Yosemite - Tuolumne Meadows

The next day we headed out of San Francisco towards Yosemite.  Yosemite was great because it was really different then all the other parks we had been to before.  The main attraction is the Valley where it feels like a 5 star resort.  There is a shuttle to take you around to all the different places in the valley and with the mountain sides towering around it really gives spectacular views!  The other main area of the park is the Mariposa Grove which has over 500 giant sequoias. 

We stayed the first night in the northern part of the park at White Wolf Campground that is off of the famous Tioga Road which runs through the Tuolumne Meadows .  We first stopped off at Olmstead Point where we had an amazing view of the half dome which is at an altitude of about 8800 feet.  With a good pair of binoculors you can see people climbing up the sides of the dome using cables!

We went out to explore the Tuolumne Meadows and took a hike up to Dog Lake, around Lambert Dome.   We stopped at a beach on the way back to relax a bit before heading back to the campsite.  Elisabeth was the only brave one to go in the water because it was very cold! 

Dog Lake

Bambi

The next day was a bit more strenuous.  We hiked from the campsite up to Harden Lake.  The hike was very beautiful, but very long!  We ended up looping around and hiked around 8 miles with a crazy climb up the mountainside!  But the views were worth it, there was one point we had an amazing view on Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and the valley below.  We ended our hike with a couple of cold beers and a well deserved dinner!! 

Harden Lake