Our road home turned out not to be so carefree. After all, two weeks together, shoulder to shoulder in a very confined space, took its toll. Small conflicts and skirmishes began. The girls were quite tired and constantly suggested we just look, drive by, or take a photo. We were also tired of the tourist lifestyle, but perhaps out of spite, we tried to climb further, stay longer, and choose a more difficult route.
Anyway, for those who want to repeat our adventure or decide to plan their own, here is a huge piece of advice. It is better to plan a more balanced schedule from the start, where there is room for proper rest, lying on the beach, and visiting cultural sites, because rushing from one attraction to another will eventually cause a feeling of slight disgust deep down. We had no energy left to take pictures, and we couldn't find any special entertainment either. I just smiled to myself and remembered our talented conflictology professor, who recommended arguing 5 times rather than having one big fight. Turns out, he was right.
Yosemite is like Glacier, only further south, warmer, and poorer. It probably gained such popularity and the title of the country's second national park (after Yellowstone) not because of its beauty and unique spots, although they are incomparable here too, but thanks to its successful location right in the middle of the "Golden State." In marketing terms, the foot traffic is good and the audience is suitable.
Yosemite is located deep in the continent. About a four-hour drive from San Francisco, six from Los Angeles, and 10 from San Diego. Why we didn't visit Yosemite between SF and LA, I have no idea. Either way, we had to make quite a detour.
The detour paid off, and it paid off well, really lifting our spirits. Huge, sheer cliffs covered in snow, the purest, even if partially dried up, mountain springs that crash down in a resilient waterfall, the smell of our native Ural conifers, which the California pines exude under the pressure of the sun—all this creates a unique, cozy, and such a homey atmosphere.
Even before my trip, I really thought about rushing to South America and wandering along the Inca mountain trails. You've probably seen pictures where a narrow, stone-paved path winds around jagged peaks, sometimes turning into a suspension bridge woven from something vine-like, sometimes into steep steps leading to a pass. Something similar can be found in Yosemite. The climb to the mountain top is quite difficult. It is a staircase laid with stones, and in some places even carved into the rock, where two people can barely pass each other. Therefore, the speed of the ascent directly depends on who is walking in front. Have you ever tried to climb several thousand steps? That's what it is. Moreover, these steps are quite steep, which is probably why there are no McDonald's lovers at the very top and very few Americans. Mostly, these are tourists from Europe and representatives of tourist organizations and clubs. Seeing one of them, you might think that he has been wandering the trails of the Cordilleras for decades, as he looks like a caveman.
And the views that open up during the ascent... mmmm! Sometimes you climb through a gorge and feel like you're in a mountain cage, sometimes you literally hold onto the rocks so as not to fall into a kilometer-deep abyss and curse every passerby to yourself, because you still have to somehow pass them. Sometimes you walk importantly along a flat plateau, enjoying the view and the sound of the waterfall, and finally, you just contemplate everything for 20 miles around from the very top of all this splendor.
Another highlight of Yosemite is the sequoias! Oh yes! They are impressive. We had already encountered sequoias in Redwood National Forest, but there are even more here. Especially valuable, fallen specimens are surrounded and protected by the state. I don't know how long it takes for them to decompose, but the one we climbed over fell about 150 years ago. There was one tree that split at the base and a road was laid through it, and one could easily live in the hollow of another, because my room in Russia is even smaller.
However, we were already tired of such nature. We wanted something new. We were in anticipation of that very Wild West that everyone has seen in movies. We were heading to Nevada and Arizona.
