My Favorite National Park

I've been Everywhere

Me on the USS Rogers in the Straits of Juan de Fuca
Olympic National Park and Port Angeles, WA
Ca. 1977

Okay, that's a bit of an obvious exaggeration. I've been a number of places on the west coast of the United States and a few places beyond. I went through my grade school and high school years on the Olympic Peninsula and often went camping or visiting around the Pacific Northwest, including innumerable visits to the Olympic National Park and Hurricane Ridge. 

In the Navy I visited overseas to Hong Kong, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Australia, to name a few places.

I've definitely been to Yosemite National Park

Seven weeks ago I visited Yosemite National Park for the first time. I spent three nights there, two full days and parts of two more days. I drove most of the paved roads in the park. I drove from the east entrance to the valley, from the valley to Hetch Hetchy, Glacier Point, and to the south entrance. 

I walked a little bit in the park (I wish it was more). I smelled the smells, felt the Merced and Tulomne river water, laid on some granite near Tenaya Lake, sat in El Capitan meadow and climbed some rocks at the base of El Capitan (just some of the ones laying at the base - no cliff climbing!).

Out of my (this is just between us) 59 years on the planet I've spent less that four days total at Yosemite. So why do I miss it so much?

Withdrawals

Yosemite Valley from Tunnel View

This is the U.S. National Park systems centennial anniversary. As part of their promotion they want us to determine our favorite park. I have to say that mine is Yosemite.

I've been through a divorce. In fact, two of them. When I was separated from my wives and children I missed them and would find myself thinking of them all of a sudden, "out of the blue." During the last seven weeks I've had the same experience with Yosemite. I woke up this morning after some insignificant dreams but as soon as my alarm went off I had a vision of looking at Yosemite Valley from Tunnel View which then fed into a vision of walking along the trail at the base of El Capitan. 

I have similar visions every day. One minute I'm on the shore of Tenaya Lake, the next I'm at Washburn Point. I find my mind drifts off...

Last Friday my wife and I went out to dinner. She was talking about something that I'm sure was very important. My mind was examining a vision of Half Dome and I was wishing I could get closer to the mountain.

A couple of weeks ago my wife and I went to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. I had issues battling the heights on view points. I finally got to see and photograph some wild bison. But the entire time I was thinking to myself "this place is nice, it's better than being in Phoenix, but I wish I was in the Sierra Nevada area, especially if I could be at Yosemite!"

I'm hoping to return in February, to see the valley in the snow. But that really seems like a long way off. It's almost as long as a "westpac!"