Greetings from Yosemite National Park

My dying wife had wanted for some time to see Yosemite National Park. It’s a little strange that she hadn’t. Her son used to work there and it’s only a couple of hundred miles from where she lives in the Bay Area.

On one of my trips out there (I live in Chicago - we separated before her terminal illness manifested rather horribly), I drove us to the Park from Berkeley and we stayed at a wonderful little place just outside of the park. The high point of course was the park. While we didn’t have time to see it fully, we saw the main things and were able to have an unforgettable trip.

There is just something very special about these parks (we’ve also been to several others, like Zion and Bryce and Arches on a vacation in Utah - incidentally, that trip, during which we took about 8,000 pictures, was one of the best vacations we ever took). A dying woman wanted to see Yosemite while she still could. I understand and it was one of the most wonderful experiences of my life.

Sincerely,
Larry

Yosemite National Park

With its sculpted granite rock formations, towering ancient sequoia trees and spectacular waterfalls, it's no wonder Yosemite is one of the most celebrated national parks in the world.

State(s): California

Established: 1890

“The above pretty much says most of it. There is a very reverent feeling of absolute peace that you get when entering pretty much every national park I've been to. I really think they are a significant part of the American soul.”

National parks represent the best of America. Why do you care about protecting and preserving them? Tell us why parks matter to you!

{{ active ? "Cancel" : "Begin"}}

Success! Thanks for sharing your story with us.

You’ll be notified by email when your story is approved and added to the collection on the My Park Story homepage.

In the meantime, you can share your own story page with your family and friends — and help us spread the word about these priceless memories and priceless places!

Here’s your unique story page link:

{{ storyUrl }}

* indicates Required fields

Click to choose a file to upload

Submitting your story means that you agree to our Terms of Service

More Stories

  • Greetings from Yosemite National Park

    I don't have a photo, but I finally got to see where my husband rockclimbed amidst such beauty. As we drove into the park, while listening to the music from the movie The Last of the Mohicans, the first view we saw was Bridalveil Falls straight ahead across the valley…

  • Greetings from Yosemite National Park

    In September 2018, we visited Yosemite and attended the night sky program: lying on the helipad, we were awestruck by the Milky Way and stars pointed out to us by the very knowledgeable ranger. It was a fantastic experience!

  • Greetings from Yosemite National Park

    One of my favorite views was of the high Sierra's from the road to the overlook where the firefall used to be pushed over the cliff. At that point the road turned from basically east to almost straight north. I could see snow-capped mountains along a long stretch of the…

Donate

Preserve Our Parks

Make a tax-deductible gift today to provide a brighter future for our national parks and the millions of Americans who enjoy them.

Donate Now