Yosemite, with kids, revisited, part 1
Categories: Fun & activities, Places to go
We had a great time in Yosemite last week. Thanks to those who offered tips and advice! In case others are planning to visit the park, I thought I'd share what we did and how it worked for our kids. Keep in mind that we were two families with four kids, aged 1, 2, 3, and 4. Because there is so much to Yosemite, I'm going to cover our trip in several posts. First off, we rented a house in the south end of the park, in Wawona. This had its pros and cons. The upside was that the kids had a contained area in which to play without disturbing others and with less chance of losing their toys. It was also nice because we didn't have to worry about bugs in the evening. The downside was that the kids were in a house and not as close to the heart of Yosemite as they would have been had we camped in a tent or even stayed in a tent cabin. The kids played with trains and watched DVD's during their downtime instead of looking for rocks and collecting leaves. I've never spent much time at the south end of Yosemite, so it was new to me, but I was also less able to play tour guide for the kids.
If you aren't so into the whole getting-back-to-nature thing, a vacation rental is a great idea. It's especially cost effective when you have two or more families sharing a house. Our cost ended up being about $150 a night -- not cheap, but then again, we were actually inside the national park, so it's understandable. Rachel and I have also rented houses in the Russian River area and have really enjoyed the experience. (We can't recommend Russian River Getaways highly enough; tell 'em Uncle Roger sent you.) The Redwoods in Yosemite, who manages the house we stayed in, has a lot of houses available; they were recommended to us by a friend who has been going with her extended family for a number of years. We too enjoyed our stay.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Lisa 7-14-2006 @ 11:56AM
I am taking my 1 year old in a week. We are staying in a tent cabin. I am a lot nervous and desperately looking for any advice and tips. Thank you so much.
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Uncle Roger 7-14-2006 @ 12:41PM
Lisa, nothing to be nervous about. Are you staying in Yosemite Valley or elsewhere in the park?
If you have a jogging stroller, I recommend it. Much of the valley has paved walkways, but if you want to do any of the trails, the jogger, with its larger wheels, will come in handy. That said, we did use regular strollers as well and they were fine.
With a one-year-old, you can pretty much do everything short of backpacking or some of the serious hikes (you could, but if you were planning that sort of thing you wouldn't be asking here).
The big thing to remember is that you won't be able to do as much in a day as would without the kid -- just like anywhere else. You have to factor in feedings, diaper changes, naps, etc. And bring lots of sunscreen.
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Phc 7-14-2006 @ 1:59PM
Lisa, Don't worry. We went with a group of families to the tent cabins every year from the time I was probably two, but there were always littler ones around. Housekeeping, I assume you mean? It will be fine. There are so many kids around. I am going to be bringing mine (as is my Yosemite friend who had hers six weeks after mine) next year, when she is one.
I agree- either the jogging stroller or a backpack for the babe. And you can rent bikes with kids seats on them in Curry Village.
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ann adams 7-14-2006 @ 2:09PM
I may actually get there someday. All the girls have been as part of a school camp.
Why is it the locals are the last to visit the tourist attractions?
Sounds like you had a wonderful time.
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Andy 7-14-2006 @ 3:17PM
This is great, thanks for sharing. We went 2 years back and can't wait to return with kidlets in tow. We stayed in the Bass Lake area which is beautiful, a short drive to the park and a lot less expensive to stay at. The lake also makes a great spot to hang out when we didn't feel like driving into the park.
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