The blog is back! I’m so sorry for the gap in posts but I promise that I’m going to hit the ground running with lots of new destinations I’ve explored and want to share with you. Brian and I took a trip out west to visit my brother, Keith, in Reno, Nevada. We spent the majority of our time in Yosemite National Park and Lake Tahoe before giving Keith a big hug and flying to Portland for the last few days of the trip. This post will focus on the first portion of the vacation, Reno and Yosemite.
Now you can fly direct to Reno from New York on JetBlue! Honestly, we didn’t do much in Reno besides eat and buy supplies for our camping trip. Keith told us that Reno is trying to revitalize itself and some of its neighborhoods and that was clear to see as we drove through the city. We stayed at The Whitney Peak Hotel (http://www.whitneypeakhotel.com/) , Reno’s only non-smoking, non-casino hotel but it’s hard to escape the smell of cigarette smoke that still lingers in the hallway. That being said it wasn’t overpriced and it was centrally located. Here’s where we ate:
Two Chicks (http://twochicksreno.com/) Delicious brunch with gluten free options. Super cute spot in the Midtown neighborhood. My favorite meal in Reno.
Great Full Gardens (http://greatfullgardens.com/) Great breakfast and coffee. Keith and Brian enjoyed the Leige waffles that were decadent. Also in Midtown.
The Depot (http://thedepotreno.com/) Impressive craft brewery and distillery. Our mains were pretty good but we probably should have ordered more small plates since that was our favorite part of the meal. I loved the building and the decor as well.
If you have extra time in Reno, Keith suggested also checking out the Nevada Museum of Art http://www.nevadaart.org/. We also would have used Thrillist’s suggestions http://www.thrillist.com/travel/new-york/a-new-yorkers-guide-to-reno. Overall Reno, America’s Biggest Little City, was a great jumping off point for the rest of our journey.
Domes on our Glen Aulin hike
Yosemite National Park
This summer commemorates Yosemite’s 125th anniversary as our country’s third national park. President Benjamin Harrison signed the legislation that protects 1,500 square miles of awe inspiring land and water forms. We were overwhelmed by the beauty of the park and our time spent in Yosemite was the highlight of the trip. We camped for 3 nights. On April 15th, camping spots open up and you have to be fast to grab spots. The first night we camped at Tuolumne Meadows and the second and third nights we stayed at the Upper Pines campsite in Yosemite Valley. The experience of camping put me totally out of my element but it was wonderful and made me feel like we had an authentic back to nature vacation.
On the way to Yosemite we stopped to check out the views of Mono Lake and to grab food in Lee Vining so that the boys could eat fish tacos at the Whoa Nellie Deli (http://www.whoanelliedeli.com/). These tacos are named some of the best gas station food in the country!
From the summit of Thunder Dome
We went on three separate hikes. The first day we hiked 13 miles round trip to Glen Aulin Sierra Camp (http://www.yosemitehikes.com/tioga-road/glen-aulin/glen-aulin.htm) The hike was relatively flat but the vistas were spectacular. We went off course a bit to climb one of the domes to get some rock scrambling in and declared it Thunder Dome. The boys jumped in Tenaya Lake to cool off after the hike and we celebrated the Fourth of July with some beers by Keith’s pickup truck. Doesn’t get more American than that!
Vernal Falls
Our next hike on Day 2 was in the Valley. We hiked the busy and paved Mist Trail to the top of Vernal Falls (http://www.yosemitehikes.com/yosemite-valley/mist-trail/mist-trail.htm). While the hike is only 3 miles round trip, it’s very steep (1,000 feet elevation in 1.5 miles). The waterfall is spectacular and we veered off the trail to get closer to really feel the mist. If you have more energy you can continue up another 2 miles (and another 1,000 feet) to the summit of Nevada Falls. But we decided to take it easy to rest up for our last and most extensive hike of the trip.
Admittedly I was nervous to hike Cloud’s Rest (http://www.yosemitehikes.com/tioga-road/clouds-rest/clouds-rest.htm) a 14.5 mile round trip hike that includes an intense mile of endless switchbacks and a ridge the width of sidewalk to the summit. The park ranger at the Visitor’s Center told us it was one of the top 3 hikes she’s ever completed. Despite being a bit scared and feeling unsure that I had enough endurance to make it, I totally rocked it and it was 100% worth it. The summit left us speechless. You end at the East side of the valley with views of the entire valley including Half Dome, Yosemite Falls and even a bit of El Cap). Even with some hail on the hike down, it was an amazing hike!
Cloud’s Rest with Half Dome between my head and Keith’s head
The ridge to the summit of Cloud’s Rest
Some things to note: Yosemite Valley is much more touristy than Tuolumne Meadows. There are hotels, restaurants and pools. There’s even a bar where we watched the USA women’s team win the World Cup. There are lots of options for families and those that don’t want as much of an outdoorsy trip as we did. That being said don’t forget about the Meadows. They have much to offer and shouldn’t be missed.
I highly recommend spending time in Yosemite or at any national park. They are true treasures and everyone should enjoy what they have to offer. Next post I’ll fill you in on our time in Lake Tahoe and Portland.
The Primary Source 