Time to Pack
Nothing says adiós nature more than packing up to go home. It is the one event that signals the end of your vacation. For my family and I, it meant no more hikes, no more relaxing and the beginning of our diet on Monday. The start of the day was a little different from the previous three. I didn’t have to clean any bottles or make sure our cabin was nice and tidy. And by tidy, I mean our stuff wasn’t all over the place. Let’s be real. The words clean and camping are rarely used in the same sentence. My personal favorite contradiction of this are people who wear pristine white clothes in the mountains. They are just asking for it.
I started packing way before the campground woke up. The easy stuff went into the car first. Having a box on the top of the car is very convenient. It allowed me to pack the less bulky items first while the baby was still asleep. After that, I focused on the inside of the car by packing the tarps, suitcases, ice chest, and stroller. Then, I was forced to wait. The Pack N Play, although a parent’s best friend, was still in use. So, I ate breakfast and enjoyed a little of the morning. I swear the first 80% of packing is super easy. It’s the last 20% that stimulates your creativity. It took a while, but the car was packed and ready to go by 10 o’clock.
Holiday Traffic
Typically, my family stays in Yosemite until Father’s Day. We wake up, pack, and then walk over to the Majestic Hotel for brunch. By the way, I still call it the Ahwanhee Hotel. I don’t care if they had to change the name. It’s kind of like the silly nicknames given to kids in elementary school. People don’t forget. The brunch is still as good as ever. You choose from their amazing buffet or order one of the delectable dishes off the menu. Can you expect nothing less from a 5-Star hotel? However, this trip was done a little last minute, which really means not 18 months in advance. Therefore, we only were able to book five days instead of seven. With the baby fed, we started our drive home.
Inside the park, there were cars everywhere. That’s a typical Friday for you. The real traffic hit after the vista tunnel. With crews clearing fallen trees, we were stopping for twenty to thirty minutes at a time. The stoppages were making it really tough to say adiós nature. The real impact hit us at the beginning of the National Park. There was a two-mile line of cars waiting to pay the entrance fee. Not to mention everyone who was parking and waiting for the shuttle. It was pure chaos. A drive that normally takes 45 minutes to an hour took us about an hour and a half. That prompted us to stop half way again in Oakhurst. After that, traffic wasn’t all that bad. It looked like most people decided to head up early and try to beat the rush.
Adiós Nature
Now it’s time to say good bye. M-I-C, see you real soon! K-E-Y, why? Because we like you! Okay maybe this isn’t the Mickey Mouse Club. Plus, we are not great singers either. But seriously, it is hard to leave Yosemite. With so many personal memories, it’s like leaving a piece of your heart behind. I have always wondered why so many people in the Central Valley have yet to visit. The raw beauty alone is breathtaking. Not to mention things like the smell of campfire and all of the lovely fauna. Although, not everyone loves nature and/or exercise. For example, one of my brothers hates dirt. In the immortal words of Charles Barkley, “That’s terrible.” The one thing I tell myself is it’s never goodbye. It’s more like see you later because just like the Terminator, I’ll be back. Adiós nature.
We Are More Than A Blog!
Need guidance through your own travels? Please contact us today! Stay tuned for next week as we release a new Blog post every week.