July 2014: California trip--Part III: YOSEMITE!

We left the Hyatt Hotel and Union Square and drove to Yosemite for the weekend! It was a rather long, tiring drive, but a nice change from the city. We checked in our lame motel room and went to see the famous Sequoia trees in Mariposa Grove our first evening. They were AMAZING!

Monstrous Sequoia trees in Mariposa Grove near the south Yosemite entrance 

My mom and Mike walking around one of the protected trees in the area

The Sequoias are among other, smaller pines in the forest

Dead roots of a fallen Sequoia 

These monsters are so big and tall!

Sequoias have withstood forest fires due to their size and density

Mike and my mom pose near a group of gorgeous Sequoias

The name of this giant Sequoia is The Bachelor and the Three Maidens
I needed to take 3 individual photos to get the whole tree in the photo!

Photo 1 

Photo 2

Photo 3

This was the saddest scene ever! On our way up to Yosemite the following morning, we passed a sign that read: "Speed Kills Bears." Moments later we saw this poor bear who had been hit by a speeding van just minutes earlier! She had been dragged by the van's bumper, which had broken off and was on the side of the road.

Gorgeous vistas on our way up to Glacier Point in Yosemite

Mike with his sick wife--I had the flu during our whole Yosemite experience 

In fact, I found out a week later that it was strep-throat!

Half Dome and waterfalls

Me and my mom with El Capitan in the distance

El Capitan rises above the rest of the massive granite rocks

Glacier Point waterfall

Mike and my mom at one of the viewing stops

A friendly squirrel amongst the tourists

Cool tunnel leading to the south entrance to Yosemite

Beautiful Blue Jay we spotted near Yosemite