Two weeks ago, I traveled with my husband to central California. Over the weekend we visited Yosemite National Park. We arrived later than we’d hoped. After 9:00 a.m. Bumper to bumper traffic and we were still a mile from the entrance gate. Hubby commented, “It’s all good.” This became our motto for the trip. God’s delightful creation surrounded us, and we were enjoying it together.
The drive along the Merced River held its own artistry. Crystal clear water flowed over rocks of various sizes and formed ripples of white.
Once inside the park, we drove a short distance along a road cut through huge rocks. We then pulled off and parked along a plush meadow and viewed three waterfalls that make up Yosemite Falls. We pulled back into traffic and found our way to the visitor center where we hoped to park and catch a shuttle. The lot was full. We tried several other locations nearby for a space but found none. “It’s all good,” said my optimistic husband. He found a spot along the road away from the traffic, pulled off, and parked. From there we caught a shuttle to several trailheads, restaurants, and restrooms.
Later, we drove through a long tunnel and stopped at Tunnel View which overlooks El Capitan, Half Dome, Cathedral Rocks, and Bridalveil Fall. We found a parking space where I took the above photo. When we arrived back to our car, we thought we’d never get out. Vehicles waiting to find a spot blocked us. “It’s all good.” And it was. Patience won.
During our visit, we hiked to Lower Yosemite Fall, Mirror Lake, Bridalveil Fall, and through Mariposa Grove’s giant sequoias. They estimate the Grizzly Giant red wood with a diameter at its base of thirty feet to be 1,800 years old. Magnificent.
We observed a deer on one of our hikes, and brave squirrels in the outdoor eating area foraged around our feet. We saw several birds that reminded me of blue jays from back east. After my research, I found they were Steller’s jays. A darker blue than my eastern friends with black heads and necks.
Despite the long line of traffic, lack of parking, and long waits for a shuttle, we enjoyed our time at Yosemite. We hiked, talked, held hands, took nature photos along with a few selfies, visited with others in line as we waited on shuttles, and waded across Mirror Lake. We look forward to more trips together and hope to travel to several national parks. “It’s all good.”
Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! (Genesis 1:31 NLT).
Which national park do you recommend we add to our bucket list?