We decided to take one more trip before "school" started. We got tickets to Yosemite and planned to drive all the way through and spend a night on the other side. This was our first overnight trip staying in a hotel since the pandemic started and our first time eating at a restaurant. It was a little weird after not having done so in such a long time, but so nice to get away!
Our first stop was Tunnel View where we had some great views. As we were driving through the park, a bear ran across the street in front of us and up a mountain! It was pretty exciting and we all managed to see it. We stopped at a lookout and had gorgeous views of Half Dome. We had a picnic lunch at Muir Lake and it was beautiful and clear. The kids and Dada enjoyed another freezing swim while I, like the sane person I am, stayed on the shore.
We stopped in the Valley and climbed part way up a rock mountain so the kids could get some energy out. They had a great time running around. Emmett fell asleep as soon as we took off and slept until we got to the other side. Clara enjoyed the scenery with us. I had never driven all the way through Yosemite and was amazed with the different views. It is such an amazing place and we are lucky it is so close to us!
Emmett woke up when we got to the hotel in Bridgeport and was ready to go. After our trip to hot springs for Emmett's birthday, both kids were eager to check out the local hot springs, Travertine Springs. They were pretty empty and there were several "baths" of varying degree of heat. We found a good one and had a nice long soak! It seemed like we were in the middle of nowhere and surrounded by desert. We headed back into town and ate ate our first restaurant in six months (outside of course). It was a little weird, and once the sun went down it got super cold and windy. There were also more mosquitoes than I have ever seen. Clara and I went on a little walk and I tried to take a picture of her in front of the sunset, but every time we stopped moving we literally got covered in mosquitoes!
The next morning was also freezing and the kids whined a lot after being used to temperatures in the 100s. We went to a playground while Dada ran and they eventually forgot they were cold. We picked up breakfast at a local bakery (the town was so tiny there were only two places to chose from) and ate it in the park. After breakfast we headed to Bodie, a ghost town on the way home. Clara had been so excited to see a ghost town because she had just read a book about one. However, she was promptly disappointed because there were too many tourists and the workers lived in the town (apparently nobody is allowed to live in a ghost town.) It got hot quickly as we explored the quite large town. Dada wanted to check out the cemetery but the kids were done so we drove out to pick him up. I convinced the kids we were leaving him and Emmett burst into tears! I'm a very nice mom and laughed hysterically.
We stopped for lunch in Lee Vining(and had some awesome pie) and then headed to hike up a volcano. Emmett literally ran up and Clara whined her way up. We had some great views of Mono Lake from the top. After our hike we headed to Mono Lake to check out the salt tubes. It started raining while we were at the lake but that didn't deter us from finishing the loop. Of course Emmett fell asleep as soon as we left and we decided to take a different route home through June Lake. It was crazy packed but a beautiful drive!
Our trip home was uneventful and we made pretty good time. We got back to Yosemite Valley before the sun set and managed to get some good views at Tunnel View (where I made the kids brush their teeth and put pjs on). We ate snacks in the car and called that dinner. Both kids were sound asleep by the time we got home at 9:00 and Emmett did not want to wake up. It was a great trip to end the weirdest summer we've ever had. (Mono County also had the best mask signs!)
