Yosemite
Half Dome photographed from Big Oak Flat Road
Getting there
I flew into Fresno to start my trip to Yosemite and Sequoia & Kings Canyon. The Yosemite Valley is about two hours away from the airport, depending on traffic and how often you’d like to stop and see all of the views. Grant Grove in Sequoia & Kings Canyon is a little over an hour away from the Fresno airport.
Tioga Road
I visited Yosemite in mid-October and there were plenty of fall colors to see. I spent one whole day driving along Tioga Road, pulling off for views and heading out on some of the hiking trails along the route. My favorite was hiking the section of the John Muir Trail from Tuolomne Meadows toward Lyell Canyon.
Yosemite Valley
The valley was still fairly busy in mid-October, but nowhere near as packed as summer. If you are interested in the park’s waterfalls, I recommend planning to visit in late spring or early summer when the snowmelt is going strong.
I loved walking the valley loop trail and definitely recommend visiting the Ansel Adams Gallery.
For gluten free meals in the valley, Degnan’s Deli had gluten free bread, I had a great dinner at the Mountain Room and really liked the Ahwahnee breakfast buffet. The Village Store has a ton of snacks and groceries.
The Camp Curry pizza
I read so many rave reviews of the pizza at the Camp Curry pizza deck.
I was skeptical, especially because gluten free pizza crust can be so sad. But this pizza lived up to all the hype.
A full 10/10. Highly recommend after a long day of hiking and exploring the park.
Hanging out on the deck was lovely, too. The view of half dome just above the restaurant, talking with the other hikers, all of it was perfect.
