Yosemite Trip: Day 5
After a relaxing morning in the Valley shopping for souvenirs, we checked out of the Lodge and hopped in the Kia for the scenic drive up to Glacier Point. The views from Glacier Point are outstanding. Some people have said it is the finest view in all of North America. Visiting Glacier Point after the Wednesday Half Dome hike was nice because from GP, you can see almost all of the area covered in the Half Dome hike.
After snapping a few dozen pictures from GP, we headed down California 41 to Wawona, an historic hotel at the south end of Yosemite. If you ever visit Yosemite, we highly recommend planning an extra night to stay in Wawona. The hotel is straight outta the 1800s. The “cottage” we stayed in was built in 1876! No TVs. No telephones. Some of the rooms even share a bathroom. The food was great. But perhaps the best part was this great ragtime piano player who plays in the lounge each night. A MUST SEE!
While in Wawona, we drove down to the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. Lemme tell you, those are some big trees. You may think you’ve seen big trees, but these are really big trees. There’s this one tree called the “Grizzly Giant.” This twig’s got enough timber to build forty 3-bedroom houses. It’s estimated to be about 2000 years old. There’s also a tree that you can walk through.
At the Mariposa Grove, you can walk around on your own, or take an open-air tram tour. Our legs weren’t working too well after Wednesday’s hike, so we opted for the tram. Kelly and I both agree that’s a good way to get to see the Grove.
All of today’s pictures are here.
Tomorrow we leave the park and head over to Santa Cruz.
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