Yosemite Day Trip

[jfroman]

Living in the Central Valley of California has some advantages. We live within a few hours of some beautiful destinations. In two hours going Northeast we can be skiing in the winter, hiking or fishing in the summer, and in two hours West we can be at the coast sitting on the beach. We are also close to Sequoia and Yosemite National Park.

 

The last time I was at Yosemite National Park I was this big:

This year I decided to surprise my wife on our anniversary and take her for a day trip to Yosemite on our motorcycle. The weather was supposed to be beautiful and I was anxious to get to the park while the summer madness was still a few weeks away.

 

We left Fresno, California around 7:00 am on Mother’s Day. We headed up Highway 41 through Coarsegold and into Oakhurst. In Oakhurst you have the option of taking Highway 49 through Mariposa and onto Highway 120. That route will take you a little out of your way but ultimately get you to the same destination.

We stopped in Oakhurst at the McDonalds and grabbed a quick bite eat. I topped off my tank at the gas station on the way out of town to make sure I had enough gas to get me through all the sight seeing we wanted to do.

 

We took off up Highway 41 and the road quickly became more twisty and windy then the roads leading to Oakhurst. I took it nice and easy and it seemed some folks still had the drive to survive mentality of living in LA and they were in a huge hurry to get to the park. I pulled over to let them go and enjoyed the ride.

 

We paid $20 to enter the park and I decided we would head down to Yosemite Valley first and then work our way out of the park as the day progressed. It was 35 miles to the Valley and in some spots where the sun was not shining it was COLD riding at 40 MPH. We stopped at the junction to Glacier Point so Katie and I could warm up our extremities.

Once we got feeling back in our fingers we headed towards the Valley. The scenery was beautiful and we didn’t run in to much traffic except for the occasional tail gaiter. We rode through “The Tunnel” and when we came out the other side you couldn’t help but slow down to take in the beauty of what you were looking at. From the Tunnel you can see El Capitan, Half Dome, and Yosemite Valley.

 

We cruised down to Yosemite Valley and stopped along one of the roadside turnouts. We locked up everything and went walking around some of the trails. It felt really good at this point to get out and stretch our legs. You can’t help but stand in awe at most places in the Valley because when you look up you are looking straight up at granite walls that protrude from the Valley floor. After walking around and seeing the sights we decided to find something to eat.

When I was planning this trip I googled “restaurants in Yosemite Valley” and came up with quite a few places. I thought it would be pretty simple to find a place to eat but it proved to be a difficult task. We drove around and looked for any place obvious but found nothing. We ended up stopping at The Awhanee Hotel assuming they would have some sort of restaurant. Being Mother’s Day the line at the restaurant was very long and their small café/bar was not open yet but already had a line down the hallway. We decided to head back towards Yosemite Village where we stopped at their grocery/souvenir store. We grabbed some chips and a turkey sandwich and sat out on the picnic tables where we ate with an array of animals including this little guy who was not afraid to let you know he would pick up what you didn’t want.

 

We then headed out of Yosemite Valley but made one last stop at the Tunnel View to take some photos. We made our way up to Glacier Point, which is a 16-mile road off of Highway 41. Glacier point is very unique because you can get a different view of Half Dome that you don’t get when you’re in the Valley.

 

We headed out of Glacier Point and made one last stop at the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. To get to the Mariposa Grove we passed the ranger station where we entered and took the 2-mile road up. It was really neat to see all the trees and learn about how unique they are. Did you know the U.S. Calvary used to travel from San Francisco to Yosemite Valley every summer in order to protect the park?

Once out of the park I filled up in Oakhurst and we headed home. We travelled 250 miles round trip and spent the better part of 12 hours completing this journey. We never felt rushed but we also know we didn’t see everything the park has to offer. Someone could spend a lifetime in the park and still probably not see everything it has to offer.

 

If any of you are ever in the area and would like a riding partner to go and check out the wonder of Yosemite Valley you can contact me and I’d be happy to go along if my schedule permits.

[calperin]

Congratulations.

 

I know the place, I'd been there around 22 years ago. But didn't had the chance to ride on that time.

 

I hope I can do that soon.

 

Regards,

 

Calperin

[Barrycuda]

That is some amazing scenery!!! Thanks for sharing. I get so jealous of you west coast guys! it is SO HARD for me to take enough time to head out that way. I am planning a 4-6 week trip in 2015, no matter what bike I may or may not have at the time.

again, those are awesome pics!!!

[leo3wheel]

Beautiful area! Thanks for sharing your pics!