Day 7 - First Day in Yosemite National Park 🥾🌲

Around 8 AM, we set off for Lee Vining, our next stop and starting point for Yosemite National Park. The drive was pleasantly short at just 1.5 hours, and by about 10 AM, we had arrived at our accommodation, 'Murpheys Motel', where we couldn’t check in yet.

Since the day was still young, we spontaneously decided to head straight into Yosemite and start with our first exploration tour. As soon as we entered the park, we were speechless – steep rock walls, endless forests, and this incredible vastness. Every viewpoint looked like a picture from a nature calendar. It felt almost surreal to stand there and soak in the landscape.

Around 3 PM, we returned to our motel in Lee Vining. After a short break in the room, we strolled through the small town, bought some groceries, and then satisfied our hunger at Nicely's Restaurant & Mike Bodie’s Diner. Not only was there good food, but we also made a funny discovery: On the coffee cup in which our dessert coffee was served, the most beautiful sights of the area were depicted.

A glance at it was enough to immediately captivate Marc – especially the nearby Western Ghost Town Bodie fascinated him. Tina wasn’t initially convinced, especially since visiting it the next day would mean a 1.5-hour detour. 🙈 In the end, however, she was persuaded – not least due to Marc's contagious excitement. 😅

Back at the motel, we relaxed in the evening – playing a round of Qwixx, a game of Uno Flip, and holding a cold cola in hand. A perfect ending to our first day in Yosemite. Tomorrow holds a little detour into the past – to the old gold mining town of Bodie.