Matt's Corner

117/365: April 26th, Yosemite Day 1

Our mission: to drive, dine and hike our way through Yosemite National Park…


: to refresh our hearts & renew our focus… for the deepest joys in life come not from savoring self, but from seeing His splendor…


: to unplug… to be still...
                                 …to just be still...


: to remember… that in the cross of Christ, God rescues us from the house of mirrors and leads us out to the mountains and canyons of His majesty… For nothing satisfies us more…


And so, dad, mom, Matt & I set out on the open road…


Driving happily through the rain—anticipating that the recent rainfall would give rise to swollen waterfalls; hopeful that the water would be full to bursting….


And it was :)


Our hotel was situated along the edge of the Merced River, each of our rooms providing gorgeous views of the river, running bank-full and rowdy…


After a quick check in and very quick unpack, we sped hastily towards the Arch Rock entrance gate of Yosemite.


I was wholly unprepared for the next hour of roadside scenery—for the next few miles I’m transfixed by the panorama of steep granite cliffs, towering trees, crystal clear waters, deep valleys, grand meadows, soaring mountains, and awe inspiring vistas. This place, with its endless scenic beauty, has taken hold of me.


Our first photography stop, Sentinel Falls…



Minutes later, we’re humming across the park towards Bridalveil Falls—which is the infamous waterfall seen in the signature view of Yosemite Valley, with El Capitan opposite and Half Dome looming above—where we found ourselves slightly unprepared for the grandeur of Bridalveil in spring…

Then again, our ill-equipped state simply added to our fun…





This was our attempt at getting up close and personal with this waterfall…


We got drenched. D-R-E-N-C-H-E-D… even though we were still a few hundred yards away from the actual waterfall.


The entire base of the waterfall was soaked in mist—which, in actuality, felt more like a downpour of rain—as the falling water scattered itself in every direction…
…perhaps reminiscent of a bride’s veil flung about in a sudden gust of wind …???... why yes, perhaps so…

The walkway was flooded with water; Matt was the only one brave enough to venture all the way to the base... he opted to do it barefoot…


Laughing and shivering we returned to the car and cranked up the heater to full blast—in attempts to coax our waterlogged tennies to dry out just enough to enable us to continue on…


That we did.

Stopping off to stare, & ooh and ahh, & photograph at a few of Yosemite’s most notable landmarks…





Till the sun set and darkness enveloped the valley…


Back at the hotel, the hubby and I traded our chilling articles of clothing for a hot soak in our private jacuzzi tub and a sit by the fire. Life is good.

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