Yosemite, we need to talk

That night we reviewed our lessons learned: 1) If there's a place with food, and we're hungry, we eat. Period. 2) Throwing a newspaper at your spouse solves nothing. 3) Avoid the Yosemite Valley at all costs.

Armed with the new found knowledge, we drove to Bridalveil Falls in the park and into yet another situation of too many cars, not enough parking, and too many people. We found a spot easily and walked (another very short hike) to the base of the falls, which was a, surprisingly to us, really wet experience (I don't know why we thought otherwise, you're at the base of a waterfall for goodness sake).

I decided we should drive to Glacier Point after the falls (we were searching for quieter areas). We really shouldn't have been that surprised that it, too, was packed with cars and people. The thing about Yosemite is that what you see is really quite spectacular (and also very easy to get to), and the crowds are really just a nuisance, not a deterrent. I doubt we'll ever return to the park, but neither of us would ever regret that we went.

Looking down from Glacier Point at the Yosemite Valley, Vernal and Nevada Falls, and Half Dome was well worth the aforementioned inconveniences, and when Bogdan found a secluded spot on the rocks away from crowds and with the same (if not better) view, we were in heaven. We sat there for at least an hour, just gazing and soaking it in. We grabbed a bite to eat at Glacier Point's cafe (see Lesson #1), and drove back down.

And so the debate began again - go to the Valley hoping there's no traffic and go for a hike then have a beer on the patio of a restaurant, or skip the Valley and do Tioga Pass Road. We quickly reminded one another of Lesson #3, and headed to Tioga.

Much like Trail Ridge Road in the Rocky Mountain National Park, this road takes you up and over the mountains and is only open in the summer months, and that's only after snow plows remove the snow from the road, in June. We drove to Tenaya Lake, made a picnic/patio drink experience of our own, and enjoyed a spot - finally - away from the crowds.