Yosemite National Park is my favorite California Park. I go there every time I get a chance. Most of the times I visit Yosemite National Park in the early summer or spring. This is usually the best time to see the waterfalls at full capacity. But how about the winter? I got a chance to visit Yosemite National Park in mid-November and while there was not much water in the waterfalls, I enjoyed the different colors of the trees due to changing seasons. One of my favorite trails in Yosemite National Park is the Yosemite Falls trail. Read on to find out about my experience hiking this trail and to see some great pictures.Directions to the Yosemite Falls trails head
The trail starts at Camp 4 or Shuttle Stop #7. You can just look for signs to Lower Yosemite Fall which is just a few hundred feed from the main road. Once you see the sign you can park in the parking lot on your left, close to Yosemite Lodge. Then just walk across the street and follow the signs to the Yosemite Falls trail head.
Yosemite Falls has two parts: Upper Yosemite Fall and Lower Yosemite Fall. Both parts can be easily admired from the main road. But in order to get to the top of Yosemite Falls you need to follow this strenuous trail.
Yosemite Falls trail has been built between 1873 and 1877 and the park’s staff keep working on it to maintain it. This trail leads you to the top of Yosemite Fall which is North America’s tallest waterfall. It is 2425 feet (739 meters) above the Yosemite Valley floor…so it’s a very steep climb to the top. However, when you get to Columbia Rock on top of the fall, the views are simply breathtaking. It is very hard to capture in words and pictures what you see from the top. You just have to hike it yourself.
The Yosemite Falls trail provides the hiker with amazing views of the Yosemite Valley everywhere along the way. This picture was taken in mid-November.
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Yosemite Falls trail is one hard hike
Even though this is one of my favorite trails in Yosemite, the Yosemite Falls hike is no joke. It is about 7 miles (11km) long and it can take from 6 to 8 hours round trip. If it’s sunny outside, have some sunscreen with you and use it. The sun burns in Yosemite year round. Also, don’t forget to take plenty of water and some comfortable hiking shoes. The trail is very well maintained but I’ll say it again: this is one hard hike and you need to be prepared.
Yosemite Valley seen from Columbia Rock on top of Yosemite Falls. This picture was taken on a summer day.
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La Purisima Mission is one of the 27 California missions that line up the California coast from south to north. Located in Lompoc, La Purisima is actually a state park and it has been extensively reconstructed to better capture the feel of the Mission times. With lots of things to offer for the entire family, La Purisima Mission Park is a great tourist stop for the California traveler. Read on to find out what is worth seeing at La Purisima.
The mountains around San Luis Obispo Bay area hide Avila Beach very well. But if you’re willing to get off the beaten path and get off the freeway you will be rewarded greatly with stunning views of the ocean and a relaxed atmosphere in one of the little known California beach towns. Avila Beach, California is the perfect beach town. It’s small, clean and simply beautiful!
Pismo Beach is one of those hidden tourist jewels that is within easy reach but bypassed many times by tourists. The California coast is just beautiful off the 101 freeway in the Pismo Beach area. The fact that many larger tourist attractions like San Luis Obisbo and Hearst Castle are so close, most tourists just pass by Pismo Beach on their way up north. What a mistake! Pismo Beach is just an amazing stop even if you have only few hours to spare. Pretty soon I’ll post my detailed Pismo Beach travel guide, but for now 
We visited San Francisco a few times and we loved it every time. This time however it was in December and it was raining hard and the San Francisco Bay was covered in thick fog. We ended up mostly driving around but we were still able to walk around Fisherman Wharf area and enjoy the sites. San Francisco is spectacular despite the rain. Read on to find out the main tourist attractions in downtown San Francisco.
Lots to see in Palm Springs and the surrounding areas. If you make sure you don’t visit Palm Springs after middle of May and before middle of September, you will have a great time in the Palm Springs area. If you come during the summer, you will be confined inside your hotel where the air conditioner will make the temperature bearable.
Lake Tahoe is one of the most popular attractions in California. It is mostly known as one of the best winter resorts in the world. However, Lake Tahoe is a great family vacation spot in the summer as well. We found Lake Tahoe to be very relaxing and family friendly. My family found great things to see and we enjoyed the beautiful views and places to visit. This article contains our favorite places to visit in Lake Tahoe.
Every year the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California puts on the best show. Entitled the Tournament of Roses, this amazing parade is all about flowers and in particular about roses. We always wanted to go to the Rose Parade, but with two small children coming out in the very early hours of the morning just to get a somewhat decent seat, is out of the question. So, we opted to come see the floats in what is called the Post Parade event where you come admire the floats that have been parked on a couple of wide streets. Is it really worth it? Well, read on to find out.
Sometimes when traveling you get to witness amazing things that you were not planning to see at all. This is what happened to me when going to the beach again at Point Mugu State Beach in California. I have brought some relatives of ours to the beach since they have not been in this part of the state. When we got there, we noticed that the waves were pretty rough and very loud (about 10 feet high). The water was breaking very close to shore, which made it pretty hard for us to enjoy the water. Eventually we decided to head back home since we couldn’t really play in the water much.
We wanted to go to the beach one weekend and we decided to go to Point Mugu since we haven’t been there in a long time. Since I have forgotten to take cash with me, I couldn’t park at the state beach and ended up parking right next to the Mugu Rock and then went down to a small rock beach nearby. We ended up having a great time and saw a sea lion and lots of pelicans. My daughter loved the trip.
We have visited UCLA in the winter on a sunny December day. Even though the day was short, we had a great time. I always like visiting the UCLA campus, regardless if it’s summer or winter, school day or weekend…I just love it. Maybe it’s because I graduated from UCLA myself…yeah it’s because of that. However, I believe anyone can enjoy visiting the campus for a day, including your children.
[...] Yosemite Fall trail leading to the top of Yosemite Falls. This hike is not an easy hike! So, you have to be careful. It is a steep hike that can take anywhere from 6 to 8 hours round trip. However, the views from the top are simply breathtaking and to get to see where Yosemite Falls starts is a definitely a unique experience. Read my hiker’s guide for Yosemite Falls Trail in Yosemite. [...]