Yosemite National Park

I am now living full time in my van with my dog, Max.  I don't like good bye's and it was especially difficult this time around since I really don't know when I will return.  Even at this point, I don't know exactly what I will do, where I will go, or when I will get there.  I like it that way.

A few days ago, I left my home and decided to try to beat the heat and get up in the mountains so the first destination was Yosemite National Park.  Most people told me how crazy busy it would be and I was pleasantly surprised when there were several campsites to choose from.  Max and I chose a site and took it easy the first day.  

It was so beautiful waking up in the forest however, "campy" will take some getting used to where sleep is concerned.  Max growled at every sound and he wasn't too happy when deer would pass through our campsite.  I agree that it was a bit rude of them to walk right through, but since they most likely were there first, I let it slide.  As I sipped my coffee in the morning inside of the van, I watched my neighbors fold up their tent and then it hit me... I have become one of "those" people.  For years, I camped in a tent and it was a bit annoying when people in RV's would sit in comfort and watch me and now, there I was watching the tenters.  Let me tell you... it was NICE!  

We explored the park for the day and didn't stay too long.  I love all of our National Parks and I look forward to visiting them throughout my journey.  

I am glad to be on the road and I look forward to what adventures await Max and I.

The Beauty Of Yosemite

I love traveling to our National parks.  There is something about them that instantly relaxes me.  Just driving up to the gate fills me with excitement with the anticipation of what I'm going to see, especially if I haven't been there before.  This was my first visit to Yosemite and despite the crowds, it is truly a sight to see.  As with every park, there are places you can find to get lost or stay with people if you want to drive around the valley.

Since Max isn't allowed on the trails, I had to stay near the road and even doing so brought me to some amazing views.  One of the best investments I've made was purchasing a National Park Pass.  For $80, you can travel to all parks for a year without paying admission.  If you plan to visit several, it's well worth the price.

I plan to visit as many National Parks as possible this time around and I look forward to seeing many I haven't explored before.  This is the perfect time of year to dust off your tent and equipment, get in the car and take a road trip to see the most beautiful acres of property in this country.

An American 4th Of July Pool Party

Despite the crowds, I had a wonderful time in Yosemite.  It is such a beautiful park and I would recommend a visit at least once in your lifetime.  As with almost every visitor in the area, I took a lot of pictures and I will share them with you soon.  As much as I love looking at pretty pictures, I am enjoying photographing people these days.  I look forward to profiling more women in my "Women's Work" project, but for now I decided to head up to Chico to visit some friends.

I love Chico.  I lived in this town for six years before I decided to head back to Southern California, where I live when I'm not traveling.  Chico has a slower way of life and things are a bit more simple in this community, which is nice.  I stayed with my good friend and old college room mate while she held her annual 4th of July party complete with massive amounts of kids in her pool and a jumpie to play in.

I didn't make in the pool, but I stood around and took pictures of all of the kids playing in it.  My method of taking these pictures was what I would like to call the "snap and turn."  With about twenty five people in the pool at one time, there was water everywhere.  I would have to take a quick picture and turn around so the water wouldn't splash all over the camera.  I was successful most of the time but you never knew if someone was getting ready to do a cannonball.

Once the kids were out of the jumpie, my friend, Heide and I took a turn and jumped around.  That was the best part of the day.  I was cracking up the entire time as Heide was falling over and hurting herself and then getting back up to do it all over again.  I had my camera phone and took pics of us as we jumped and then us on floor as we fell down.

As the sun set, it was time for fireworks.  The group watched some from the street then it was time to light the mixed bag of "who knows what it will do" explosives.  Now, that's the exciting part.  Lighting a fuse and seeing what will happen next.  I was cracking up as kids ran up to pick up the fireworks after it went off forgetting that they will be smoking hot.  Not once, but several times.  Ahhh, to be young again.

Thank you Heide for hosting Max and I at your house for a few days!  For more photographs of the pool party, click HERE.

A Tourist Watching Tourists In Yosemite National Park

Ahhh, the joy of getting out of the city to get away from it all.  To breathe in the fresh air, see the mountains, look at the beautiful trees...oh yeah, with everyone else driving from the city to do the same.  I love our National Parks, as many other Americans do, but sometimes the crowds can rival those in metro areas. This was one of those weekends.

You know the stories of extremely rich people wanting to go to outer space alone and are willing to pay big bucks to do so?  I wonder what it would be like if you could do that with a National Park.  Can you imagine being at one of these parks alone? Now I just need to win the lottery to see if it's possible.

As I toured through Yosemite, I wondered if Ansel Adams could handle the crowds that tour the park today.  I was laughing to myself thinking of him setting up his camera and waiting for the light as 20 tourists stood behind him snapping away.  It is pretty insane how many people line up to wait for a parking space and then walk fifty feet to look at a waterfall.  Don't get me wrong, the scenery is so beautiful and amazing but when you pair it with sitting in traffic to park just to walk behind a herd of people, you start thinking to yourself, "this better be the most beautiful waterfall ever!...or else!"

I took pictures of the scenery, but I also enjoyed snapping pictures of the tourists.  Once a bear was spotted in the field, the traffic was jammed up for miles, there was a ranger directing the traffic and yelling at people to keep moving, the same ranger was yelling at people to stay on the road as the crowd tried to inch closer and closer to the grazing bear.  I cracked up as I saw a family turning to take a family photo. This is how the mother would describe the printed picture to someone: "Here's the last picture I have of my husband and kids when they turned their back to the hungry bear in Yosemite."

Oh, and after the hike to the waterfall, there was also the line ten people deep to use the "bathroom."

I spent the day driving on the road that took me through the entire park.  After touring the valley, it was time to go back to the campsite for some quiet time with Max.  The following morning, we left our site around 7:30a.m and the line to get a site was out of the door at the reservation house.  Oddly enough, I wasn't the only one who thought it would be a good idea to camp at Yosemite this weekend.

The Women Park Rangers Of Yosemite

After Max and I left Big Bear, we head up to Yosemite.  After a long day of driving, we arrived around four in the afternoon.  Lucky for us, a campsite just opened up that day so there were spots available.  We decided to stay a few nights.

As I mentioned in a previous blog, a goal of mine is to meet woman across the United States in different professions and introduce them to you.  Ultimately, I look forward to the opportunity to put them together in a book. I was lucky enough to meet five park rangers and do a photoshoot with them.  I also spent some time interviewing the more seasoned veteran of the group, Michele.

I checked in to camp and told them about my project.  I was thrilled to hear that all of them were on board with it and agreed to be photographed.  That night I set up camp and Max and I decided to relax after a long day of driving.  The next morning, we woke up and took some pictures of the ladies on duty.

Throughout the day, people were checking in to camp and I considered myself lucky that I got there in time before the entire site filled up.  Shortly after I arrived, the vacancy turned into "full."  There is something about a National Park that we all love.  In fact, I thought about how great it would be to be a park ranger when I was considering job options while I was in college. Things went in a slightly different direction.

These women are living the dream and each day they get to call a National Park their office.  Don't get me wrong, this is not an easy job.  They still have to deal with unhappy campers with a smile.  I witnessed it myself as car after car pulled up hoping for a spot.

I wasn't the only one who thought the park would be a great place to go right before a holiday weekend. More on touring the sites in the next blog.

A big thank you to all of these wonderful rangers that took the time to help me with my project.