In Sept of 2019, Craig attended a men’s retreat in Yosemite called APEX. We met the organizer of this retreat, Jeff, at a marriage conference that we attended a couple of times. Attendees were mostly photographers, various entrepreneurs and creators. Just from that, we had a lot in common. We’ve always been so grateful for these leaders who began organizations to positively impact countless many in so many ways. Well, ever since that 2019 retreat, Craig could not stop talking about Yosemite to our family. Every time an idea came up for vacations, he kept suggesting a road trip there, but we felt a little hesitant because we knew it wasn’t going to be easy. We thought that our youngest needed to be a bit older… excuses kept coming up and then COVID hit, so we really couldn’t go for awhile. Fast forward, as states began opening up slowly but surely, and National Parks announced openings, the anticipation started rising again. We just decided to just go for it and put our travel dates on the calendar to prevent any business bookings, and we started planning.
Even as we were planning though, we had doubts if we were REALLY going to do it. We wondered, “Is traveling cross country during a pandemic with three kids with an old car a good idea?”, “What are other states in the West like about COVID?”, “Are we really going to make it?” The commitment for this trip was not very strong because we had no flights booked or anything. Other than our campsite near Yosemite and a shuttle at Zion, we didn’t book anything else, so we could’ve canceled it very easily. But, we didn’t and kept our promise to the kids and ourselves and left on the day that we planned. And, we are so glad we did! Craig figured out the route for this entire trip as well as all the details about COVID restrictions for each national park that we were planning on going. He also prepared and purchased all of the gear that we needed. I just had to get the house ready, kids ready, pack the clothes, toiletries, etc…
Even though we stopped by MANY places along the way, Yosemite was our #1 priority and the location where we were going to spend the most days, so when we finally arrived, we couldn’t believe it. We couldn’t believe that we actually crossed the ENTIRE great country of the United States and were now in CALIFORNIA! It was our kids’ first time in Cali, so just the thought of that for them was exciting! Craig reserved Yosemite Pines Campgrounds for us which was about an hour out from the Yosemite National Park. So, the first day we got there, we went straight to our campgrounds and set it up. For the rest of the day there, we just relaxed and went to bed by 8:30pm to wake up by 5:30am and get to the park by 7:00am. It was a rough night however because:
It was HOT! Goodness gracious… I thought CA’s weather was great all year round. Maybe it is, but not this time! Although it’s “dry heat” as they say, the temps were over 100 degrees and at one point, it hit 107 and dry or not, that’s crazy hot.
It was LOUD! The campgrounds service and amenities were definitely great, but there was absolutely no privacy and everyone stayed up late which made us regret not bringing ear plugs. We made our kids put their headphones on to help with the noise. All of our camping experiences previously have always been private and quiet, so this was definitely different.
It was UNCOMFORTABLE. Our site will a bit hilly, so we it was hard to find any flat ground space for our tent…. we tried to fix it for the next night, but overall, it wasn’t the best camping experience we’ve had.
Ok so enough about the negatives… the campsite as mentioned had a pool, a market, decently clean restrooms, showers and laundry mats. The people were all very friendly as well as the staff, so all of that was great. Even though it wasn’t the best, we made the best out of it!
On our first day at Yosemite, our goal was to hike the Mist Trail. On this trail, you will hit the Vernal and the Nevada Falls. Most people turn around after the Vernal Fall, but Craig pushed us to go to the Nevada Falls, and as always, it was worth going. This day, we hiked over 11 miles - it took about 5 hours. Here are some tips… this is not an easy trail especially if you’re not used to hiking often, so even if you’re a pro, you need to prepare properly for the sake of your health and safety. (Links are ones that we got, but please do your own research for what’s best for you.)
***This may change very soon, but because of the pandemic restrictions, you MUST have a pass to go into Yosemite. There have been numerous people who traveled to this park from all over the country and could not get in because they had no pass. Please make your reservations online.
***If you have a 4th grader in your home, get a pass online and you can get into all national parks for FREE! I know! We have one, so she saved us some money. Woot woot!
Get good hiking shoes. Better yet, hiking socks too. Hiking shoes have treads that normal tennis shoes don’t and you need those to protect yourself from slipping and twisting your ankles which has happened to Craig in a bad way before… Hiking socks are super comfy and great at absorbing sweat. I know… yuck. (Linked is what we got our kids.)
Pack your backpack only with the essentials so that it doesn’t get too heavy. You will obviously need water, and salty (not sugary) snacks is the way to go. You will need 2L of water per person. Better yet, get a bladder (this one is great because it has a cover for the mouth piece so it won’t get dirty when you sit somewhere or whatnot.) Our kids did complain that it tasted weird, but there were many people with bladders that didn’t seem to bother them. To prevent dehydration, constantly take sips of your water even when you don’t feel thirsty.
Wear workout clothes that is water resistant. It’ll just help with the sweat marks and with these types of clothes, you can dry off quicker when you get wet in the mist of the waterfalls.
Bring a first aid kit. We actually used ours because our oldest got SEVERAL splinters when she slipped off of a log. OUCH!
Pack a bathing suit if you want to take advantage of the swimming opportunity that you’ll have at the top fo the Vernal Fall, but don't want to get your clothes soaked. It’s COLD, but very refreshing if you’re going in the summer to cool off because it will definitely get hot. You don’t have change into a bathing suit to swim or get in the water, but drying off will be easier with it. There are a couple of restrooms you can use, but just in keep in mind that they’re naaaaaasty. Some don’t flush, so you know… it’s just a big “bowl”. Barf.
Sunblock, sunglasses and a good sun hat are a must! Set your alarm to reapply because you don’t want to turn into cherry tomatoes which we’ve seen happen to people! We all just had a visor or a baseball cap, but next time, I’m going to definitely get one of those ugly sun hats that cover your neck too because looking ugly in front of strangers is better than having a farmer’s tan in front of people you know. But, if looking cool is still important to you, I get it… go for it.
Photography tip - take your tripod and a good, water resistant camera bag.
As you find shade and notice fatigue in your team, simply take breaks. Even just a few minutes can help refuel your energy especially if the sun is beating. Make sure nothing else is in your itinerary this day so you can take your time because it’s definitely exhausting.
Here are some shots from Day #1:
Our oldest got so many splinters on her arm from a log that she slipped off of. So glad Craig prepared this first aid kit!
These signs made me laugh and got scared at the same time…
On Day #2 at Yosemite, we hit Taft Point, Glacier Point, Tunnel View and the Valley.
To get to Taft Point, the hike is about 3 miles round trip. This trail compared to the Mist Trail is NOTHING. There are no bottlenecks and it’s fairly easy. If you’re not used to hikes, it’s moderate. :) There’s only one short steep part when you walk back. When you reach the end of the trail, you’ll know by the breathtaking views. I gasped! It’s nothing but cliffs that are 3500 ft up, so PLEASE be careful. There are many spots you can go to so take your time to take it all in! Especially if you have kids and you want to look down the cliffs, please get on your bellies and crawl to the edge of the cliff to get a view of the bottom. It wasn’t windy when we were there that day, but it can get windy, so be even more careful when it is. You can end up spending quite some time here just enjoying all the views.
We got to see some random, cool things on the way to Yosemite the morning of Day #2! It was truly the “wild, wild west.” Seeing a real cowboy was awesome!
Glacier Point and Tunnel View - These are just off the road spots where you can enjoy more of Yosemite’s iconic views that include the Half Dome and El Capitan as well as some waterfalls and the valley too. (Please note that if you’re interested in hiking the half dome, you have to have a pass.)
The Valley… Just when you think it can’t get better, it was just as beautiful in the Valley too. Craig had the idea of getting pizza at Curry Village (which btw is the best pizza ever!), go to the valley and just have a picnic out there while watching climbers on the El Cap. I’ll be honest… I pretended I saw a climber because they literally looked like a speck of dust on that massive stone of a mountain. So, take a good binocular or a telescope. I saw some serious viewers with telescopes that stayed there forever.
There’s a documentary called, “Free Solo” - it’s about this climber who climbed the El Cap with no rope in record time. It takes an average climber 3-5 days or so to climb it, but this guy did it in 3.9 hours! What the what???! The documentary is filmed so well, so for you adventure lovers out there, you’ll definitely want to check it out! We watched it with our kids, and they loved it too!
Wish there was Day #3 for us at Yosemite, but we decided to take a break and just enjoy our campsite. We were just so done with the heat and this was after we’ve done so much already on this trip, so we were pretty exhausted. We decided that we can’t see everything and having a down time will be good for the soul, so we rested and saved more of Yosemite for another trip. But! If there was going to be a Day #3, we would have hit the Mirror Lake and the Bridal Veil Fall trails. We can’t wait for our next time!
More than anything, we wish you an amazing time with you and your family making memories while taking in all of God’s splendid creations. We were so in awe of His works and we hope the same for your family as you accomplish these trails together as a team. We are more than happy to answer any questions that you may have about Yosemite. We have yet discovered it all, but we will share what we know! DM us on IG @craigobrist And, for those of you who asked about purchasing digital images of our landscape photos, they are for sale, so please DM us for info. Thanks, everyone!
With much love,
Craig + Unchong