It's two of my college friends' birthdays, and one of them got a cabin rental in Yosemite through his coworker, so we decided to send it. I'm so excited to see my college friends and because I've never been to Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada mountains even though I'm from California!!
LODGING
We stayed at The Summit House, a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired 2 story vacation rental home constructed with beautiful western red cedar.
It is conveniently located in Wawona, a charming town about 6 miles inside Yosemite. The Merced River is just a short walk from the house. The Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias is only 15 minutes away, and Yosemite Valley, where you will find the Yosemite, Bridalveil and Vernal/Nevada Falls and El Capitan is 35 minutes away.
The house sleeps up to 13 people; has 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, a large living room and kitchen, a separate dining room, loft den, and game room; and is surrounded by three secluded decks. All I could think about when pulling up the driveway was how stupid nice this mountain home was for a weekend getaway for a bunch of 20-something year-olds.
ACTIVITIES
Hiking & Walking
You really have to prepare yourself for some altitude for most of the hikes in Yosemite, which is something I'm not really used to. I've also never had my fingers swell up so much from exercise. One of my friends said that the blood was probably pooling in our hands, so we started holding our hands over our heads periodically to help move the blood back toward the heart.
If you want a semi easy hike, we did an 8 mile hike that included the Mirror Lake Trail which gave us views of Mount Watkins, Tenaya Canyon, and Washington Column and allowed us to look up at Half Dome directly from its base. This trail is 2 miles round trip if you go to the lake and back, and there's also a 5 mile loop around the lake. On our last day, we also took a walk through the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, the largest sequoia grove in Yosemite, to admire the massive trees.
Rock Climbing
Rock climbing is another popular activity and you can either take a beginner rock climbing class or tackle El Capitan, Glacier Point, or Half Dome. At night, we could see people bivouacking while suspended in mid-air. We didn't participate in rock climbing because I think there's a lottery for permits that none of us were picked for (much to my relief since I'm really afraid of heights and don't think I would've enjoyed this challenge), and a hiker had fallen to her death while climbing Half Dome just a week before our trip.
Viewpoints
My favorite part about Yosemite was probably just the scenic views and how many viewpoints there were. Many of them are so accessible and easy to drive to or hike to. Some of the most famous views in the National Park that are definitely worth checking out include Glacier Point, Olmsted Point, Tunnel View with Half Dome, and Valley View with Merced River. I loved Glacier Point, which had an overlook with a full-view of Half Dome, Nevada Falls, Sierra Nevada mountain range, Vernal Falls, and Yosemite Falls. Although it was quite packed with people when we went to watch the sunset there, it's very easy to get to, and the view was beautiful!
OUTFIT DETAILS
I'm wearing a neon Under Armour Armour Fleece Hoodie that I literally haven't worn since high school lol. I used to LOVE that hoodie. I found a pretty similar one, the Nike Pro Fleece Pullover Hoodie ($48 - currently 40% off), which will also block out the wind while wicking away sweat and available in Black/Metallic Silver and Digital Pink/Metallic Silver.
I also brought along my Nike Tempo Running Shorts ($30). I've been buying these shorts since high school because the quality is just amazing and the classic fit is so flattering. The sweat-wicking technology helps keep you dry and comfortable, and the mesh on the sides adds ventilation.
I packed my Nike Air Zoom Structure 20 running shoes that I bought way back in 2017 and have been wearing since for this trip. You'll get a bang for your buck with these shoes because they last FOREVER. Even though they're pretty chunky, I like them because I used to have really bad shin splints, and these have a lot of cushioning. It's a good stability shoe and provides great support. I would definitely recommend the newer model, the Nike Air Zoom Structure 22 Running Shoe ($120).
Similar Styles
Hoodie
This trip was so needed. I loved being surrounded by these fun people I'm lucky enough to call my friends and being back in nature was great for my wellbeing and made me feel so much better emotionally and physically. There was also just something so humbling and awe-inspiring about this whole experience. I couldn't help but think about how small we are compared to nature and how short the time we have here on Earth is compared to how long everything we were surrounded by has been here for. This Yosemite trip really had me feeling good natured!
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