This trip was well over 366 days in the making, creating a level of excitement for exploring the culture, history, and nature that is abundant from the beautiful Yosemite Village to the Bay Area. It was a trip I won't soon forget, relishing in the experiences I shared with my husband and kids.
Because of our early flight, we opted to stay in Chicago the night before, giving us two extra hours of sleep for what would become an incredibly long travel day. However, Harper was in a summer production of "Mean Girls," so not only did we have to wait until after the show, but we also had to do her laundry before we left, having us rolling into the city quite late, but it was still better than waking up at 3:30am!
DAY 1: Travel Day (to Yosemite National Park)
We had an 8am flight out of O'Hare for San Francisco, giving us ample time to drive into Yosemite National Park, while avoiding driving curvy mountain roads in the dark. Thank goodness, because that drive was harrowing! While Fresno airport would've been closer, because we were flying back home from San Fransisco, this was a cheaper option than flying in and out of two different airports.
We landed on time and thoroughly enjoyed the gorgeous new Harvey Milk terminal at SFO. SFO is a "quiet airport," and it is eerie how peaceful and quiet the busy terminal is, and I loved every bit of it. Once we wrangled our luggage and rental car, we were on our way to In-And-Out Burger for lunch since we failed to eat at one when we were in L.A. in November.
Pictured: The Johnson family at In-And-Out Burger near the San Francisco airport
From there, it was a nearly 4 hour drive to Yosemite National Park, with a stop in Oakdale at the Raley's for groceries (still nearly 1.5 hours from the park entrance!). Unfortunately, there was a significant amount of traffic in and around the Bay Area for well over an hour, adding quite a bit of time to our trip. Once we got to Oakdale, I began questioning whether or not there would be adequate grocery options closer to the park, but because we had a cooler with us, I remained optimistic that it would be sufficient and we would have room for the groceries in our rental, along with our luggage! Raley's ended up being the largest grocery store with the most options nearest the Big Oak Flat entrance to the park. I had packed ziplock baggies, so we used one of those and got ice at a gas station nearby, giving us just enough of what we needed to keep our cold groceries cold, before we made the harrowing journey to the park entrance (sans cell service and internet...be sure you download your maps ahead of time)!
Pictured: The Johnson family in front of the Yosemite National Park sign at the Big Oak Flat entrance.
Because the area is so remote, there were also no bathroom options after our stop at Raley's, making our map-less drive into the park a bit dicey. Fortunately, there are bathrooms just inside the pay stations, allowing weary travelers a chance to use the facilities before continuing the drive into Yosemite Village. We enjoyed several of the pull offs, taking in the views, ultimately making our way toward Bridal Veil Falls.
**At one of the pull offs, as we drove away, the brakes began making quite the noise. We attributed it to driving over a stick or a strange one-off, not knowing it would completely de-rail our plans for several days from now.
We found the Bridal Veil Fall trailhead, changed into our hiking shoes, and very much enjoyed being able to fully stretch our legs, considering we were at hour 15 of our travel day and we still hadn't made it to our hotel! This was a quick half mile, paved hike to a beautiful viewing area of the falls. We took our time, soaking in the scenery, savoring the sights and sounds of this gorgeous area of the park.
Pictured: Toby and Heather in front of Bridalveil Falls
We drove the rest of the loop on our way to our lodging, stopping when we saw something photo-worthy (okay, so every two minutes!). Because we didn't have cell service and were relying on park signage, we ended up circling the Yosemite Village loop twice, giving us a chance to scope out a plan for the following day! The kids never knew, and were highly entertained in the back seat, so we just slow rolled our vehicle into the parking lot of the Ahwahnee Hotel, enjoying dinner at the Ahwahnee Bar.
A quick note about this decision: The Ahwahnee Hotel is the MOST expensive lodging option in Yosemite National Park. Because we were traveling late July/early August, when temps were going to be brutally hot, and because we were traveling with a teen and pre-teen who require internet connectivity for their downtime, Toby and I decided that splurging on this particular lodging (with wifi and air conditioning) was absolutely necessary. For my Disney friends, staying at the Ahwahnee is the equivalent of staying at the Grand Floridian. I felt bougie and out of place, but it was exactly what my family needed, especially with temps in the 90s!
The Ahwahnee is known for its "parkitecture," as it is a beautiful historic building that helps tell the story of the park. We very much enjoyed exploring all areas of this gorgeous hotel...even at 2:45am when the evacuation alarm sounded... (don't worry...it was a faulty sensor, but after an exhausting 17 hour travel day, we needed all the sleep we could get)!
DAY 2: Yosemite National Park (Yosemite Village)
After sleeping in, we began our day by boarding the free shuttle outside our hotel and hopped off at Degnan's Kitchen stop to walk down to the welcome center to pick up our junior ranger booklets and park maps. Once those were procured, we boarded the green shuttle again and got dropped off at the Lower Yosemite Falls trailhead. From there, it was a short walk to the falls. Unfortunately, because we were traveling at what had to have been the peak of the season, all the tourons were out in full force, making our enjoyment of the picturesque falls somewhat short-lived. We snapped a few pictures of the falls but quickly high-tailed it out of there to enjoy the more scenic areas of the trail. We got some wonderful photos against the Jeffrey Pines with Half Dome in the background, enjoying the quieter parts of the trail without all of the people behaving dangerously.
From there, we hopped back on the shuttle and completed our Junior Ranger booklets at the El Capitan picnic area, where bear warnings were everywhere, but we did not see a single bear. Once we finished our snacks and booklets, we boarded the bus again and headed toward Cathedral Beach, walking the trail back toward the beach to see the views of El Capitan. The Merced was refreshing in the heat, but the riverbed and beach were all rock, so scrambling across in our bare feet was a feat (but so worth it)!
We hopped back on the shuttle and got dropped off at The Four Mile trailhead so we could walk across the river on Swinging Bridge and check out a few more beaches. At this point, I knew we could walk through the valley and get back to civilization, but we were winging it at this point. Without working cell service, we were following bike paths and intuition to get back to where we needed to be. Fortunately, our guts were correct, and we ended up taking a scenic walk behind the Yosemite Valley Lodge area. It was hot. Like, really hot at this point, and I knew I needed to get my family back to the hotel for a dip in the pool and some food before disaster struck. We walked the path to the Yosemite Museum to cool off (and pick up a few souvenirs) before gathering ourselves to get back to the Yosemite Village Store shuttle stop that would take us back to our hotel.
We all enjoyed a dip in our private pool, while under the gaze of Half Dome. It was surreal to be at a pool in a national park, surrounded by such beauty. After we had sufficiently cooled off and enjoyed some down time, we headed back to the shuttle to earn our Junior Ranger badges and hop on the purple shuttle loop to take us to Curry Village for a pizza dinner. We managed to score a table on the patio (where we "battled" squirrels), and devoured our pizza and got a scoop of ice cream for dessert. We shuttled back and were too tired to stay up to see stars. Besides, we still had another night, and we had to wake up early for our trip to the south entrance to see the sequoias, so we were all eager to tuck in for the evening, knowing we would be celebrating Harper's birthday and giant trees the next day.
DAY 3: Yosemite National Park (Yosemite Village Part II)
We were so eager to celebrate Harper's birthday in this majestic park. The original plan was to drive to the south entrance to walk the Grizzly Giant Loop and visit the Mariposa Visitor Center. However, we didn't make it very far in the car before the dash lights were on and the brakes were squealing harder than they were when we pulled in. There was no way we could safely drive an hour south on mountain roads in the vehicle, thus bringing my dream of seeing sequoias to an abruptly crushing halt. We had enough cell service to call the rental company about getting a replacement, but we rented from Alamo in SFO, four hours away, and we had to remain in a place that would receive cell service in order to field calls with updates.
Because we were parked in the Yosemite Valley Lodge parking lot, and because the entire valley is a one-way road, we had to drive the entire loop, so we pulled into the chapel and decided to do some reflecting. At this point, I was feeling quite disappointed, knowing that the plans for Harper's birthday were quickly crumbling. I tried to remain optimistic, but because we were so tied to having cell service, it would mean almost an entire day at the hotel or in places in the valley, where we had already explored. Toby was able to receive a call from Alamo while we were in the chapel, assuring us that they were working on getting us a replacement car, but we still had no definitive plan. We walked in and around the chapel, enjoying its quaint purpose in this beautiful place.
We got the car parked back at the Ahwahnee and spoke to both the valet and the front desk about our predicament. They assured us that we weren't the first guests to have had this happen, and at this point we knew that a car and a tow truck was going to be sent from Fresno to replace ours. This transaction was scheduled to take place near 2pm, so we decided to let Harper decide what she wanted to do and that lead us to hiking part of the Cook's Meadow loop, on the boardwalks at the center of the valley. It was probably my second favorite hike. The views are unparalleled and it was quietly serene and not at all crowded (we were the only ones on that trail)! We started and ended at the Lower Yosemite Falls shuttle stop, so I convinced my kids to walk and explore the cemetery, the library, and the museum again, giving us more time in the valley to thoroughly explore.
The app wasn't updating that the rental car had even left Fresno, and Harper declared ice cream before lunch on her birthday, so we hopped on the purple shuttle back into Curry Village and enjoyed ice cream again. The interior cafeteria section of Curry Village, for as busy as the village is, was not busy both times we were in there, and with the air conditioning and proper bathrooms, it made for a great stop. We hopped back on the shuttle to have some pool time since the car transaction was scheduled for 2pm still. This is where the breakdown continued...
Augie managed to scuff up his nose and lip in the pool, thus bringing his pool time to a sad close. Harper and Toby enjoyed some quiet time on the loungers at the pool, contemplating life, while I cleaned Augie up. From there, Toby got a phone call update from the tow/delivery driver that his arrival would be closer to 4pm, thus completely dashing my hopes of our ability to drive south at all. We were stuck in the village with no end in sight. We decided if we had to stay in the hotel that we would explore every corner. We very much enjoyed the solitude in the Winter Room, with views of Half Dome, and sat on our phones in there for quite some time, playing with A.I.! We went across the great hall, and also explored the other areas in the main hall of the hotel, spending time in each area, people watching, playing with A.I., while waiting for our rental...which pulled in near 4pm!
Once the cars were exchanged, we decided to hike part of the John Muir Trail to Mist Trail before dinner. We hopped on the purple shuttle again and got off at the Happy Isles stop, walking the incredibly steep John Muir trail, a 2 mile-out and back, to the Vernal Fall footbridge. While the boys and I enjoyed the hike, the intensity of the grade was not Harper's favorite, even though the view of Vernal Falls from the footbridge was beautiful and worth it. I was not going to be able to convince her to go on 0.6 miles to Mist Trail to the top of Vernal Falls on her birthday. The poor girl just wanted a taco dinner, so we headed back down, still looking for snakes and bears (still no bear sightings) to Curry Village (it took us 42 minutes to get to the top and only 24 minutes to get back down, if that gives you any idea of how steep this trail was)!
We got back to Curry Village and sent the kids inside to get us a table, while Toby and I waited in line. The kids had given us their order, but the line did not appear to be moving at all. Not only that, but we had no cell service and couldn't update the kids on what was happening outside. It took us nearly an hour to place our order and get food (and so much was sold out!), but the kids were absolute rock stars, managing to find a table for four inside what was the most crowded I had ever seen the interior of the Curry Village dining hall. We snagged refillable sodas inside, as well as silverware and napkins and did what we could to salvage Harper's birthday. We trudged back to the shuttle stop and waited longer than we had waited the entire night for a shuttle. When one arrived, the driver told us there were only two drivers for the night, so when the green shuttle came, we had better hop on, since it would be nearly an hour before it came around again. Fortunately, the green shuttle pulled up across the way, we found seats, albeit across the aisle and incredibly cramped, and rode the shuttle for about 30 minutes back to the hotel.
At this point, we were all ready to be done with the day. Between the rental car, having to hang out at the hotel so much, the steep hike, the long wait for tacos, Augie's destroyed face, and the shuttle debacle, nobody wanted to stay up to star gaze, even though it was our last night. We were all feeling pretty defeated and ready to close this chapter of our Yosemite trip.
DAY 4: Yosemite National Park to Petaluma (Yosemite Village Part III & Sonoma & Petaluma)
We were determined to have a better day today, even though we would be leaving Yosemite National Park for our dinner reservation in Sonoma. We packed up, loaded our car, and said goodbye to the beautiful Ahwahnee Hotel by 9am. We hopped back on the shuttle and then transferred to the purple shuttle to get off at Mirror Lake stop. This was by far the most beautiful and wild hike I have ever done. The warning signs about it being a mountain lion habitat, coupled with the fact that we still hadn't seen a single bear, meant ours heads were on a swivel, hoping to see a glimpse of some wildlife. The plan was to hike the mile out to Mirror Lake and eat our breakfast there. We walked above Tenaya Creek and were in awe at how absolutely gorgeous the views were. We had the best breakfast views alongside Tenaya Creek, where we played and explored under the watchful eye of North Dome.
After feeling like we had thoroughly experienced this particular section of the trail, we hiked back to the shuttle, where we hopped on a convenient green shuttle and went back to the Ahwahnee, where Harper and I changed in the public bathrooms there, preparing for our next section of our travels outside of nature! We made our way, albeit slowly and with much trepidation, back into civilization, hoping to find a place to stop for lunch along the way. We ended up gassing up and stopping for bathrooms and gas station chicken tenders in Farmington, CA, which was enough for us, although a bit disappointing, as far as food exploration goes. However, we had dinner reservations in Sonoma, so it was irrelevant, because dinner was going to be FIRE!
We pulled into Sonoma near 4pm, and we walked the square, shopped a bit, and stumbled into a city party! It was so much fun watching people set up their blankets and picnic materials for what was going to be a fun night. At this point, it was nearing 5pm, and our reservations weren't until 6pm. We were hungry and hot (so so hot), so we decided to see if we could eat early. Fortunately, we were able to be accommodated at the B&V Whiskey Bar and Grill, where I ate a year ago, when I visited Sonoma with my friends. All four of us licked our plates clean, with one of the best dinners of the trip. It is a MUST stop if you ever find yourself in Sonoma. After dinner we got Kona Ice and walked around the square, visiting with locals, watching the dance performers, and generally feeling like we maybe need to live in Sonoma! Augie made us stop in the rose garden and literally smell the roses!
We used bathrooms in the park and were allowed in the historic Sebastiani Theater to check it out (we bought candy as a token of our appreciation), and popped into a candy shop to get souvenirs for family. We still had a 30 minute drive into Petaluma, where we were staying for the night, so we wrapped up our adventure in Sonoma before heading to the Methodist Church in Petaluma, where my grandparents attended when they were first married. We tried finding their house as well, but because they didn't remember the address, we just had to envision them walking the streets there in 1960!
We got our pictures and videos then settled into the Home2Suites there, which ended up being the single best hotel we stayed in the entire trip! I would highly recommend a Home2Suites for larger families who need a kitchenette and separate beds!
DAY 5: San Francisco
We left Petaluma and decided to head to the Rosie the Riveter World War II National Historic Site, earning yet another Junior Ranger badge. We stumbled into an opportunity to hear a real life Rosie speak, so we ended up spending quite a bit more time there than we had originally planned, but it was well worth every minute hearing her story! We earned our badges and headed toward Berkeley, where we had planned on getting lunch and walking campus. While walking to lunch, we saw a game shop and a few thrift shops, so we knew we'd have to spend a little extra time in Berkeley! We enjoyed exploring the blocks near campus and walked away with more goodies that were completely unrelated to our travels, including three record albums, but it was such a great experience. We walked the quad and went into the library, but the kids didn't seem nearly as impressed with the Berkeley campus as they were with Sonoma!
From Berkeley, we went to Mountain View Cemetery, where we were met by an entry guard who informed us that only relatives were allowed into the cemetery for the day. I was disappointed, but he asked Toby if we were visiting relatives. Toby laughed and said no, but the guard asked again with a knowing head shake, and we said thank you and continued into the cemetery! We paid our respects to Folgers (of the coffee fame), Ghirardelli (of the chocolate fame), Glenn Burke (of the high five inventing fame), and Fred Korematsu (of the challenging Executive Order 9066 fame). It was incredible to think these four men were all buried in the same cemetery.
The kids were over it at this point, hoping to see the ocean and be in our Air B&B, but I had two more stops planned! We hopped over to Jack London Square, seeing half of Jack London's log cabin (the other half is elsewhere, in a shared agreement), and a wolf statue, while in awe of the way the waterfront was transformed into such a vibrant mixed-use area. I could definitely see the incredible appeal of this area, but nobody was hungry just yet, and we still had more to see! We hit end of day traffic as we headed into the city, but we managed to make it to Alamo Square (and find street parking), so we could get photos and videos with the famous Painted Ladies (for you Full House fans)! We enjoyed the park and getting all the photos and videos, and with a quick google search, we found the exterior of the "Full House" house was only 7 minutes away, so I forced my family to find it so we could do a photo op there a well! We got all the photos we needed then hustled across the city to our Air B&B, which was nestled in the Outer Sunset neighborhood, just across from Ocean Beach.
We ended our night with delicious Hook Fish take out and a quick stroll along the beach.
DAY 6: San Francisco
Because our plans to see large trees was foiled in Yosemite, I was hoping that today would make it up to me. We were heading to Muir Woods, and I was determined to have the best day. We drove across the incredibly foggy Golden Gate Bridge and wove into Muir Woods with our timed parking reservation. We grabbed our maps and junior ranger booklets and settled onto the mile loop boardwalk trail before heading up into Hillside Trail for a bit, making this hike about 2 miles. We found three banana slugs, making the trip a success right off the bat, and we worked on our junior ranger booklets, getting pictures and videos, soaking in the amazing sights of the beautiful Redwoods. Forest bathing among these giants is an unparalleled experience and completely rejuvenated me.
Because it was close to lunch, we headed into Mill Valley, where we grabbed lunch at Super Duper Burgers (which has to be owned by Shake Shack, as the vibe was the same), and then made our way back across the Golden Gate to earn yet another Junior Ranger badge at the Golden Gate Recreation Area. We hiked down to the beach, where Augie made an art installation out of crab carcasses, and we searched and searched for a way to get to Fort Point (and bathrooms)! We ended up driving into the parking lot at Fort Point (where Toby promptly found a spot...I don't know how he does it), and we earned another Junior Ranger badge at Fort Point. The wind and the cold had gotten to everyone at this point, because we had been outside all day, and we didn't much feel like doing anything, so we headed back to the Air B&B and ordered take out...from Dominos (insert eye roll here). When traveling with kids, sometimes you get gas station chicken tendies and Dominos pizza. It's okay. I swear! Hahaha! After dinner, we, of course, headed back to Ocean Beach to stick our toes in the very cold sand and enjoy the sound of the waves rolling in.
DAY 7: San Francisco
Today was the day we had planned on doing all things San Francisco. We started with an early tour of Alcatraz Island, where we earned another Junior Ranger badge. We learned about the site's beginnings as a fort, then as a prison, then its occupation during the Red Power movement of the 1960s and 1970s. It was a great learning experience (albeit dark and a bit scary)! After getting on the ferry and heading back to the mainland, we made our way into Chinatown, where we had plans on eating at the Good Mong Kok bakery. However, the line was so long (and didn't feel like it was moving), so we went next door to Gourmet Kitchen and spent just over $20 on an absurd amount of food. I mean a ridiculous amount of delicious buns and pastries. We took our food to Woh Hei Yuen park, giving us more space and tables to eat. While there, Toby walked to Ma's Dim Sum to grab another noodle dish, and we feasted in the park until we realized we needed bathrooms.
Toby asked another man if he was from the area and could point us in the direction of bathrooms. He suggested the hospital, which was nearby, as well as the library. We were so fortunate that the local branch of the library was open with a public restroom. Public libraries are essential in communities, and this one was so vibrant, serving Chinatown's population in its unique way! After using the facilities, we headed to the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie company, supposedly the home of the first fortune cookie. I stood in line while the kids and Toby explored the street vendors along Ross Alley. We got several bags of Fortune Cookie flats, and a box of flavored fortune cookies, then headed back toward the parking garage. While on the way, Harper requested fresh milk, having seen it online, so we stopped at Ha Tea and ordered fresh milk and boba for our drive to Pier 39.
We made it to Pier 39 (the parking garage there was outrageous. It took longer to park there than it would have for us to street park and walk)! It was also the most expensive parking we had for our entire trip ($12/hour). We saw the sea lions, did all the shopping, then landed at dinner at Chowder's, where we got the best clam chowder in a bread bowl and fried shrimp! Pier 39 was quite the experience, and we very much enjoyed that (although not all of the people...it was like the holidays at Disney)!
We wrapped up our very "San Fran" day by driving down the curvy Lombard Street. Toby was a champ, and we giggled all the way down! We ended the day Ocean Beach, of course, and settled into our Air B&B, planning our excursions for our final day.
DAY 8: San Francisco
Unlike the rest of this jam-packed trip, I left our options wide open. I took requests from the family about what they wanted to do, and I planned our day around that. Harper wanted to go back to Pier 39 and see the sea lions and get more chowder, Augie wanted a big chunk of time on the beach, Toby wanted thrift stores, and I wanted to see the bison in Golden Gate park. We started our day at Pier 39, after sleeping in. We were able to grab lunch at Chowder's again, although Augie wanted a chili dog from a cart (and a churro), and Toby wanted to try Boudin's, since we had a Baymax bread and soup from there when we visited Disney's California Adventure in November. Chowder's was great, the churro and chili dog were excellent, but poor Toby's soup experience was a disappointment. Skip the line at Boudin's and get Chowder's instead!
After Pier 39, we drove to Haight-Asbury, where the famous Summer of Love occurred in 1967. We walked by Janis Joplin's House, the Grateful Dead house, the beautiful Four Seasons homes (far prettier than the Painted Ladies!), and went to countless thrift shops. Some were reasonably priced, and others were California priced. But it was fun to search through the racks in the historic buildings for treasures! We grabbed some Ben & Jerry's ice cream and headed back toward Golden Gate park to the bison paddock. There were bison, but it was anticlimactic after experiencing bison in the wild in South Dakota (or even at our very own Nachusa Grasslands)!
We spent the rest of the afternoon at Ocean Beach, in the sun, savoring the moment together, knowing our time together would quickly turn into chaos with the start of school and Toby's surgery.
DAY 9: Travel Day HOME!
We packed up, ate all of our snacks, and made our way to the airport for our 1pm flight back home (landing at O'Hare by 8pm, putting us in our beds by 11pm).
End of trip thoughts:
Planning a vacation this long with a 14 and 11-year old comes with its unique challenges. Both the kids preferred the city experiences over our natural experiences; whereas I enjoyed the city experiences, but would much rather sit and enjoy nature. In addition, prioritizing space in our Air B&B and ensuring all of our lodging had 3 beds ensured that the kids wouldn't have to be in each other's space all the time. It came at a cost, but it was worth doing with 2 "big kids." In addition, I am getting better at relinquishing control and letting the kids call the shots on plans, meal choices, and downtime. Harper was able to Facetime her friends in her bedroom at the Air B&B and not come with us to the beach several times. She needed her space and time away from us, and its refreshing to have big kids in that way.
Additionally, I will forever advocate for thoroughly exploring a city's nooks and crannies, enjoying parks, libraries, and other local haunts to fully learn about its history, culture, and people. We actually visited Chinatown twice, going back to Ross Alley for more of those amazing fortune cookies for our family and friends. I am so grateful for this experience and know that my kids won't soon forget it. Toby and I kept giving each other knowing looks as we shared time together with them, knowing we will travel much differently when it's just the two of us, but so grateful for these moments together with the kids. California feels right, and we all love it, but for very different reasons. Who knows when we'll go back, or if, but in the meantime, I feel like we had a very good grasp on both Yosemite and San Francisco, and we are filled with gratitude for the experience before the chaos of school and surgery occurred.
Deep sigh.
And now, back to reality.
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