As a kid, I spent many happy hours with my family in a place that I consider to be the most beautiful on Earth; at least as much of it as I have seen! I have been fortunate enough to have traveled to many places in the United States and Europe, but Yosemite is the most beautiful.
It is a magical place carved out of the Sierra Mountain’s granite by glaciers over thousands of years. Humans first inhabited Yosemite seven to ten thousand years ago. The most recent of these people belonged to the Miwok tribe of Yosemite Indians. They called themselves Awahneechee and lived off the land by harvesting acorns, hunting and fishing.
Their peaceful lifestyle ended with the discovery of gold in the California foothills. Some of the tribe, angered by the encroachment of miners, attacked a trading post in the Merced River Canyon. The miners, in retaliation, organized the state sanctioned Mariposa Battalion, which entered Yosemite Valley on March 27, 1851, in pursuit of the Yosemite Indians. Tenaya, the Yosemite Chief, along with his tribe were captured and marched to reservations in the foothills. Eventually, the Indians were allowed to return to the valley named for them.
The first party of visitors to Yosemite arrived in 1855, which led to the eventual creation of Yosemite National Park (the third such park after Yellowstone and Sequoia) on October 1, 1890, by an act of congress.
Yosemite has many attractions including several famous waterfalls: Yosemite, Bridal Veil, Nevada, and Vernal that thunder majestically into the small valley feeding the Merced River, which runs through the length of Yosemite Valley.
The valley boasts many landmark rock formations, which include Sentinel, El Capitan, Agassiz Rock Column, North Dome, Three Brothers, and Arch Rock. Each of these formations and many others were carved out and polished by massive glaciers that slowly moved through the valley reshaping and polishing the valley’s walls thousands of years ago.
Half Dome and El Capitan are, to me, the most spectacular sights in Yosemite Valley, both have been photographed, climbed, and enjoyed by millions.
With thousands visiting Yosemite yearly, come many wonderful places to stay; along with the National Park’s many well-maintained campgrounds. One is Camp Curry, our family’s favorite.
In the 1950s we rented a clean comfortable tent which had a couple of nice beds and lived large eating at the camp’s great restaurants. The restrooms and showers were a short walk away and offered an early morning burst of wonderful Yosemite air while strolling there to get your day started.
Then there were the Yosemite Village Lodge and Ahwahnee hotels.
Now married and in our 80s, we stay at the Ahwahnee.
When visiting Yosemite, you are bound to find many natural residents, including deer and black bears, who thrive in the park. Along with these large animals, there are always plenty of squirrels, chipmunks, and fish to entertain and test the skills of their watchers.
In the 1950s the park service allowed the disposal of food waste by feeding the animals at dump sites. I remember watching bears, coyotes, and other critters show up for an easy meal. That practice was eventually stopped for obvious reasons.
Sadly, one memory of Yosemite is not there except in ruins. The Wawona Tree Tunnel was created in 1881 for tourists in carriages or cars to pass through. The 2,100-year-old tree stood 234 feet tall was a famous photo spot until the winter of 1969 when heavy snow caused it to fall. It is still a popular spot to visit just to see the remains of the tree.
Yosemite is a gem that is generally in easy reach from most anywhere in the west. During the summer months, the park’s valley can become a bit crowded, but I have found that the winter months can be a perfect time to visit. The waterfalls are quiet, but the beautiful cliffs and ice-sculpted features of the park loom large over the snowy beauty of the place.
Yosemite National Park covers 747,956 acres making it roughly the size of the state of Rhode Island. There is so much more to see than the relatively small valley and every bit of the park is worth seeing!