While some of us slept in, I was up at 6am doing laundry. We didnt have cell service or WiFi so I couldnt work on my blog. By the time my laundry was finished everyone else was up, had breakfast, and was ready to check outYosemite. Bug problem.no maps. Our host had a few small copied maps that were difficult to read but they werent very helpful. We had no clue where to go. AND the vacation rental office was closed so they were no help. Fortunately we talked to a neighbor who would guide us to the nearest visitors center. We were so grateful.
First stop was what is known as tunnel view, so named because you are out of a tunnel through the mountain and the view opens up to all the major rock formations just above Yosemite Valley. It is considered to be one of the most photographed spots in the work. From the turnout you can see El Capitan, Horsetail Fall, Clouds Rest, Half Dome, Sentinel Rock, Cathedral Rock and Bridal Veil Falls. It is an impressive view. Sadly, because of the drought, there was no water running down any of the falls.
On down the mountain was the Visitors Center, grocery store/Trading Post, restaurants, and post office. Because of Covid many places were closed or had reduced hours and you absolutely had to wear a mask to enter. Several Places only allowed a certain number of guests and you had to wait your turn to enter.
On the way to the Visitors Center we saw something run across the road. First we thought it was a big fox but all at the same time we shouted Bear!! As I looked over I saw the momma bear. What we saw was one of the babiesthere were two. I did get a couple of pictures but they werent real good. We all were excited that for the first time we saw a bear out in the wild!!
We drove around various roads in Yosemite and took many pictures. It was lunch time and we always looked for picnic tables so we could eat. Today was no exception. We finally found a spot but it seemed everywhere we sat the yellow jackets followed. We also had ravens. They didnt bother us but were hoping for a hand out or an accidental
drop of a crumb. While there, a park volunteer came to warm us about bears in the area and was telling us what to do in the event one joined us. I was really hoping that didnt happen!
We really enjoyed Yosemite. There are several places we didnt get to visit. Some were closed because if construction. Some were closed because previous storms downed trees that had to be removed. All the more reason to plan another visit.
We returned to our cabin and cooked dinnerbaked chicken, (the San Francisco treat), and salad. We also started packing as tomorrow we were to travel through the park to Mammoth Lake area.
