So you've been blinded by
the bright lights of Vegas, roasted alive driving through Death Valley and now
it's time to get back to nature before hitting city life in San Francisco. So
time in our agenda to see the other side of the spectrum.
I mentioned Lee Vining in
my earlier post here and honestly could not recommend enough Lake View Lodge as a place to take your foot
off the gas and refuel (both literally and metaphorically). A series of tiny
self-contained wooden cabins each with a kitchenette, private bathroom and
veranda overlooking Lake Mono, this was just the ticket. There was nothing more
satisfying (or romantic I might add) than picking up a few supplies from the
local shop (did I mention there was only one?) and cosying down in our rustic
hut to recover from the miles accumulated. This was really just a pitstop in
our plans but a more beautiful one than anticipated and the locals were so
friendly, especially with giving us tips for our journey ahead.
Our rustic wooden cabin for the night at Lake View Lodge, Lee Vining |
Meeting the locals! |
The View of Mono Lake from Lee Vining
So there
I was saying about getting back to basics (or did I say nature?), even so the
two seem to go hand in hand, what better place to bed down with the bears (I
mean this almost literally) than Yosemite National Park?! A two hour drive if
you stick to the road but I challenge you to pass these amazing view points! So
here are some pictures of me just, you know, casually lying on a rock.
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Before I get into the
sleeping arrangements (boy, there's a story!) we donned our backpacks and
headed for a hiking path to some beautiful waterfalls. There is a free bus
service that facilitates the entire park which was ideal for transporting us
closer to the base of the walk as well as giving visitors flexibility to
explore further afield. The slight drawback? It only runs in a clockwise
direction but luckily we weren't far from base.
Off to hike...but have we forgotten something?
So rookie error #1, we
forgot to buy some water...or even bring a water bottle. Suntan lotion, a paper
fan, insect repellent, two lipsticks, that I had. But water? Nope! Luckily
there are plenty of water fountains along the way but following a warning from
the bus driver as we disembarked as shuttle stop 16 (aka Happy Isles) that we
needed at least one litre each to get to Vernal Falls we exchanged looks and
decided our stupidity was not going to be the end of our plans. So pit stops at
the water fountains aplenty, we took to the Mist Trail, so-called due to the
waterfall spray that covers you as you follow the route. It was quite a steep
ascent initially so the thigh burn warranted breaks along the way (or frequent
picture stops as I liked to think of it) and the views were really
incredible.
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Rookie error #2,
forgetting to pack our swimsuit! Once you get to the base of the smaller
waterfall at Vernal Falls Footbridge, there were several large stones to entice
a paddle and by the waterfall itself, even higher ones to jump in from. (Although
please note, swimming is discouraged so even if we had had our swimming stuff,
I’m not sure I would have risked it!)
We proceeded further up the
trail to see the spectacular Vernal Falls in all its glory. At every stage of
the hike there are incredible views including a stunning rainbow in the waterfall
spray. After the finale of a 600-step ascent - also known as nature's
"giant staircase" - we reached the top! As soon as I saw the view I
forgot all about the cardio involved in getting there (and, of course, knew it
was both good for me and worth it!). The pictures say it all.
Enjoying the water spray along the Mist Trail with my trusty Absolutely Bear backpack
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Our room for the night! |
A tent with a view! See what I was saying about exposed?? The bears could walk right up to our front door! |
This accommodation is a
really budget-friendly option (less than £100 a night which is good-going for
America's high season!) and offers an authentic experience in what can be a
very expensive tourist hotspot. Highly recommend it, even if I did find myself
waking up the next morning to an actually grizzly bear in my bed, turns out Mr
A's not much of a happy camper so he was glad to be behind the wheel of a car
again shortly after sunrise! Not before stopping at this incredible viewing platform at Tunnel View...
FYI the journey is around 4 hours to San Fran with reasonable traffic. Plenty of pit-stop options en
route but I suggest getting those tasty goodies that escaped the bear's paws to
keep you going. We drove through Oakland on the way and stopped for lunch
overlooking Sausalito harbour and across at San Francisco Bay. The drive across
the Golden Gate Bridge was just the entrance we were after!
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