Yosemite

I got to visit Yosemite in the shoulder season of October 20217, when the crowds were thinner and the waterfalls were a bit less full. Still, seeing the valley and the iconic formations of El Capitan and Half Dome for the first time still took my breath away. This park was the first stop for my friend Rose and I, who were embarking on a 4-park California road trip together. We were introduced to the park with incredible vistas at Tunnel View, then went down into the valley and walked around Cook’s Meadow as it got dark. We camped nearby in the park (and froze our butts off) and then the next day tackled Mirror Lake Trail and the amazing Yosemite Falls Trail, which got us high above the valley floor. To top it all off, we ended with insane views of the whole valley from Glacier Point, where Half Dome rose like a powerful beacon before us. This is a park I know I have to come back to as this first visit only scratched the surface of what Yosemite has to offer!