Yosemite Awakening in the luxury surroundings of Yosemite Bug it was very difficult to get up and moving both of us were very tired Ah I hear you cry you have 12 months off whats the matter with you! Well we were so there. First job sort out where we were staying that night we were having real difficulty of finding accomodation near Yosemite eventually we found a room in Merced about 70 miles outside Yosemite and actually further away than we were at that moment. The journey in didnt take long and it began to bring back many memories for me since I had visited in 1992. After paying the ever present park rangers we were in what you are presented with after driving through the arch rock entrance is a national park about the size of Wales. Thay dont do thing s by halves in the US. Everything is just big. Driving in you are looking at spectacular towering rock formations and a roaring river running past you on the right hand side. In addition to this magnificent scene we were also confronted by the human animal tens of thousands of them. We were in peak season and didnt we know it. Our first stop was the Bridalveil falls and after making our way through the trees we reached the lookout. I should say at this point we did encounter a very random moment a wedding was being performed just off the side of the path in the full view of said falls. We didnt really know what to do so we just stared lots. At the lookout everyone is scrambling for the best shot getting in the way of everyone it is incredibly comical. The falls themselves are worth the hike and seem to have a life of there own as they are moved by the wind. The park is dominated by the two main players in this wildernes El Capitano and Half Dome who seem to square up to each other on either side of the valley. They are gigantic there is no other way to describe them they consume your view everywhere you look one or both of them always seem to be in the frame. After seeing the two tier Yosemite Falls which some 2000m breathtaking! It was breakfast and lunch and then to find our hike. On this first day the heat was slowly rising and we were looking for a hike to take us around the park and take in as much as we could with the limited time we had. Once a parking spot was found we were off towards mirror lakes the guide had seen very perturbed that we would choose this walk from where we were because there was a free shuttle which would take us part of the way. Undeterred we began our walk it was wonderful following to all intents and purposes a horse track we wound our way from the throng and into the forest. All the while the mountains around us maiking appearances when the trees would allow. We saw baely a soul and apart from the occassional incursion by the local wildlife we had the park to ourselves well sort of. After losing our way and picking up the track we soon arrived at Mirror Lakes where a few hundred other people had got the same idea. The view of Half Dome was awesome and you just stand there dumbstruck looking up at this big chunk of rock. Taking a well earned dip in true british style all I needed was the knotted handkerchief we cooled down and took in our surroundings. It was a fantastic setting and makes one realise why the park was so popular especially for camping. You are in amongst this fantastic nature reserve with any number of activities available. No wonder we couldnt get a reservation! Next time! Taking a different route back to the car we ambled along soaking up the atmosphere and ambience of one of the best places we had visited. It has an impact on you because of the sheer scale and how well everything is set up for the visitor. Arriving back at our transport we slowly made our way out of the park heading for Merced taking pictures of the glorious sunset knowing we would be back the next day to absorb more of this parks attractions. Merced did what we needed it todo and gave us a place to lay our heads. I sampled the delights of the all night diner and several beers whilst Nik had her beauty sleep. We were awoken by 15 fire trucks starting up at 5am but didnt want to say anything - especially as these fire crews were working all over the state of California dealing with 100´s of wildfires. Yosemite Day 2 After I informed Nik that she hadnt been dreaming there had been many firemen outside her window during the night she took a cold shower. She said it was therapeutic! Back on the road to Yosemite and this time we were driving right across the park. The plan was whistle stop tour of Yosemite then head south stopping at Bishop overnight before crossing Death Valley the next day. Driving back to the park we got a real indication of just how bad the fires must be the haze across the whole of the sky was incredible. Once we arrived at the park we were like old hands we knew exactly where we were going and managed to bypass a couple of jams and headed dtraight up to an area called Tunnel View. I did this just to scare nik no I didnt only joking; this point allows you to see the valley stretching out before you with Half Dome on one side and El Capitano on the other. Bridalveil falls makes an appearance aswell and it gives you half a chance to gauge the scale of this place TBC............