Yosemite Againite

Crowds irritate  me.  Heat irritates me.  Teenagers who don't get out of bed until around 11am on my last day in Yosemite irritate me.  OK, so I was a bit crabby today.  I had to deal with all three of those factors and I didn't do so well with it.

But we finally got going around 2pm, after lunch and a couple shirt changes and makeovers so the girls would look nice for the deer and the marmots that we saw.  (Very important, you know).

Attitudes, Altitudes, and other challenges

Seriously, this is an absolutely beautiful wonderland, but there are so many people here it really detracts from the experience.  So we went to the part of Yosemite that fewer people frequent...Tolumne Meadows, which is up at an altitude of about 8,000 feet and a two hour drive from the Valley.  It was also cooler up there.  It was a beautiful drive too, and I think it was a bit less smokey up there, so the views were a little better.  And, for some strange reason, my camera decided it would work again, so I was able to take pictures.  We took a one and a half mile hike==the girls decided they wanted to hike after all.  So that was nice, and I got my  cardio workout trying to keep up with them.

Coming down the mountain around sunset was nice.  Most of the cars and people that are normally parked alongside the road had gone home for the evening, and I could view the sights as if for the first time, and I really enjoyed it.  OK, the girls are reading over my shoulder and critiquing my spelling and grammar, but I don't care.  What you get is what you get.  And I'm sure you guys will understand what I am trying to say.

So that is my day.  The afternoon really did turn out nice, so I am glad the girls dragged me to the top of the mountain.  The altitude was a good attitude adjuster.  And someday, I hope to return to Yosemite, in the spring or the fall, when there are less people and the weather is cooler and I can really take in all this beautiful place has to offer.

Until then I shall continue on my adventure.

Beth