When things don’t go as planned, enjoy the day!
We visited Yosemite National Park hoping to score a permit to hike Half Dome — one of the coolest hikes in Yosemite. We had allocated an entire day for it.
…Except we did not score a permit.
I wasn’t exactly sad, because, who wants to hike 10-14 hours under a California summer sun anyway? Next time, maybe! I was happy to have another day to explore the park :)
We almost skipped driving to Glacier Point altogether. Had we not found a campsite near Taft Point — where we caught the most stunning sunset ever — we may have missed one of Yosemite’s most precious gems…
GLACIER POINT
The drive itself is a stunner! It was an early morning, and the crowds were just beginning to gather.
Never miss a viewpoint…
No regrets pulling over.
But the real gem was at the end of the road…
Everything looked so wild! Perfectly carved boulders…
…And staring right back at us was Half Dome.
I could have stared forever and not gotten tired.
Peepin’ through the binocular gave us a good look at the hikers on Half Dome. I admired their stamina!
After taking in the views, we headed back down to Yosemite Valley because we remembered there were shower facilities available.
That’s right…we hadn’t showered since our motel stay in Lake Tahoe (2.5 days ago. YOLO?! :) The feeling of cleanliness was priceless!!
YOSEMITE VALLEY – MEADOWS
I was so excited to play in the meadows!
Another sunny day in the valley.
The meadows were nothing like our lush, green meadows of the Pacific Northwest, but their views were pretty amazing.
Make a wish.
Just an adventurer looking for Magic…
YOSEMITE FALLS
We were in the area, so we headed to Yosemite Falls.
Except, there were no falls. The falls were already dry for the season. Better luck next time :(
TIOGA PASS – EAST YOSEMITE
We drove back through Tioga Pass with a mission to get to Death Valley that night.
This side of Yosemite is often forgotten, but it is equally impressive.
And Yosemite’s domes kept pulling my hair. Half Dome did not happen for us, but I really wanted to just touch one…any dome!
LEMBERT DOME
…So we did just that. We pulled over to enjoy this last location.
Looks are deceiving. This dome was actually quite big.
If you zoom in, you can see rock climbers toward the middle of the dome.
How cool is this?! A huge stone in the middle of nowhere. Our very own mini Half Dome :)
I touched a dome…This cold, cement-like texture made me happy :)
Until next time, Yosemite. I’m not sure when I’ll see you again. But I will.
…and I hope YOU will, too. Thank you for stopping by! :)
Love & Adventure,
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Stay curious, wild hearts!
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Yosemite is such a beautiful park. I’ve wanted to return there for some time and get some good hikes in. I didn’t know that a permit was required to hike Half Dome, though! Thanks for sharing!
It truly is beautiful; we’re so lucky to have all our national parks :)
And thank you for dropping by! Hope you’re week is treating you well <3
I dream of exploring Yosemite someday and seeing all of your beautiful images has just intensified that. Happy travels; thanks for the advice!
Hi Kaitlyn, thank you! :) I hope you can visit soon; I have no doubt you’ll love the scenery. It’s an incredible place!
Happy Travels to you as well! <3
Awesome post! I’ll bookmark it for when we head to Yosemite in mid June! We tried and failed to get half done permits online as well. Oh well!
Thanks, lady! :) It was a bummer not scoring any permits, but I’m determined to conquer the trail some day. I’d love to visit during spring.
Will this be your first time visiting? Be sure to go to Taft Point, especially during sunset … it’s incredible!!
Happy Travels <3
Yes, it will be my first time!! We have campsites booked for 5 nights so we will have plenty of time to explore the park!! I can’t wait 😁😁 Taft point looks amazing 😍
Come to Moldova! There are a few gems there to see too.
Thank you for the suggestion! :) I had to look it up to see where in the world Moldova was. I’m sold! Those countrysides look absolutely stunning! Hope to visit some time :)
Lovely pics. We are heading to Yosemite in May. Its going to be interesting to see if tioga pass will be open.
Thanks so much :) …I’d be curious to know, too! It’s been a crazy winter, though I am happy that California got its needed rainfall. But otherwise, I hope you get lucky with thriving waterfalls and lots of flowers! Happy travels <3
Continue to ENJOY your adventures. I love hearing the excitement in your posts.
Many Thanks, Stephen! I appreciate you reading…and I most certainly will continue to enjoy every adventure :)
As always… beautiful destination to go and chill :)) // http://thetravelingwolf.blogspot.com/
Thanks, Paulina! I absolutely agree :)
Beautiful pictures guys! Most certainly a bucket list item for us! :)
Thanks, my friend! I have no doubt you’d love it! Happy travels :)