At the beginning of our holiday the roads into Yosemite (JoSEMmittie) were closed due to late snowfall. Three weeks later the Tioga pass was still unaccessible - it can be end of May before it opens - but the road to the waterfalls and the famous view of the Half Dome was open.
We did see a lot of snow though when climbing out of the foothills, and temps dropped again to 11, 12C. But a lot of sun and no wind made it a pleasant trip through the mountains and into the park.
At first you don't see it, but after a couple of miles you suddenly understand why Yosemite (lovingly abbreviated as Yóse over here) is famous: those towering, cliff-like walls!
Then the waterfalls that drop from them. We were so lucky to come here in early spring, because the waterfalls were massive - after spring the amount of water diminishes rapidly and from the end of August on they're dry till the snow starts to melt again.
Early spring also meant beautiful light, green foliage, blossoming trees and shrubs, purple-blue hazes over the meadows. On the valley floor so pleasantly warm you'd think it was a summer afternoon.
We'd have loved to stay and do some trekking near the Half Dome, but the whopping $250 they asked for a basic cabin made it a nono. So in late sunlight we left the Park, asking prices in the various hotels on our way down: 280, 250, 160 and 120 a night. The Comfort Inn in Mariposa was 60, nice hotel, still in the mountains.
This Mariposa brings me to something completely different: tourist infrastructure.
In short: there is none.
More nuanced: Grand Canyon and Yosemite were signposted, Bryce only at the last moment, as were Lake Tahoe and the London Bridge.
A petrified forest nearby? A famous geyser? A trail to a waterfall? We drove around having no idea where to find them. Asking resulted in vague answers - yeah, that's west from here.
After we finally managed to locate the Mariposa Mineral and Mining Museum of America, enthusiastically suggested by the hotel manager 2 miles south of the museum, we found it closed: it's only open Fri-Sun and this was Wednesday.
There are leaflets, enough of them, but with scant driving directions. The people behind the information desks are enthusiastic and cooperative but they don't always know about opening hours or alternatives. On the roads no signs whatsoever.
We think that a missed opportunity, to say the least.
Look at France: 10 miles before you reach the city limit the great billboards start telling you what is to be expected: a cathedral, gardens, a bell tower, a palace and a glass factory. Then on the road billboards with exit numbers how to get there, and you're sure to find it because you just have to follow the signs.
We have been wondering about this. Not used to tourists all over the place? No one is interested in the Mining Museum anyway so why signpost it? (chicken-and-egg?). No idea.
But on the signposting (and tourist) front there's a world to win.
Business opportunity here, I would say!
We did see a lot of snow though when climbing out of the foothills, and temps dropped again to 11, 12C. But a lot of sun and no wind made it a pleasant trip through the mountains and into the park.
At first you don't see it, but after a couple of miles you suddenly understand why Yosemite (lovingly abbreviated as Yóse over here) is famous: those towering, cliff-like walls!
Then the waterfalls that drop from them. We were so lucky to come here in early spring, because the waterfalls were massive - after spring the amount of water diminishes rapidly and from the end of August on they're dry till the snow starts to melt again.
Early spring also meant beautiful light, green foliage, blossoming trees and shrubs, purple-blue hazes over the meadows. On the valley floor so pleasantly warm you'd think it was a summer afternoon.
We'd have loved to stay and do some trekking near the Half Dome, but the whopping $250 they asked for a basic cabin made it a nono. So in late sunlight we left the Park, asking prices in the various hotels on our way down: 280, 250, 160 and 120 a night. The Comfort Inn in Mariposa was 60, nice hotel, still in the mountains.
This Mariposa brings me to something completely different: tourist infrastructure.
In short: there is none.
More nuanced: Grand Canyon and Yosemite were signposted, Bryce only at the last moment, as were Lake Tahoe and the London Bridge.
A petrified forest nearby? A famous geyser? A trail to a waterfall? We drove around having no idea where to find them. Asking resulted in vague answers - yeah, that's west from here.
After we finally managed to locate the Mariposa Mineral and Mining Museum of America, enthusiastically suggested by the hotel manager 2 miles south of the museum, we found it closed: it's only open Fri-Sun and this was Wednesday.
There are leaflets, enough of them, but with scant driving directions. The people behind the information desks are enthusiastic and cooperative but they don't always know about opening hours or alternatives. On the roads no signs whatsoever.
We think that a missed opportunity, to say the least.
Look at France: 10 miles before you reach the city limit the great billboards start telling you what is to be expected: a cathedral, gardens, a bell tower, a palace and a glass factory. Then on the road billboards with exit numbers how to get there, and you're sure to find it because you just have to follow the signs.
We have been wondering about this. Not used to tourists all over the place? No one is interested in the Mining Museum anyway so why signpost it? (chicken-and-egg?). No idea.
But on the signposting (and tourist) front there's a world to win.
Business opportunity here, I would say!
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