious burger and fries, looking back on its history and all the moonshine that must have been drunk here - and that’s just during Tommy and Erin’s wedding!

On the way back through the Valley, we stopped at our secret spot near Sentinel Bridge to capture some reflections of Half Dome in the river.

Day 9 - Tenaya Creek HIke

Half Dome and Mt. WatkinsDuring our more than 20 visits to Yosemite Valley, we had pretty much hiked every trail there was to hike in the Valley, although there are still a few more we need to conquer in Tuolumne Meadows.

However, there was one that we hadn’t done completely, and that’s the Mirror Lake / Tenaya Creek Loop.

What most first-time visitors to the Valley don’t know is that Mirror Lake is not really a lake at all, but rather a large, shallow pool in Tenaya Creek. Each year as sand and gravel washes into it from Tenaya Creek, in a process called sedimentation, it shrinks a little more.

Happy Herb along Tenaya CreekWe have hiked to Mirror Lake many times but only saw it filled with water once, back on October of 2021 - the same year that the October “atmospheric rivers” of rain had brought the Firefall to life in October. It was amazing to be able to see a reflection of North Dome in what was now truly a lake. It was absolutely lovely.

We set out from the Upper Pine Campground, crossed the bridge over the Merced towards the North Pine Campground, and turned right onto the Mirror Lake Loop trail. For the next mile we traced the south side of Tenaya Creek, doing the loop in a counter-clockwise direction.

Reflections in Tenaya CreekIn about a mile we came to Mirror “Lake,” which, as expected, was not a lake today, but more of a meadow. Most visitors turn back here after asking “Where’s the Lake?” Too bad, because the best was yet to come.

However, those, like us, that continue on are treated to an uncrowded, quiet nature experience that’s hard to find in Yosemite these days.

All along the way we had spectacular views of Half Dome and Mt. Watkins looming over us to our right.

Herb finds another leafWe intentionally got off Mirror Lake Loop Trail a few times to get closer to the river, where we were able to see interesting reflections of the surrounding granite cliffs in the Creek. Herb became especially enamored with a floating leaf that he stalked for some time.

Eventually, we had to get back onto the Mirror Lake Loop trail, which required a bit of bushwhacking.

About 3 miles from the trailhead, we crossed over a footbridge to the other side of Tenaya Creek.

Mt. Watkins through the treesFrom there we continued on through a very pretty wooded section with colorful ground foliage and tall trees with glimpses of Mt. Watkins in between the trunks.

From there we traced the northern edge of the Creek, once again passing what would more appropriately be called Mirror “Meadow” in its current state.

In total, it was a 7-mile hike (starting and ending in Upper Pines Campground), with lots of great views and the type of peace and serenity you don’t expect in Yosemite any more.

Day 10 - A relaxing day of visiting many meadows

Meadow near our campgroundToday was our last day on our own in the Valley. Late tonight, well after we would be sound asleep, Tommy would arrive in the Valley and stay on a campsite with Dr. Peter, his best friend from college. We would not see him until tomorrow morning.

We had covered a lot of ground over the last 9 days, visiting some old favorite places, and even discovering one or two new ones.

Herb stalking a leafSo, today would be a day of just relaxing - sitting in our beach chairs along the river reading our kindles, strolling through various meadows, photographing, listening to the piano player in the Ahwahnee.

In the morning we just walked from our campsite, through the Lower Pines Campground, and out to a meadow that was already having early morning sunlight paint the trees in an orange glow.

Evening walk to the AhwahneeLater that afternoon moved the motorhome to a spot along Southside Drive near the Yosemite Chapel.

From there, we took our beach chairs down to the river where I read and Herb continued stalking leaves - his new supermodel.

Herb has always been mainly a landscape photographer, but we had been to Yosemite so many times and taken all the iconic shots, that he found it more interesting to focus on closeups of some of the more overlooked lovely details of the Valley.

That evening, we parked over at the Church Bowl Picnic area and walked to the Ahwahnee with a bottle of wine to listen to the piano player. It's so great that this elegant Grand Lounge is open to not just guests of the hotel, but the public. After all, this is a National Park.

We had been here so long that it was beginning to feel more like home than a vacation.

We were very much looking forward to Tommy and Erin's arrival. They definitely liven things up.

Day 11 - Tommy and Erin are here!!

Tommy bouldering in Camp 4The next morning, Tommy, Erin, Tommy’s college friend Peter, and his friend came over to our motorhome for bagels and coffee. No matter how old Tommy gets, I love feeding and spending time with his friends.

The agenda for today was, as it always is when we are with the kids in the Valley, rock climbing. They had several places in mind.

Our first stop was Camp 4, the famous rock climbers' camp located near the base of Lower Yosemite Falls, which some of the world’s most renowned climbers have used as their base when climbing in Yosemite.

It’s even listed on the National Register of Historic Places because of its nationally significant role in the development of rock climbing as a sport.

Hanging out boulderingThere are three types of climbing: bouldering, sport climbing, and trad climbing. The kids (who are no longer kids) would be doing the first two. Erin would only be doing sport climbing on a rope because she is 4 months pregnant and Tommy won’t let her boulder any more for fear of her hurting herself and my grandchild.

Tommy, Peter, and Hooper spent some time “projecting” some boulders in Camp 4, before we move on to another bouldering location near the LeConte Memorial, now called the Yosemite Conservation Heritage Center, because apparently LeConte has said some racist things in his past.

Erin's turnOh, funny story. When we were at Camp 4 Herb, who has tendinitis issues, started talking about a YouTube channel he had found called “Hooper’s Beta,” in which a Physical Therapist addresses how to avoid and rehab injuries from rock climbing. Herb then proceeded to ask if they had heard of it and whether this guy was “legit?”

Peter kind of smiled and said yes, and he’s right over there, pointing at his friend, who I had given a bagel and coffee to earlier.

Well, that was awkward, or it could have been if Herb had said anything bad. But Herb loves Hooper Beta and watches it religiously.

Then it was Erin’s turn. We moved to a sport climbing area located on the cliff behind the Yosemite Chapel. It was 5.12a, which is a pretty difficult climb, even if you’re not pregnant.

Tommy led it and Erin and Peter did it afterwards. Not bad for 4-months pregnant.

We had a fun day hanging out with Tommy and Erin and their friends. Always makes me feel younger just being around them.

Day 12 - Drive Home

TIme to go homeI know it’s time to go home when I see Herb with the poop hose in his hand.

It had been a great trip but 11 days in the Valley is a long time, so we were ready to go home. We just hoped the motorhome’s spark plugs would cooperate.

Postscript.

A bit of sadness had hung over us the entire trip, because we thought our Lazy Daze might finally be ready to put to pasture because of the problems we had on the drive here.

But $3,000 later, it was back! It needed new spark plugs, coils, cables, and I don’t know what else. Yay!