Part of the fun of being in a national park is the people you meet. I think being surrounded by all that beauty and feeling small in the enormity of creation brings out the best in people.

During our 3.5 days in Yosemite, we met an adorable family from Germany. Actually, I met so many Germans that I wondered who was left over there. This particular family captured my heart as they consisted of parents approaching my age and four sons who appeared to be in their twenties.

The young men were having a blast climbing on everything. They had beautiful walking sticks which were scavenged from the forest floor. I noticed one of the guys with his slung over his shoulder. When I questioned his unusual way of using a walking stick on this mostly uphill trail, he began using it in normal fashion and said that it was much more helpful that way. This began a conversation that continued on and off as we hiked the 1.9 miles of Washburn Trail toward Mariposa Grove.

Washburn Trail is purported to be a moderate hike. It is mostly uphill and this Florida girl knew she was no longer at sea level. The elevation was 7500 feet, which made it more necessary than usual to take a break to breathe. The German family was also taking breaks (I’m sure for the sake of the parents). This enabled our ongoing conversation.

As we were admiring their walking sticks, one fellow offered proudly that his brother was the finder of walking sticks. After hesitating for effect, he added, and wasps. His outstretched hand revealed the swelling resultant from encountering the wasps. Kim offered first aid, which was declined. She said she was sure she would be in tears with that kind of swelling.

The young man’s response was simple, “We don’t cry in Germany.” And then they all climbed up a big bolder and posed for pictures for their mama. How I missed my own sons as I watched this sweet group.

We also met the Simon Says guy. Steve Max is a professional Simon Says caller who has frequented pre-game shows of teams including the Orlando Magic. He was camera shy, but I googled him and discovered he is as real as bigfoot Half Dome.

We never saw any bears on this trip, but there were signs everywhere to warn of their presence. I spoke to another group of German women who asked if I had seen any bears and I admitted I had not. At least not since I was home in Florida where they do frequent my backyard. This blew their minds as they confessed to knowledge of alligators in Florida but not bears. I shared my backyard video and from the looks on their faces I am sure that they will never come to Florida for fear of our wildlife. I assured them that Interstate 4 is far more dangerous than any animal they might encounter.

My backyard visitor here in the Orlando suburbs.

In Mariposa Grove we met a three-generation Amish family who were camping just outside the park in BLM (Bureau of Land Management) territory. I was unaware of this cost-free option, but when they informed of us the rigors of BLM camping, I could see why I never came across it on a google search. There are no electrical hook-ups, no showers, no potties – just land. This group told us of bringing in their own water and latrine system. Every one of the children had their hair done nicely and they were dressed so cute. They were super polite and friendly. The only thing that gave away the lack of easy access to water was their dirty feet. Makes sense. Dirty feet mean lots of outdoor fun.

Another thing of note to be found in Yosemite is the plague. I don’t think it is of Biblical proportion, but there are signs warning people to stay away from wildlife – especially cute wildlife like chipmunks and ground squirrels, whose fleas can carry the disease. Just one more reason to give animals a wide berth.

One of the strangest things which I encountered in the park and something I think my grandchildren would struggle to identify, even with a smart phone, was in the Glacier Point area. This was a relic of the twentieth century. Conjecture would say it’s there because of poor internet availability. At least you could dial 911, though that may need to be made clearer for coming generations.

By this point of the trip, I was half crazed with trying to identify landmarks, birds, and trees with my iPhone. I so wanted it to get things right. My phone did not offer any explanation as to what this was. It did not even say it was Half Dome, which was a pleasant surprise.

Along the lines of “Take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints,” I had to wonder who was trying to abscond with the heavy picnic tables scattered throughout the park. Is this kind of deterrent really necessary?

One thing we did take that I’ll share with you as long as you promise not to report us, is rocks. Full disclosure, there may have been a few pinecones, too. I think they have enough and more seem to be falling all the time, but Kim is obsessed with rocks and that rubbed off on me. As I was flying this trip, I did not have the luxury of collecting a lot of rocks, but while we were down at the edge of a stream, I found the prettiest little rock with pink and blue through it. I showed it to Kim and said there must be a be another one around here somewhere. Maybe it chipped off a bigger rock. The excitement was building for this one-of-a-kind rock. Then, as I rubbed it with my fingers to get dirt off, it became rubbery and I realized I had found a piece of chewed up gum.

I did not bring this sappy pinecone home.

How can I sum up my Yosemite experience? In one word – WOW! Kim and I kept coming back to this simple word as all adjectives had been used and overused to describe the beauty around us. I will share some of my favorite pictures with you and when you think, WOW, remember that a picture can only capture a small portion of how majestic and beautiful this park truly is.

Also, a big thank you to my sweet husband for making it possible for me to join my friend in his favorite park. If he ever has the opportunity to visit Yellowstone without me, I’ll have to remember how gracious he was.

If you’d like to read about Kim’s adventure, she is on Instagram #following_helen