Stupid. That's what Yosemite is. A stupid park in the middle of hot, burning California.
Let me start from the beginning. A few months ago, my mom booked me, my brother, and herself airplane tickets to Yosemite National Park for 9 days. I did NOT want to go. I thought it would be a really stupid place, but I had to come on the trip since everyone was going and nobody was at home to take care of me. My dad decided to come 1 day before the flight. We all packed htenight before. Everyone woke up early at 6 and got ready. We went to the airport by train (CTA). It took 45 min to get there. Me and my family had 30 min to get to the boarding area, which wasn't a lot.we did some airport stuff and got on the plane. I watched Netflix in my phone in the plane. After 4 hours we arrived at Los Angeles airport. Then I had to wait 45 minutes for the next plane to come, which was taking us to Fresno, which is a town near Yosemite park. The plane flight was really short, about a hour. The airport was pretty small but not too small. I was really hungry bye that time. My family went to Hertz to get a rental car. My dad wanted a SUV, we ended up with a Nissan Pathfinder. It was a 7 seater, which was a little too big for our needs, but my dad took it. Fresno has a pop of 500K, not that much. But the first thing I noticed when I stepped outside was how hot it was. It was burning. For food, I ate at a place called Punjabi Dhaba. It was Indian food. We ate a lot and enjoyed it. Everyone was super full for the whole day after that meal. My parents decided to get a hotel, rest a little, then go out in the night. We booked someplace named Summerfield Inn. It was a good hotel. We rested for about two hours, then went to a place called River Park. It was a huge mall with many giant stores. Me and my brother got ice cream and then me and my family walked around a little. We needed water so we brought some from target. Then we headed back to the hotel for the night.
I woke up pretty early. My mom and dad were awake, but my brother was still sleeping. I took a shower, then went walked down the hall to the continental breakfast room. I had some waffles and orange juice. In the next hour, everyone got ready and ate breakfast. Then we headed for Yosemite. The drive was two hours, we stopped at a town called Oakhurst. Where we ate pizza for lunch. Then we arrived at Yosemite. We went to one of the small visitor centers. I brought an activity book. The real park started after that. Huge mountains and so many pine trees. There was a history museum. With a river that was really cold! There was a wooden bridge and a bunch of old wagons. A black smith was also there making things. A tiny jail with some history behind it was there. Yosemite is a huge valley. There were many beautiful viewpoints. We went on a trail to Sentinel Dome. It was a huge rock with a really long trail leading up to it. The view at the top let you see two giant waterfalls and the whole valley. A deer was there too.Another viewpoint, called Glacier Point, had a huge area which offered another breathtaking view of the valley. Me and my brother brought ice cream there and my dad started feeding a squirrel a muffin. I told him to stop because it's dangerous. My dad said he thinks feeding wildlife is an act of compassion. We went on a tiny trail. After that we went on an hour and a half drive to a town called El Portal. We brought a hotel, Miners Inn, there and went to sleep.
I woke up pretty early. My mom and dad were awake, but my brother was still sleeping. I took a shower, then went walked down the hall to the continental breakfast room. I had some waffles and orange juice. In the next hour, everyone got ready and ate breakfast. Then we headed for Yosemite. The drive was two hours, we stopped at a town called Lakehurst. Where we ate pizza for lunch. Then we arrived at Yosemite. We went to one of the small visitor centers. I brought an activity book. The real park started after that. Huge mountains and so many pine trees. There was a history museum. With a river that was really cold? There was a wooden bridge and a bunch of old wagons. A black smith was also there making things. A tiny jail with some history behind it was there. Yosemite is a huge valley. There were many beautiful viewpoints. We went on a trail tosentinel dome. It was a huge rock with a really long trail leading up to it. The view at the top let you see two giant waterfalls and the whole valley. A deer was there too.Another viewpoint, called Glacier Point, had a huge area which offered another breathtaking view of the valley. Me and my brother brought ice cream there and my dad started feeding a squirrel a muffin. I told him to stop because it's dangerous. My dad said he thinks feeding wildlife is an act of compassion. We went on a tiny trail. After that we went on an hour and a half drive to a town called El Portel. We brought a hate, there and went to sleep.
Museum
We roamed around the town, and my mom saw a history museum. There was a real life stamp mill there, which was used to crush rocks, and extract the gold from them. The museum was 5 dollars for adults and free fro child's. The museum had many old things and fun facts. It was pretty interesting. There was a lot of history behind the things and it represented the marposa’s county's history, we spent about an hour there. Then my dad decided to go around the town in car ano see the thing. He went up a mountain and our cars wheel got stuck in some mud. But my dad was able to reverse himself out of it after a few tries. Then we got back in the highway and to the town again. After another half hour we headed for Yosemite.It was a long drive, about 2 hours. That day, we were going on hetch hetchy road, which was a long road in Yosemite. We traveled in the road for about an hour when we arrived at a place called Camp Mathers. My dad fell asleep in the dark after parking. The rest of us went on a half mile trail called Mud Laek. Then my dad woke up and we continued. After another hour we arrived at O’Shaugnessy dam. It was HUGE. There were three huge waterfalls that led to the huge dam. The dam was pouring water out super fast. It made a river that led in Yosemite. Behind the dam was a artificial lake that the dam made, which the water from the waterfalls dropped too. There was a place to walk across the top of the dam, and take pictures, we went on a trail around the lake which was about 2 miles. It's was getting kind of late. Fro dinnner, me and my family went to evergreen lodge. I ordered chicken tenders. Ito was good. After dinner we headed to the town of Mariposa. for the night. The drive was pretty long and I fell asleep in the car.
Me and my brother woke up late. My parents were up. I got ready quickly. After everyone was done, and the stuff was loaded in the car, we left. For lunch, we stopped at a place called the Pizza Factory.There was a pizza buffet that I enjoyed, my brother said that we were going to go to the Taigo road. It was a long road in Yosemite. We drove along for about an hour. There were seem hikers o the road asking for a lift. My dad stopped and talked to them. They size they needed a lift for about 3 miles down the road, which wasn't a lot. My dad said yes. It took a little time to fit the three hikers in our seven seater car. They said that they were traveling from the border of Mexico all the way to Canada, which I thought was pretty cool. The hikers got out. I saw a waterfall. I fell down twice in the same spot while trying to eat my Funnyuns. Then there was a sign saying road closed. Everyone was confused since we were supposed to be on the Tiago road the whole day. But it was closed, so we had to go back. On the way back we went on a 2.5 mile trail that went around some giant sequoias. Giant sequoias circumference could be 30 feet, therembark alone could be three feet thick, nad they could live up to 3,000 years. Since the Tiago road was closed, my brother planned to go to the center valley of Yosemite. We arrived there. Me nad my family went on a short .4 mile trail to the base of bridalveil falls, which was a huge waterfall. Another trail that was 2 mile round trip was to the lower Yosemite falls. After that it was starting to get late. We ate dinner at the Yosemite valley lodge food court. Then we drove 2 hours to Oakhurst, a town outside the park. We stayed at Oakhurst lodge there for the night.
Everyone woke up early today since the breakfast ended at 9:00 am. I woke up at 8:45. I hurried to breakfast and ate cereal, a blue berry muffin, nad some bread and butter. I went back to the room and took a shower. I put my stuff in the car. My brother said we were going to go to Sequoia national park for the next thee days, the drive from oakhurst to thre was 2 and a half hours. I was bored in the car. I forget to download Netflix shows for the car and needed up bored. The city of frescno came in the way to Sequoia. Everyone was hungry so we stopped at an Indian restarau t called Brahms's bull. The was s buffet there and I ate a lot. We wenot to target to get some snacks for the car. After that we continued on our journey. My brother changed his plan and decided to go to Kings Canyon National Park, which was near Sequoia nat park. In the way we aw many viewpoints looking into huge valleys. There was a farm with grape vines and pistachio trees. My dad stopped in the town of Madera for a few minutes to look around. A bunch of other viewpoints looked over big mountains. Then we arrived at Kings Canyon. A ranger gave us a map and a guide. We continued in the park. We went to the visitor center. My parents got a cabin in the John Murk lodge. We went to see the cabin fro a few minutes. My brother went back to the visitor center to study some maps. After that we went to our first destination. A viewpoint called Panoramid Point. It was a very curvy drive up. At the top you could see the whole valley and Kings Canyons. Then we drives down the mountain nad went to a short point five mile trail to see a few Sequoia trees and General Grant, the second largest tree in the world behind a General Sherman. After that we went back to the lodge. For the first time I've ever seen a lodge that you have to make a reservation for dinner. My mom booked one fro two, me nad my brother.my brother told us we were going to a 1.5 mile trail. We went there. It ended up being really stupid. It took about na hour. Finally we returned to the lodge. Me nad my brother ate dinner. I ate pasta. Fro the final thing if the day my brother decided to go to the guide-led night sky sight seeing program. A whole caravan of cars following the duuuuude with da Fowd FoosiOn went up the mountain to a private access area near panoramic area. The guid (a.k.a. Da duuuude) told us some stuff about greek mythology and there stories about the stars. He pointed out da stars using a laser pointer. The org ram was from 9 to 10. We Returned back tot he cabin and went to sleep.
Once again my parents woke up before me. I woke up, but my brother was still asleep. I got ready. Breakfast at the lodge was over. My brother woke up and go t ready. We went to the general store and I got some snacks. Then we went to the visitor center. Me and my parents watched the orientation film. It said that Kings Canyon was formed by glaciers. Kings Canyon is also the on,y national park where some people own land inside the park. My mom brought some activity books for me to do in the car. It turns out ther was a post office next to the store and my dad went there to see what it was. Then we drove a hour to the Kings Canyons.
The Canyons was huge. There were cliffs on both sides. The Kings river went through it. There were many viewpoints along the way, slowly descending intuit the Canyon. They were a few waterfalls. An improtant waterfall was The Roaring River waterfall. It was really loud and had a very wide rapid moving river. We continued in the King Canyons road until we reached Zulwhat meadows. There as a 1.5 mile trail that we went on but there was a lot of water and my shoes got wet. There were a few short trials that went to the river. We ate dinner at Cedar lodge. Then we went to the Buck Rock viewpoint, which was a viewpoint from which you could see the whole valley and canyon. The whole road was near the river. After buck rock we drove two hours to Three Rivers, a town wherre we got a hotel and slept for the night.
When I woke pul my parents weren't in the room. My brothers was up. He told me that they went to do the laiundry since we had dirty clothes. I got ready. My parents came back. Then we went to breakfast. My dad suggested we go to IHOP, and I agreed. At IHOP, I got French toast and a grilled cheese sandwich. After I ate all that food, I was full. We went to the laundry to pick our clothes up. My brother said we were goign to go to Sequoia National Park today. W had a lot of trails to do today. Then we were going to Frescno for the night, and tmomorow we were gping to go to Yosemite Valley. On the way to Sequoia, I saw Kaweah Lake. It was a bout lake with many boats nad jetboats. It was a recreation area, there was a port. I saw it from s viewpoint above. That whole area was named Lemon Hill rcreation area. We reached Sequoia National Park. A park ranger gave us a map and guide. There were many Sequoia trees on the road. First we went to the Foothills visitor center. The foothills is the parks lower are from elevation 500-5,000 feet. The visitor center wasn't that big and we left it pretty quickly. Then we went to the Giant Forest museum. The giant forest is the area of the park with all the Sequoia trees. The museum was big and sowed a bunch of stuff about Sequoias and there long life. After that we took the park shuttle to Moro Rock. The shuttle dropped us off at the stop. Then we had to walk 350 steps to the top of the rock. At the top, the elevation was 6,950 feet and U could see a huge valley nad the foothills of the park. The shuttle took us back to the museum. We took the car. We drove to the General Sherman tree. My dad saw a bear when he was somewhere else ont he rail,and he said he was the only one there, but then others people came nad saw he bear. It is the largest tree in the world, but not by height or width, but by the volume of wood in its trunk. It was really tall. I took a much of photos there. After the tree we went to Wakosachi lodge, which was e lodge inside the park, we ate dinner there. My brother said we were now going to go to the Buck Rock viewpoint,which as on the way to our hotel in the city of Frescno. Buck Rock is in Kings Canyon national park but was not he road that we had to age to go to Frescno. U could see the whole kingsanyone form the top of Buck Rock. It was also a fire station where rangers could check the forest to see if they're any fires. The sun was setting while we were st the top so the view was amazing. The road was bumpy and wasn't paved, and nobody else was there. But th view was still good. We drove back to Frescno and stayed in Piccadilly inn. It was a good hotel and was pretty cheap.
I woke up last. I quickly took a shower, for brunch we went to Punjabi Dhaba again. I ate a lot and was super full after that. Today was the last day of our trip and we were goign to go back to Yosemite and see the Central Valley. Our loved few was in the valley. It was called The Yosemite Valley Lodge, we got to the valley at around 4pm because there was lots and lots of traffic. We didn't have much time to do anything. We did go to the visitor center and art gallery there. I brought a book there about animal habitats. So my brother decided to go on two long trails to a waterfall and lake. We went to the waterfall first. There was a really steep trail that was one mile that went up to the waterfall. I was super tired going up the trail. The waterfall at the top was called Vernal Falls. It was cool. Then we went down a mile to there next trail called Mirror lake. It was almost sunset by the time we were half way done with the two mile trail. A sign said we cause of mountain lions. But we were safe since another group of ten or so people happened to be goign to the same place and st the same time. Then we took the free Yosemite park shuttle back to our car. After that we drove to the Valley lodge. It was a really good room and I went to sleep quickly.