An incredible place

We didnt take well to camping in a tent for the first night

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Yosemite valley appears in front of you as you exit a tunnel through one of the many huge mountains that surround it. Its no more than a few miles wide at any point, but the hugeness of it is awe inspiring. The valley floor is looked down upon by huge granite cliffs and walls, complete with waterfalls, meadows, rivers, lakes and streams.

This was the first place to be designated a national park by the US government and you can see why. We decided to try our luck in one of the many lodges within the camp. Curry village is a mixture of camps, cabins and tents which makes up the largest lodge in the valley. All they had left was a tent cabin, which came complete with bear claw style rips. we were given the hard sell on what to do and not to do when you see a bear.

Apparently , hundreds of bears break into peoples cars and cabins each year when they smell food and drink inside. We locked up our toiletries in our "bear locker" and attempted to get some sleep!!

Yosemite falls, from our yosemite lodge hotel

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The next morning brought a change of accommodation, to the Yosemite lodge..right underneath the largest waterfall in the park. it was a stunning setting. we had a nice wooden cabin complete with bear proof locks.

That day, we took a really great 2 hour tour around the 7 sq. miles of the valley floor. As you'll see from the photos, there is a great view around every corner. The park has 400 to 500 blak bears, elk, moose, deer, dozen of species of birds, and literally thousands of squirrels. There are more giant Seqouias aswell, just for good measure.

Everyone should come here at some stage as its one of the most beatiful places we've ever seen. It ranks with the grand canyon in the jaw dropping category. No trip to California is complete without seeing this place.

Our plans have changed slightly in that we have abandoned lake tahoe due to serious bush fires in and around it. Our next update will be from considerably cooler San Francisco!