Yosemite—May 2022
We flew into Sacramento International Airport. Easy-peasy airport. Friendly airport experience and easy freeway access. Rented a car through Costco.
The hardest part of traveling is planning. Friends have asked me for recommendations from trips my husband and I take. Why re-invent the wheel?
If I tell you where we’ve stayed, it’s because it passed the test and we’d stay there again.
Tips:
- The best times to visit Yosemite are May and September when it’s not too crowded.
- Even in May, roads and trails might be closed due to weather (especially Tioga Road).
- If you are traveling with others and sharing costs, download the free app called Splitwise: splitwise.com
Splitwise records expenses easily and splits them as you travel so to settle up with your traveling companions at the end of your trip is hassle free.
- Exploring on your own in a car? Download the Yosemite driving tour app called Gypsy Guide. gypsyguide.com
It’s a narrated guide that plays automatically as you drive based on your location using the GPS in your smartphone. It’s not expensive and you’ll feel like you have your own personal tour guide. The commentary is filled with behind-the-scenes stories of the area, local tips and driving directions. We had previously bought Hawaii, Big Island Tours and Hawaii, Maui Tours.
- Take water bottles when hiking and have a pair of hiking boots or sturdy shoes…and good socks.
- Day pack for hikes.
- Clothes: Pack light. If you stay in places with a washer and dryer pack even lighter. You don’t need dressy clothes in Yosemite National Park.
We were in Yosemite for a total of 4 days and then traveled to Napa for 3 days. I used packing cubes. My challenge: it was cold in Yosemite and hot in Napa.
I packed:
- 1 pair of hiking pants
- Patagonia puffy jacket. I love this jacket. https://www.rei.com/product/102353/patagonia-nano-puff-jacket-womens
- Hiking boots or good sturdy grip walking shoes
- 2 long sleeve shirts for hiking. I like light pullover shirts.
- Vest for layering
- Kuhl lightweight sweatshirt (if weather report doesn’t forecast cold temps then leave this at home)
- Sweater
- 2 short sleeve shirts for Napa
- 1 pair of shorts for Napa
- 1 pair black pants-Napa, when you go out to eat
- Hat (my favorite is a packable Wallaroo Victoria Fedora) and beanie knit hat
- Binoculars (which I forgot)
- Rain jacket
Tips:
- On the plane I wore jeans, slip on shoes (My favorite are: https://www.nordstrom.com/s/ilse-jacobsen-tulip-139-perforated-slip-on-sneaker ,long sleeve pullover shirt and light jacket.
- Carry an extra pair of underwear and toiletries in a carry-on just in case you get stranded on one of your legs of travel.
So, let’s get started shall?