I will admit straight off that the title of this post is a bit misleading. We had an amazing weekend NEAR Yosemite but we were not able to actually tour the park as the wild fires were too extensive in the area. That being said I no longer need to have my own Bachelorette party because this one was so fulfilling.
We had to get creative as Yosemite was closed for the first time in 20-some years. Most of the other impressive sights were very busy due to the park closure but we ended up, with the help of our B&B hosts, finding some great off the beaten path areas to explore!
The haze in our area was a bit intense at times. We were definitely lucky that the wind pulled most of the smoke away from the area in Sonora that we were staying. There were still patches of smoke that lingered in the lower valleys. We could feel the affects of the smoke on our throats after only one weekend, our sympathies went out to the people living in the area and the brave fire fighters that were working to keep the area safe and preserve the park.
On one overlook area we had a view of a small section of fires burning and we watched as a helicopter used a hose to gather water to fight the larger fires.
Even though we had to alter our plans we had some spectacular views and great laughs. We had the opportunity to stay at a beautiful B&B Vineyard and our hosts helped us find some treasures to explore including a trail that lead to Natural Bridges.
The most amusing part of our trip was that we were directed to a place called Natural Bridges. The trial guide stated that it was an ‘easy trail and we might get our feet wet’. Unfortunately we took the wrong trail head and ended up climbing through a barbed wire fence, and scaling down a rock trail, using a rope that some locals had affixed to the ground. Once we made it to the natural cave features we realized that you can swim through the caves. You better bet that after that harrowing hike on a 100 degree day we took advantage of that!
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