It was nothing short of surreal to take my kids to this amazing place just before Memorial Day last year. It has changed quite a bit. Stuff has been renamed and the crowds are absolutely ridiculous in the valley. We got in super early one morning to do the stuff in the Valley, so it didn’t bother us too much.  The drive in and out is always so beautiful, too.

We usually get away from crowds by hiking, which is exactly what we did the next day. There were still lots of people, but it was manageable. You’re in good company with others when you go for a 10-mile day hike on one of the best hikes in the park. The Mist Falls trail did not disappoint and we had an AMAZING time. The boys are incredible troopers and loved it. Okay, maybe they tolerated it! LOL We got soaked as we walked up past the falls, but saw the most amazing rainbow there!. I got very emotional as I walked with my kids along the same trail I had walked with Mike 14 years ago feeling better and younger than I did back then!!!

These 2 days in Yosemite were magical for us as a family. We also knew that we wanted to get into the backcountry on a backpacking trip for a couple of nights. Part 3 of this coming up soon!