Itinerary: 1-day organised tour to Yosemite National Park
If you are in the Bay area, the second must-see (next to Twin Peaks) is the Yosemite National Park. I have seen my share of magical vistas. Yet Yosemite had such a massive impact on me 15 years ago, I really needed to share it with Gambit.
I am glad I did. His words - "I am awe-struck"!
As soon as we reached SFo, I thought that we should immediately take a bus tour to Yosemite the following day. No one was sick and the weather was fine, I wanted to strike while the iron was hot. I did not pre-book this tour fearing that the 6:45am start will not bode well with the boys (husband included). I announced the early start of the next event, willed them to agree, held my breath, and was rewarded with assent! We were car-less at this point. One does not need a car in SFo; parking fees are exorbitant for one, and there are numerous transport options available.
Using the hotel guest services, I booked Grayline's "Yosemite in a day by Motorcoach". Booking via the hotel could entitle you to a $5 discount/person off the brochure price. So do compare with current online prices and take the cheaper price, of course. Hotel pickup is included so all you have to do is drag yourself out of bed. This is difficult if you have been used to 10:00am starts to your touristy days. Other tours have 13-passenger mini-vans. This minibus will actually take you to the Giant Sequoias (this gives me a reason to go back when the kids are older). But I thought that with small children, there is safety in numbers (not many people are happy to see kids touring with them).
Pleasantly, there were only about 15 people in our group. This tour is narrated live by our very well-rounded driver, Danny. I must say that an amusing and smart tour guide can make a difference. Danny even shared some local insight about the sub-prime crisis, pointing out developments in the Central Valley that were left unfinished. We crossed the Bay Bridge in thick San Francisco fog giving us no joy for not seeing any views beyond a few meters ahead.
We travelled for 4 hours before reaching Yosemite.
There you will behold El Capitan, Half Dome, Yosemite Waterfalls, and Bridalveil Falls. The height and spectacle of these natural wonders will leave you feeling small and enthralled. It is truly ... inspiring in its majesty. We were blessed with a flowing waterfall as Yosemite has been in drought for awhile now. I guess the rains of the previous days helped.
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