we woke up the next day and suddenly I was a year older... 29! I put on my birthday shirt (a vintage fiddling contest t-shirt from my actual birthday June 28, 1987! Jason found it for me online a few years ago) and we headed out for more adventures!
our first destination was Bridalveil falls in the valley.
Bridalveil falls isn't nearly as large as the other falls we'd seen but it was still beautiful.
we walked to the platform lookout which was extremely crowded so we kept on going onto the rocks. there were way less people out on the rocks which seems to be typical for everywhere in the park. most people stay at bridges or ledges and aren't willing to climb any further which is nice for us. the rocks were a little slippery so we had to be careful and Jason was wearing flip flops (the walk to the falls was short and we didn't expect to be climbing) so he couldn't go as far as me. I kept wanting to see what was beyond each rock so I kept going just a little bit further. it was so nice, cool and refreshing with the mist blowing on me and I was having so much fun climbing on the rocks. it was a great start to my birthday adventures!
we left and passed by Tunnel View again so we had to make another stop.
we went to Glacier Point next which is a viewpoint above the Valley. the road was closed for cars so we had to take a bus to get there. I think Glacier Point has the most stunning views in the entire park.
this rock formation is Half Dome which you can see throughout the park but this is the closest we got to it. there are actually cables on the dome so you can climb up to the top but you have to make reservations way in advance. it also looks a little freaky for us acrophobs.
the lower falls in the pic below is Vernal falls, which we hiked to, and the upper one is Nevada falls.
Jason met some Guatemalans that lived near where he served his mission and one of them took these pics for us.
panoramic pic.
that was our last place to visit in Yosemite and it was a perfect finale for our time there. we definitely plan on going back and camping there again- and maybe go backpacking! Yosemite is so beautiful and worth the drive.
we left the park and headed to San Francisco! we got there just as it was getting dark and we went straight to the Golden Gate Bridge. I couldn't believe how cold and windy it was there and I was loving it! I suddenly felt like I had so much energy and was just full of joy and excitement to be there. I used to get that feeling a lot as a kid and it makes me so happy when I can feel that way again. I was running around taking pictures and what made it better was we were the only ones there. the Golden Gate Bridge is always so stunning to see in person.
I turned the timer on my camera and was running back and forth so we could get pictures together. it was a little bit darker out then I wanted but I still love these pics.
we stayed until it was completely dark and drove to our hotel. it was definitely a memorable birthday getting to start the day in Yosemite seeing waterfalls and stunning views then ending it in San Francisco at the Golden Gate bridge. it was a perfect way to celebrate the start of the last year of my 20's!
we had booked our hotel on Priceline earlier that day but when we got to it it was way shadier than we had thought. since when we booked it it had said it was a casino hotel (we don't gamble but the casino hotels are usually pretty decent and the biggest thing is they have secure parking garages) and it wasn't so we were actually able to get our money refunded. we found a room in the same hotel we stayed in last time for a way better price and it is in a prime location near Fisherman's Wharf. I think we got such a great deal because it was almost 11 pm at that point.
we hadn't eaten dinner and most places were closed except this dinky little pizza place. the pizza wasn't all that bad but it might've been because we were so hungry.
the next morning we woke up, ate breakfast, then went to find another campsite. the spot we had wasn't bad but there was a group nearby that was being extremely loud and playing music past midnight. we were lucky that a family reunion group was just leaving giving us a huge, secluded site.
we planned to spend the day in Yosemite Valley. Yosemite Valley is where a lot of the best waterfalls, hikes, etc. in Yosemite are but it is also the most crowded. we were there in the summer peak and it is a huge family vacation destination. the Valley is set up for tourists with buses that take you to different destinations, souvenir shops, and a paved walkway to the largest waterfall, Yosemite Falls. despite being so commercialized the valley is incredibly beautiful.
we saw many beautiful views and waterfalls along the drive there.
the waterfall below is Yosemite Falls. we did the 1 mile hike to the lower falls which is super easy with a concrete path.
we got to the bridge where you can see the falls and it was ridiculously crowded. we went through some woods to the side of the bridge and found a spot closer to the falls that had way less people. we ate our lunch there and took in the scenery.
we climbed on the rocks to get closer.
we climbed really close to the falls where we could feel the mist. we sat and enjoyed the stunning views of the Valley and it was so nice I could've stayed there all day.
Jason took this panoramic pic with his phone.
we hiked back and explored some more.
we decided to
hike the Mist trail to Vernal falls next. it is only about 3 miles but
it is all uphill there so it was definitely tiring.
there are these stone steps you walk up near the end that go up right next to Vernal fall. we were so close we got soaked from the mist from the fall. the view was unbelievable and it was one of the coolest hikes I've ever done, especially for it being such a short hike.
double rainbow! :)
the trail keeps going and you can go to the top of the falls. to get there you have to climb up these fun stairs (pic below). good thing there was a railing otherwise there's no way I would've climbed them.
we followed the river up a little bit and find and nice spot on some rocks to eat a snack. it was so beautiful and peaceful. there are these pretty blue birds with black heads we saw around the park and I was feeding one some granola bar :).
we climbed back down and went by the fall again. I had to put my camera away and just use my phone for pics because the mist was strong and we were soaked!
we hiked back to our car and then made our way back to our camp. we stopped at this lookout to watch the sunset on Half Dome.
back at our camp we made our dinner on our camping stove. honestly on all our previous trips we just ate sandwiches or we would get take out to take back to our camp because we didn't know how to cook while camping. before we left on this trip for my birthday Brin put together a camping package with meals that you just add hot water to. they were actually really good and much better than just eating sandwiches the whole time. our second day in Yosemite was incredible and we couldn't wait to see more the next day.
