Yosemite the Beautiful

Besides being one of the most beautiful places in the world, Yosemite holds a dear place in my heart's memory. If you haven't visited yet, stop what you're doing and go now. Seriously, stop reading this. Just kidding, you probably wouldn't be able to find a campsite because Yosemite is one of the most popular national parks in the U.S.

So here are some tips to help your future trip to Yosemite go as smooth as those rose quartz rocks you can buy in Curry Village!



We call in mid-March to book our sites for lake August. That's right-- you gotta call months in advance to get an assigned camp spot. That's not to say that you couldn't rest your head somewhere if you just showed up. There are backpacker's camps for slackers like you.

There are bears in that there them hills! But seriously, there are a lot of bears in Yosemite. Unlike other places you might have camped, you need to lock everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) in a bear box, like the one above. 

 

There is a hybrid, "green" shuttle that transports you all over the park. I'm always so impressed because it just feels fucking WEIRD to drive in a national park. I mean...you're in nature and yet you're creating more pollution and burning fossil fuels. It just doesn't make sense, I tell ya.

Last month I went on an all-ladies Big Sur camping trip. I have been wanting to go to Big Sur for years and it did not disappoint. I'll have a full post on travel tips and where to go, but in the meantime, I wanted to share some camping essentials. Whenever I travel, I try to take things that can serve more than one function.

1 I love me some thick-ass Mexican-style blankets. These types of blankets do more than just serve as pretty picnic blankets. I used as an extra layer over my sleeping bag and to shield food in the car from the sun.

2 We learned the hard way-- buy a shit ton of wood-- more than you think you'll ever need. My great accomplishment of the trip was creating an awesome fire on our second night there. Once you get that fire going, you don't want to run out of wood.

3 A good book is essential-- I don't think I need to go into more detail about this. Take something that is a fun read. This year I'm giving myself permission to read more fantasy, more teen-lit, and sci fi.

4 If you don't have a headlamp, you're a big dummy. Having a hands-free light when you need to do dishes in the dark, need to find your way to a safe pee space in the middle of the night, and just for general walking in the dark safety. For some reason people think these are dorky...I think they're big dummies.

5 I always take a couple of good cotton scarves when I travel. They're good for sun cover, to cover your mouth if you're somewhere smelly or with a lot of bugs, and they're good for an extra towel in a pinch. I also use mine to cover my eyes when I sleep because daylight coming through your tent can be a pain.

6 Take more towels than you think you'll need, especially if you're doing a lot of "gourmet" cooking. We also used towels to wrap delicate dishes or food that needed extra protection.

7 Yes they are ugly, but you should take some sort of slippers or uggs with you. I got some fake uggs right before the trip-- they not only keep your feet cozy at night, but because they're higher up you can tromp through the campground without worrying about getting your legs dirty or rashy from poison ivy.