No drive that travels North from Southern California should exclude Yosemite.  Even for the briefest of visits.  It’s just too special to let an opportunity to pass you by.

SO!  After waiting to have my car problems corrected and repacking the gear, I decided to really put the rubber on the road.  I left San Diego and made it out of the county (knocking wood) without incident and everything working perfectly.  The toughest part of this first days drive was LA traffic.  Because of the delay of getting everything together, I hit downtown LA via I-5 at 5:00 PM!  Well, as a great friend of mine always says “It’s all part of the great adventure” and it is.  I simply blended in with the masses and continued on with my own adventure.

I packed plenty of snacks and drinks.  Only stopping for gas and bodily relief, I made great time toward my first goal of this driveabout.  The weather along the way has been nothing but stellar.  That would turn out to be a wonderful thing too.

I'm HERE! Yosemite

When I arrived at the Yosemite National Park gate on Hwy. 41, no one was there to greet me.  I entered the park and arrived at “Tunnel View Overlook” about 12:30 AM.  Getting out of the car creaking and groaning I was greeted by several things all at once; COLD!, the clearest of skies, and almost total privacy (only one other person was there).  The cold was expected.  The clear skies were a BIG bonus.  The privacy in such a popular place was a surprise.

Yosemite National Park - Tunnel View

It was SO beautiful standing here at the end of the tunnel ushering you into the Yosemite Valley viewpoint.  I was only distracted by the tunnel, it’s engineering and lighting for a moment.  Then my attention was taken over by the clarity of the stars and the illumination of the valley by a half-moon hanging in a late-afternoon-sunset like position providing perfect lighting for Bridalveil Fall, Half Dome, and El Capitan.  I set my tripod up and started a long exposure to capture the scene before me.  That set the path for the next eight hours….

Yosemite Tunnel View star trails w/wispy clouds

Yosemite - Tunnel View by moonlight and stars

Pre-dawn Yosemite Valley Merced River Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls

Yosemite - Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls from across the valley

The day turned a little more cloudy and stayed cooler than the appearance of green and light blossoms on the trees would suggest.  It made it pleasant for one of my “must do” things at Yosemite; visiting Happy Isles.

Yosemite - Happy Isles and Merced River

There’s something very relaxing about Happy Isles and the tumultuous state of the Merced River around them.  It always leaves me feeling better and ready to see more.  It seemed that my idea of visiting Yosemite wasn’t unique.  As I waded back into the drive down the valley I found that traffic was like 5 o’clock LA!  It’s OK.  I’m calm and ready for more, right?  Yes, it’s really worth it.

Yosemite - Bridalveil Fall from across the Merced River

Even when there’s traffic and lots of people, this visit is a perfect way to kick off a driveabout.  So, I end my day visit at the same place I started, at Tunnel View Overlook.  It’s been a great day.

Dusk - Yosemite Valley from Tunnel View