Fresno to Yosemite

In planning for our year of cozy experiences, one of the most anticipated events would be the trek to Yosemite. This auspicious October week started off by me accompanying Peter to Fresno for one of his quarterly in-person meetings. We headed up on Monday night after I got home from work. It would be a nearly 4 hour drive fro LA to Fresno that evening. Fortunately, we had packed the night prior. We are pretty light packers, but were sure to bring a big freezer bag and a treasure chest of snacks.

We made one stop in Bakersfield en route to Fresno to pick up some sour gummies and bottled water. I was feeling particularly carsick that evening, so I couldn’t get a breath of fresh air as we pulled into Bakersfield which is known to have one of the worst air qualities in the country. From Bakersfield, we hauled ourselves to Fresno. We checked in to the hotel through a kiosk remotely controlled by a worker in India. It was a confusing experiencing. It was nearly 11:00 PM by the time we checked in, showered, and hopped into bed.

Throughout Tuesday and Wednesday, it was nice to get a peek into Peter’s Fresno experiences, starting with the hotel continental breakfast. We had a limited selection every morning of both powdered eggs and rubbery hard-boiled eggs alongside various breakfast meats and a salsa bar. The only saving grace was the yogurt. I made myself a breakfast burrito bowl on both Tuesday and Wednesday as that would be our only form of sustenance until lunch.

For lunch on Tuesday, Peter took me to one of his two favorite restaurants where he would, on some trips, get the same order of chicken teriyaki with steamed vegetables repeatedly. I could see why—it was pretty good and offered balance as far as nutrition goes. And for dinner, he took me to his other favorite restaurant which has more of a farm-to-table type concept. Although tasty, was a little oilier and saltier than we had hoped for dishes that sounded fairly healthy. We only had half our dinners due to having had a late lunch—we’d have the other half for Wednesday’s lunch. To walk off dinner, we went to a local affluent neighborhood for our evening stroll while admiring the homes. We talked dreams of our own home in the future (but of course not in Fresno).

Wednesday arrived quickly and it was more of the same. We had our continental breakfast before getting through work for that day. I stayed in the hotel room while Peter attended his in-person meetings. He had some time off for lunch so he came home to eat leftovers with me. We worked a little more, had our weekly couple’s therapy, and then went out to grab me dinner. He would be attending his own dinner with coworkers that evening. I ate alone at the hotel while he was out with his coworkers.

Soon enough, however, he was back at the hotel for the evening and we zipped right over to the Fresno airport. The time had finally come to pick up our friends, Jen and Zane. They were flying in from Oregon to join us for Yosemite. Wednesday evening marked the end of our work weeks and the beginning of a much needed vacation. Upon landing, Jen and Zane requested to be brought to Fresno’s finest dining establishment. Of course, we obliged by bringing them to a hole-in-the-wall Mexican joint. Peter and I had our second dinner there while Zane and Jen had their first. We soon headed back to the hotel where Jen would retire to bed immediately (she was coming off a string of night shifts and did not sleep that morning).

We all slept in until 7:00 AM on Thursday. Peter and I headed out to Costco separately to fill up on gas and to pump his tires. We introduced Jen and Zane to the glorious hotel breakfast before heading up toward Yosemite. We stopped by Oakhurst first to grab groceries for the remainder of the week. Jen and Zane had several recipes prepared and grocery shopped on our behalf. Sustenance for the long weekend would otherwise be very limited in the park itself. Once we had groceries and re-fueled on coffee, we were ready to make our way into the park. The time passed quickly as we played We’re Not Really Strangers, learning more about each other.

The drive into Yosemite was very beautiful. We couldn’t check into our AirBnB until 4:00 PM and it was only 11:00 AM when we arrived. We first explored the Bridalveil Fall which was completely dried up when we arrived. No matter, we ended up going to Yosemite Village, which functions as the central hub of the park. There, we walked around briefly before having our lunch sandwiches. The sandwiches were a dry combination of just havarti cheese and roasted turkey breast on a loaf. It was a true taste of hardship.

After lunch, we still had quite some time before checking in to the AirBnB so we checked out all the cute museums, displays, and galleries located in Yosemite Village. Eventually 4:00 PM came and we headed over to the airBnB. The day was much warmer than any of us anticipated, so we were all exhausted from the heat. Zane and Jen started on dinner as soon as we settled into the AirBnB. They made a delicious oyakodon, after which we sat around chit chatting for a very long time. We reminisced about all the fun times we had on our Japan trip of summer 2025. Content from our first day in the park, we all washed up and retired to bed early that evening.

Friday morning arrived with a surprise. We all woke up to no electricity. We did not realize that the property would rely, in part, on a generator. It had run out of fuel sometime over night. Fortunately, the stove-top was at least gas so Jen was able to whip us up a quick breakfast of eggs, sausage, and kale salad. I pulled us some of the weakest double shots using the host’s espresso machine. The generator eventually came back online once the groundskeeper refilled the fuel. As we wrapped up breakfast, we made the decision to tackle the Mist Trail that day.

Our AirBnB, being located in the park itself, was not too far from the Mist Trail. It was a moderate difficulty hike that contained some spectacular views of the granite formations. If so inclined, the trail would lead up to several different waterfalls. It was quite a strenuous hike with many steep stairs on the way up. The waterfall at the end was not nearly as impressive as we had hoped given that it was fall. It was also very crowded. It seemed like we were struggling except Zane, a veteran hiker who successfully tackled the PCT in his youth on his own.

After making it to the top, we sat around and had some much needed snacks. For the hike down, we took a back route which was much easier. It lacked the tortuous stairs and was mostly a flat dirt decline, albeit narrow at some junctions. It unfortunately was also littered with copious amounts of horse poop. However, it was very shaded which was much needed after getting to the top under the blazing sun. This back route was also much quieter and with fewer tourists and hikers so we were able to enjoy some time alone in the wilderness.

Upon making it back to Yosemite Village, we had walked about 17k steps with our calves and quads completely busted from all the incline. We were ravenous by this point so we sought out a real lunch as our modest snacks had worn off. We got some sandwiches, fries, and soft services (which were suspiciously similar to Costco’s). We were not in any condition for a second hike as we had originally intended. We were a little ambitious with the planning. So instead, we hook the rest of the day slow by meandering through both Yosemite and Curry Villages before heading back to the AirBnB.

By the time we got back to the AirBnB, it was about 4:30 PM. Peter and I immediately hopped into the shower and then into bed for a quick nap. That quick nap turned into a 2 hour nap. Jen and Zane only napped for an hour, and had gotten up before us to start on dinner. By the time Peter and I woke up, the generator was once again out of fuel. Luckily, the groundskeeper was on top of it and it had it refueled in no time. By then, the lights were back on and dinner was served: a build-your-own chipotle bowl. Jen and Zane were really spoiling us with home cooked meals this trip.

Dinner was very pleasant, especially as we opened a bottle of crisp white wine. We were celebrating Jen’s birthday: the whole reason this trip was planned. A dear friend, she has left such an influence on me over the last decade that we’ve known each other. To end the night, we drove back out to a quiet spot underneath the stars amidst the towering trees to just stargaze. We brought with us a bag of popcorn to share, a few lawn chairs to relax, and a pair of blankets to stay cozy. That was perhaps the perfect way to end the day.

Saturday arrived quickly and this would mark our last full day in Yosemite. We wanted this day to be more chill and with less strenuous hikes. Peter could barely roll out of bed that morning. We decided on exploring Tioga Road, which is 65 miles of wondrous beauty with many stops to explore. As usual, breakfast was prepared by Jen and Zane. I was on coffee duty which turned out only marginally better than the day prior.

For our tour of Tioga Road, we started off with Tuolomne Grove which is known for it’s giant sequoias. Weather was absolutely perfect, which made the walk evermore pleasant. We learned a lot more about owls than we had anticipated from a very friendly and knowledgeable park ranger. There were so many magnificent trees; pictures really cannot do them justice! We walked by a few fallen giants which really helped to put their size into more perspective. To think some of these trees continue to stand strong after millennia is really amazing.

We unfortunately were not prepared with lunch, thinking that we could find food at one of the stops on our journey. That was not the case. Instead, we just ended up eating junk food all day in the car—thank goodness for bringing as hefty a supply as we did. The AirBnB actually also provided quite a generous amount. We eventually found ourselves at Olmsted Point which had one of the most dramatic views of the park. It really showcased the granite formations.

As we snacked and made our way deeper on Tioga Road, we found ourselves at Tuolomne Meadows. Located further in side the park at the end of Tioga Road, Tuolomne Meadows had very sparse visitors. This made for a quiet and serene experience. It was awesome to see the changes in landscape, from rocky granite to tree-lined mountainsides to now expansive meadows of yellow. We enjoyed the tranquil breeze for a few moments before continuing on our journey.

The final destination would be Tenaya Lake. It’s easily accessible by car and offers stunning views. We were all left in awe by the glistening clear waters. The way in which the lake sparkled under the sunlight against a backdrop of tree-lined shores: absolute perfection. This is also a great destination as it was not overflowing with visitors. It was also a fairly large lake with multiple vantage points. Unfortunately, it was getting late by this time, and thus we were headed back to our AirBnB.

I think we were all ready for a hot meal as we skipped lunch only to fill up on cookies and chips. The moment we got back to the AirBnB, Jen and Zane once again got to preparing dinner. Peter and I washed up before joining them at the dinner table for a delicious hummus bowl. This was Peter’s favorite meal of the trip. Though to be fair, he enjoyed all of Jen’s and Zane’s cooking. How fortunate were we to have a pair of friends who can actually cook?

After dinner, we relaxed a little bit on the couch watching re-runs of Schitt’s Creek. I can’t believe Peter has never seen this show. He laughed and giggled so much throughout the episodes, I may just force him to watch the series in its entirety at some point. We then turned off the television, chit-chatted some more with popcorn, and then retired to bed. We’d be getting up at 4:00 AM to get Zane and Jen to the airport on time for their flight back to Portland, OR! And this would wrap up our amazing trip to Yosemite. We’re already thinking of our next trip, both to a national park as well as with beloved friends!