There was a moment before we reached the spectacular views of Yosemite National Park when we found ourselves alone. The only sounds we heard were our footsteps on the path, chipmunks rustling in the brush and birds singing in the trees. Morning light came through the brilliant green pines and there was a sense of peace and tranquility we’ll never forget.
We had left the Sentinel Dome/Taft Point trail head at about 9 am and were walking a mile west to Taft Point. It’s an easy hike with mostly level ground, offers a look down through massive fissures in the rocks, and has the benefit of fewer crowds than many other trails. At the end, we found ourselves on a rocky cliff at an elevation of 7,500 feet looking out over the the Yosemite Valley and the grandeur the glaciers left so many years ago.
We doubled back about half a mile and headed north to Sentinel Dome (elevation 8,122 feet), about two and half miles if you turn right after crossing a creek, or a mile further if you do what we did: walk north along the rim. It’s an uphill, more difficult hike to Sentinel Dome but the views are magical along the way. And when you arrive, looking east to Half Dome, you should sit a while and enjoy before taking the mile walk back to the trailhead, all downhill. We did the six-mile hike in a leisurely four or five hours, but we weren’t counting.
From the trail head we drove north to Glacier Point, where we parked (there will be traffic in the lot) and wandered to the overlook for the panoramic view of the mountains. There are great hikes here, like the seven-mile Panorama Trail, though it will be more crowded than the earlier hike we opted for. After some well-deserved ice cream, we drove back to ur B&B, stopping at Tunnel View for the iconic look at El Capitan.
Yosemite Lodging
We opted for the Yosemite Blue Butterfly Inn, located at the edge of the park in El Portal, a perfect location for exploring Yosemite. It took us about 40 minutes to get to the Taft Point trail head. It’s a lovely bed and breakfast on the Merced River and from our second-floor room we listened to the water running throughout the night. Liz and Ron are wonderful hosts, and Liz will use her orange magic marker to trace some trails you can follow depending on your ambition.
Since the B&B was built, the Yosemite View Lodge has been built around it and the B&B owners decided not to sell, so they sit surrounded by the complex which includes the lodge, shops and a restaurant or two. It reminded us of a Dr. Seuss story. Having the lodge close made dinner easy, and when we sat out on our private deck or on the main deck for breakfast, all thoughts vanished into the fluttering of hummingbirds and the sound of the river sweeping gently across the stones.
Toward Tuolumne Meadows
The next day we drove east across the park on Tioga Road, stopping several times on the two-hour drive to Lee Vining and 395 north toward Tahoe. The first stop was Olmsted Point where we wandered around the rocks with a view of Half Dome from the other side than we had yesterday. And just down the road is the serenity of Tenaya Lake, where we had a chance to dip our feet in the brilliant blue water.
Whoa Nellie Deli
Our destination was Lake Tahoe, and at Liz’s recommendation we stopped to eat at the gas station in Lee Vining, which we were told had the best food in the area. Who were we to argue? Inside the Mobil Station we found Whoa Nellie Deli, which lived up to its reputation. We enjoyed ahi tuna, seaweed salad, craft beer and more outside, all while overlooking Mono Lake (and the Mobil sign) before getting on the road to Tahoe.
South Lake Tahoe
We arrived in South Lake Tahoe at the Fireside Lodge, where we had time to ride bikes the lodge supplied and pedal a mile to Pope Beach for a swim in the brisk but pleasant water. In the morning, we drove to Inspiration Point for a peaceful view of Emerald Bay.
