After our second and final night in Yosemite National Park it was time for us to move on (for me, so very reluctantly!). I did, however, manage to achieve something I thought unlikely – I saw a bear in the wild!! We were on the Yosemite shuttle bus, doing a circuit of the valley, and there it was, lumbering across the road, in the direction of our campsite. No joke. That was a little unnerving, but nevertheless, what a buzz!!

Goodbye to a quaint 100+ year old camp.

And I bid you farewell, El Capitan.

On the road again.

A beautiful sight.   And where is Brenna? – I hear you say.  Brenna was a saint.  She often sacrificed the lookout or the activity to see to a small child that needed her.  On this particular trip, the winding roads made for some upset little tummies…

Our next overnight stop was the tiny hamlet of Three Rivers, near the edge of Sequoia National Park. We made a detour first, however, to visit the Mariposa Grove – home of several Giant Sequoias. It turned into a double detour for me, as I’d left my purse back at the Yosemite General Store, an 1.5 hour return trip. So while the others explored, I took Tylie and headed back. It was actually really lovely – just the road, the trees, and me.

And when I got back, BOO-YA!! – the most amazing tree I had seen to date. A colossus of botanical splendour. By the time I’d arrived back, though, everyone was about ready to leave, so we continued on our merry way. I could reconcile myself to this as I knew we were headed to Sequoia National Park tomorrow!