Yosemite Glamping and Toasted Coconut and Pistachio Bars
Yosemite Glamping
A few weekends ago, I went glamping in Yosemite. Every summer, we try to get a campground inside Yosemite National Park, but it can be hard, and they go quickly! We weren’t able to get a spot this year, so we stayed a few miles outside of the park entrance at the Thousand Trails RV/Campground and stayed in a cottage! Our cottage sleeps 6, but to be honest, it’s perfect for 3-4 people. It came equipped with a set of bunk beds, a queen size bed, and a sofa bed. The kitchen has pots, pans, cutlery, and serveware for you to use, as well as a fridge, stove, and microwave. You do need to bring any seasonings or food that you want to cook with you! Also the cabin has heating and A/C!
Here is my perfect 2 day itinerary at Yosemite!
Friday night: Drive to the campground and get in at night/evening. Set up a campfire and enjoy the stars!
Saturday : Make breakfast and head to Rainbow Pools, about 5 minutes from the campground. It costs $10 to go in and park, so make sure to bring cash! There are two areas you can swim in. One has a waterfall and a deep pool where many people are cliff-jumping into the water. It’s less crowded and shaded in this area.
On the other side, there is a shallow river that you can wade and swim in. We spent some time here as well. Lots of people brought chais that they just plopped down into the river and relaxed in- this felt like the right move to make! Bring towels, snacks and sunscreen with you! We spent a couple of hours here and then left to go to the cabin around lunch.
Have a late lunch at the cabin and play some board games until 3:45 PM. Then, head out to Yosemite. Yosemite National Park requires reservations to enter the park from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m., but you can go after 4 p.m. without a reservation! It's a 9-minute drive to the entrance and another 45-50 minutes until you get to the Yosemite Valley floor.
Take a hike in Yosemite. We liked the Taft Point trail, which is one mile long. It’s easy, well-paved, and has a spectacular view at the end. If you have little ones, I suggest holding onto them, as there aren’t rails around the entire cliff. There are tons of great photo spots at the end of the hike as well! This hike took us about an hour and was a total round trip.
Afterward- drive up to Glacier Point for a lovely view of Half Dome and the sunset! It’s a bit crowded here, but plenty of space for you to find a good viewpoint of the sunset. Bring snacks and a jacket, as it can get quite chilly up here!
Then you can grab dinner at a restaurant in Curry Village and head out. On the way back to Thousand Trails, you can stop and do a little stargazing from the Valley floor!
Sunday: Wake up have breakfast. Check out the Thousand Trails Lodge and play some games- they have air hockey, foosball, a pool table and more!
Right outside of the lodge is a shallow river that you can play in. There are deeper parts that are about 3 ft deep but most of the river is a few inches deep. We played here, building and braking dams, sliding down the rocks into the water, and searching to special stones for hours! It’s a great spot to cool down and splash around! The water is crystal clear and beautiful!
Grab lunch and then head on home!
TIPS:
Download an offline map of the area because there is no reception or wifi in the area.
Your Yosemite ticket is good for 3 days so if you plan on staying longer than a weekend, you can go back the other days after 4pm as well!
What you missed
I shared a recipe for muthiya, a Gujarati dish of steamed dumplings that are then cut and sauteed with spices. I like to call it a veggie nugget because that is essentially what it is! You can find the recipe in the caption.
I also shared a lazy semi-homemade CPK tostada pizza dupe recipe. This meal takes less than 30 minutes to put together, which is perfect for a busy weeknight! The recipe is in the caption as well!
Toasted Coconut and Pistachio Bars
Here is a quick and easy dessert you can make that would be perfect to serve at a party! They’re simple coconut and pistachio bars with a pie crust base, pistachio and coconut filling topped with a layer of semisweet chocolate!
Feel free to swap the pistachios with almonds for a Mounds/Almond Joy vibe!
This recipe is for paid subscribers. If you’re looking for free recipes- check out my blog Milk & Cardamom.
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