Road trip to Yosemite

It's June, it's hot and the family and I decided to take a trip to Yosemite National Park. We left Oakland around 9 am (not 7.30am as I kept insisting we should have done) and headed towards the hills. Suddenly, the cool mists were replaced by blistering heat and much yellowed, burnt grass.

I put a tiny thermometer on the dashboard and was scared witless to see it reach past 42C. The car's aircon wasn't working and there were four people in the car. Draw your own conclusions.



However, two hours into the trip, hills were in our sights, and we all cheered up looking forward to the cool breeze and the glorious shade to come. The road wound tightly, cut into the sides of the rippled earth, and the car chugged along with all windows open and with our tongues hanging out like four overheated dogs.

I was driving at this point and it was mighty difficult to remember to stay on the right side of the road, but I managed it. I missed the fun and the diversion of having to change gears (Americans love their automatics).

Finally, we arrived to our destination, a cool, forested cabin park
with a soft carpet of pine needles and ready entertainment in the shape of squirrels, jay birds and various flying insects.

The beer was immediately rescued from the cooler for a speedy consumption. Let me tell you, there is nothing quite so refreshing as a cold beer on a blisteringly hot day. Sadly, I have no photos of the beer; use your imagination [insert your favourite beer here]

We discovered that there were some gorgeous sights to see right next to our lodgings, first a waterfall to which we arrived after a very short hike over the tree roots and steps cut into the rock. It was unbelievably lovely being misted by the glacial water spray and, I will not lie to you, one was rather tempted to have a dip in the beautiful cool waters.

Still, one didn't, and just as well as those who did have a dip eventually, in the river that is made once the waterfall water levels off further down in the valley, found it painfully cold. I'm not at liberty to release the photos from that swimming attempt but trust
me when I say that it was hugely funny (to those of us safe and dry on the giant pebbled shore).
Instead, here's the photo of the river and the giant pebbles.

The following day we went to the Valley to see more waterfalls and then we drove up to the Taft and Glacier point and saw the edge of the world.

I got a little bit dizzy from vertigo, looking over the edge down to the valley sprawling far below, but it was worth it. Standing on top of the world with just the blue skies and tufty white clouds above the horizon, it felt like the whole world had fallen off and only I (and a few tourists) existed.