Birthday Traditions

Birthday Traditions

Linda’s Annual Birthday Trip to Yosemite

Linda’s birthday is November the 2^nd, and many years ago, we started taking an overnight trip to Yosemite right around her birthday to check out the fall colors. It’s such a magical experience that after the first time we took this trip, we inadvertently stumbled upon a tradition that has just stuck ever since!

This year, I excitingly planned our trip to take my bride up and celebrate yet another trip around the sun. We never know exactly what to expect weather-wise when we plan this trip each year. We’ve seen a bit of everything over the years, but this year, the day was quite nice, a chilly 48°, and perfect for hiking around and having fun in Yosemite.  

Most often, we will stay at the Tenaya Lodge for the night and then head into Yosemite the next day. This year we stayed at the Narrow Gauge Inn because we wanted to bring our dog Kobe with us and I wasn’t quite sure about taking him to the Tenaya. Turns out however that they do allow pets so it would have been fine.

We headed up the mountain on Halloween night, checked into the Narrow Gauge Inn, and then headed up to the Tenaya Lodge to have dinner at the Jackalopes Bar & Grill. Linda had the Sauteed Garlic Crunch Shrimp, and I had the Grilled Harris Ranch Filet Mignon, and they were they each incredible. They sat us by the enclosed glass fireplace, and it set the perfect stage to have dinner and reflect on the year behind us and marvel that in the blink of an eye, it’ll soon be Christmas once again. Linda had a cocktail, and I had a beer, and we toasted to Linda, a beautiful, remarkable woman that I get the privilege of calling my wife.

The next morning, we headed into Yosemite. One of the big benefits of coming this time of year is that there are no crowds. We drove right up to the gate and headed in. No reservation is required, and no hassle.  

CHECK OUT THIS 1-MINUTE VIDEO OF OUR DAY!

This year, we stopped at the Pioneer Village, which is right off the parking lot by the Wawona Hotel. If you’ve never stopped in there and taken that in, it’s very much worth your time. It’s a collection of rustic cabins, each telling a story of what life was like for the pioneer settlers who came to the Yosemite area all those years ago. In the summertime, they have living history actors re-enacting how the daily life would have been for them back in the 1800’s, complete with horse-drawn carriages, and a blacksmith in his shop, forge heated and working away. It’s super interesting if you’re a history buff or even if you’re not.

After an hour or so, we headed towards the valley floor. Most years, we take the hike to Mirror Lake, which is on the far East side of the valley floor. This is a very scenic 2-mile round trip hike that is just incredible with an assortment of fall colors in bright yellow, orange and shades of red. Interestingly enough, the fall colors had only just started to change when their normally at their peak display this time of year. So, if you still want to take the trip, you’re in luck. I’d say by the middle of November, the timing should be spot on.

Many times, we have stopped in at the Ahwahnee Hotel for lunch to get a bowl of chili and sometimes a glass of wine, but this year, they were no longer serving lunch in the front bar area, so we elected to move on to a different spot. There is not a lot in the way of good food to be found in Yosemite. Linda and I were discussing that next time, we need to plan ahead and bring some items of our own for a special creekside lunch somewhere. It will be a lot nicer (and cheaper) than a pizza or hamburger.

We spent time hiking along the North side of the valley up against El Capitan and were captivated by several groups of climbers on the wall. Some as high as halfway up. I counted 14 that I could see with my bare eyes, so I’m guessing that early to mid-fall is the best time maybe to climb the wall.

By this time, it was after 4 pm, and we decided to pack it in for the day and head home. We left through Highway 140 and through Mariposa just to do something different and see some different sites.

Another amazing day, hanging out with Linda and having a wonderful time. Kobe also loved his time in the Yosemite Valley and we always enjoy watching him have so much fun.