Yosemite, the land God made

It all sounded very romantic, but it was nothing like I was expecting. We camped outside of the National Park in a very dusty campsite with very few amenities. There was nowhere for the kids to play, and it was on the major road into the NP, so it very busy. Fortunately, there was a diner next to the campsite, so we were able to use their pool if we used the bar/diner. It was geared towards young students and backpackers; not a bad experience for families, but not the best either. The food was not geared toward kids. All gear was provided, but I was a bit nervous when it was hauled out of the shed it was stored in after being used by previous campers. It wasn’t that clean.

Go and see the trees whilst you still can. They are amazing. We are so insignificant by comparison. Some of the trees from the famous photos are dead now, but one can still stand under them and the kids (and brave adults who don't mind getting very dusty) can climb through them.

We hiked down from Glacier point. It is a very steep climb, and although only 4 miles, it took about 4 hours, as you can't walk very fast. It was quite tiring on the calf muscles. There wasn't much water, so carry some with you. It was beautiful and the viewpoints across are quite stunning. Quite a bit of the hike was in the shade. It was not always interesing climbing, and it did get a bit tedious at times.