Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Place: Memories from summer visit to Yosemite National park.....

Nothing hooks me to this country like its National parks..and I have just been back from one of the most magnificent ones..yes, Yosemite..

We stayed 2 miles from the park...Merced river was meandering along our lodge, creating a soothing melody and morning sun was warming the patio..the dense forest on the bank of the river and the colossal rocks were dotting the horizon, cute ground squirrels were scurrying among the boulders...
It was a perfect setting to sip the morning cup of tea!!

*(There are certain things that make me nostalgic, infuse me with indescribable joy...summer meadow, foggy morning, rain watch from window, autumnal trees, reading in front of fire place...watching steam rising from a cup of tea or coffee against a  serene backdrop is one of them !!)


Visited most of the attractions nestled in the valley..the formidable Half-dome..

Many of the beautiful meadows...

Fallen trees, autumnal sycamores, oaks galore........

The glacier-carved granite landscape from different vantage points...its captured from Washburn Point..

The vast oak and conifer forests populating the valley...


Plant lover that I am, it was exciting for me to see dogwood trees for the first time...It was late August and the flowers were still on the tree, but were shriveled, definitely not what they appear in Spring...the fruits were beautiful, with red stony seeds and yellow pulps in between them...

Got to know, the seeds are food for birds and squirrels...that's why saw many of them hanging about the shrubs, including robin, scrub jay..

The broad, oval leaves had started to turn orange, reminding that autumn is just around the corner..
I must visit the park sometime in spring and revel in the bloomy spectacle...
In Mariposa grove....at the world-famous California tunnel tree...........

It's almost two months since our visit to Yosemite National Park...I wonder how it looks in winter!
Anyway, it gave a opportunity to browse the album and refresh memory of the time spent there.......

We came across these animal during our stay.....
The dog riding the side car...we bumped into him at a gas station...

The mule deer seen at the Curry village, begging for food...

It was very hot day, this guy had flattened himself like a lizard....lying there for a good half an hour...

This puppy had come to see the Tunnel view of the Valley...how adorable!

We were taking a stroll by the bank of Merced river, when this mule deer wandered off to our vicinity...spouse is filming the guy with his new GoPro...

I am standing in front of the iconic Half Dome...hardly visible here, but it was towering over the landscape...

The longest tunnel in California..about a mile...as you emerge from this tunnel, what you are offered with is hands-down one of the most breathtaking view of the world, the valley with all major granite domes...

These pictures might be trivial to you...but they are precious to us and hold immense happy memories....
After walking hours among the the sequoia trees in Mariposa grove, we were tired and famished..
We had some food with us, but we had not got a suitable place to park the car and grab it...we continued driving...then saw few spots vacant in Tunnel view parking lot and decided to pause....

This is where we parked...pardon the glare, can't show you what I intend to...

Yes, it was  right in front of the fabulous valley...El Capitan, Half Dome, Cathedral and  bridal veil spanned the vista...

As we dined on our frugal lunch of buttered-bread and banana, could not help thank the timing for this rare opportunity..it seemed  way more rewarding than fine-dining at a luxurious hotel....

View of Half-dome from somewhere near Glacier Point........

Here, I am perched on a boulder in Olmsted Point...In the background the blue Tenaya lake beacons...

The alpine Tenaya lake...

where we had a frugal but satisfying lunch.........

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