Thoughts in Transit

Yosemite National Park

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Our Story of Yosemite!

There are not many places that compare to the state of California. Within its borders are mountains, beaches, deserts, and so much more. It has been one of our favorite places to travel to and cheap flights from Texas make it that much more accessible. Since the time my eyes were first met with a picture of El Capitan, I knew that I needed to plan a trip to Yosemite. Luckily, my dad shares the same adventurous spirit and love for the mountains as I do, so it took little to no convincing to get him in on the trip. At first we were planning to go for a long weekend in the spring of 2023 but due to California’s unexpected weather conditions, we were forced to cancel our trip and rebook for the following fall. This ended up working better than expected as we were able to add on even more days to our trip since it aligned with our college’s Fall Break. 

It was October 2023 when we met our parents at the Austin Airport and flew into Fresno, California. Upon arrival we rented a car and drove for an hour and a half until we made it to the entrance of Yosemite National Park. We picked up groceries and settled into our airbnb which was tucked away within the park. From our balcony we watched the sun set over the tall pine trees and gained anticipation for all that we were going to explore in the upcoming days. 

The next morning we woke up early, made coffee, loaded up the car, and headed out for the day. One of the most remembered moments from the trip was the car rides through the park. Miles and miles of breathtaking views and watching the trees change colors as fall was approaching in Yosemite. We first pulled off the road at Tunnel View to get a panoramic view of El Capitan. It was cool to see both of my parents experience the beauty of Yosemite for the first time and get to share that experience together. After lots of pictures and people watching we got back in the car and headed for the first hike of the trip. 

We decided to do one of the longer hikes on the first day which was Vernal and Nevada Falls via the Mist Trail. This hike is about 6.4 miles roundtrip and has a bit of an incline but is a must if you’re planning on visiting. The views at the top of the hike were breathtaking and we decided to sit down on a rock beneath the waterfall while we ate our lunch. After hiking up, the way down was a breeze! Once we got back to our car we drove to a campground that was right under El Capitan. There we watched people attempt to free climb and took time to soak in the views around us. After a long day of hiking and people watching we headed back to our cabin to cook dinner. We ended the night with a movie and went to bed early. 

The following day we headed back to the center of the park to do some more hikes. This day we tackled a few shorter hikes like Bridalveil Falls which is 1.2 miles out and back and Sentinel Meadow and Cook’s Meadow Loop Trail which is 2 miles roundtrip. Both of these were great easier trails with incredible views. Once we had finished hiking we were met with a flat tire when we got back to our rental car. One thing about my family is that car troubles seem to follow us everywhere. After hours on the phone with roadside assistance and our rental company, our car was towed and a new truck was delivered to our cabin. Unfortunately, this meant that most of our day was spent on the phone trying to fix a problem instead of outside getting to explore the park more. By the time the truck was delivered it was nearly dusk so we decided to call it a night. 

On our last day in the park, my dad suggested that we visit the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, home to the 25th oldest tree in the world, the Grizzly Giant. The trail was a well paved path with scenic views throughout the 2 mile loop. My dad is a big history junky so it took us a little longer than most to complete the loop since we stopped at nearly every sign with words on it. Once we returned back to our car we headed back to the center of the park to hike Lower Yosemite Falls. This hike was more of just climbing rocks than hiking but once you arrived at the waterfall there was a natural pool where you could swim in. Olivia and I decided to jump in and were met with glacier cold water. As we hiked back down the rocks freezing cold, we were in awe of the beauty that surrounded us. There truly is no place where you feel more connected to God than out in nature. 

We spent the remainder of the day walking around looking at peoples camping setups. My dad and I envied those who had built out their camper van and were living out our dreams. We talked about what we would choose to include in our dream camper vans and where we would travel to. As we continued our walk we watched the sun go down and even came across some of the parks wildlife. It was the perfect end to an unforgettable trip. The next morning we flew home and went our separate ways. I continue to reflect on how special it is that I have the same love for travel and adventure as my parents do. That for the first time I was able to plan a trip with my parents instead of it being the other way around, which is how it had been my whole life. Instead of being on someone else’s itinerary we were able to be on a shared itinerary.

Megan and Olivia Kimbell

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