And that’s how I truly feel, so this blog will be shorter than my typical posts for this trip as I feel it’s better expressed through photographs. The beauty of this place is unbelievable – it’s like being on another planet. So, I’m just going to highlight our hikes and of course the beautiful Tenaya Lodge where we stayed, and describe the rest of Yosemite through all of the great pictures we took.
Tenaya Lodge sits on a cozy and secluded expanse of the Sierra National Forest just a few minutes from the south gate of Yosemite National Park. From here, it’s easy to access the Mariposa Grove to see the incredible Giant Sequoia trees and it’s also closer to Glacier Point if you want to explore that area. If you’re looking to hike during the day and be pampered at night, Tenaya Lodge is the place for you. With luxurious rooms, an amazing spa, 4 restaurants, 3 pools, a fitness center and loads of activities that your personal concierge can plan for you – you will be hard pressed to find better lodging than Tenaya near the park. And you can feel good about staying there as their list of ecofriendly initiatives goes on and on, from water-saving fixtures to biodegradable laundry detergents to sustainable food products and reducing the use of disposable products.
Don’t miss the flashlight hike which they do every night and will give you a completely different experience of being in the Sierra forest. We saw amazing constellations, bats that flew effortlessly around our group all night and a couple of tarantulas!
With only a few days in Yosemite, our time to explore the park was limited as it can take close to 2 hours to get to certain trails. We were lucky enough to hike the Panorama trail which had unbelievable views of Half Dome. We traveled into Yosemite valley and hiked the Inspiration Point trail – 1.3 miles pretty much straight uphill, but you’re rewarded with breathtaking views of El Capitan and Half Dome amongst others. The last day we explored Mariposa Grove and the beauty of the Giant Sequoias.
I could say so much more, but I’ll just let you look at the pictures!
