My daughter’s friend, Morgan, has camped at Yosemite annually since 1997, except for 2020 when the park was closed.  Each year Morgan invites friends to join her.  This year my daughter Michelle reserved accommodations at the age-friendly Yosemite Valley Lodge, so that I could accompany her.  Her friends would stay in what’s known as Housekeeping Camp, while we’d be doing what’s known as “glamping.”

I decided I would chronicle this vacation in real-time and began my journal.

With my daughter, Michele, at my side, we left our Oregon home around 10:00 AM on Wednesday, April 27, 2022.  Michelle had prepared our lunch, which we ate on the road.  We arrived at our destination for the night, the Fairfield Marriott in Woodland, near Sacramento. 

Thursday morning, we were on the road by 10:00 AM.  We stopped in Groveland, California, for gas at $5.15 per gallon, surprisingly low at this remote location, in view of the current high gas prices. 

We checked into our room at the Yosemite Valley Lodge around 3:30 PM.  The buildings are named after trees.  We stayed in Hemlock.  Our quaint room housed a queen-size bed, a full-size lower bunk and single-size upper bunk, end table, dresser, and table and two chairs, all made of rustic wood and hewn logs, creating a log cabin atmosphere. There was a television in our room, but no wi-fi.  We had a private patio with table and chairs, where we were to enjoy lunch.

We were eager to take a walk, so we had a light dinner, after which we walked out into a meadow where we could view Half Dome as the sun was starting to go down.  While Michelle unloaded the car, I watched the tail-end of a very old Turner Classic Movie, with a bunch of name stars and a plot involving husbands and wives yelling at each other.

After a lovely breakfast of a bagel with cream cheese, a hard-cooked egg, cranberry juice, and hot tea, we took a very long walk – over two miles.  Everywhere we looked, we saw gorgeous scenery, so we stopped often to take photographs of Half Dome, El Capitan, sheer granite walls, majestic trees up to a thousand years old, and many waterfalls.  Our principal destination was the Visitors’ Center, where we viewed panoramic relief sculptures that showed Yosemite Park and how it was formed.  Then we went to the theater where we viewed a twenty-minute film that explained in detail the formation of this valley and informed us that Yosemite was named a national park by President Abraham Lincoln.  Also discussed were John Muir, Native Americans, and other people who were instrumental in saving and restoring this beautiful phenomenon known as Yosemite.  Free shuttle service was provided from 7 AM to 10 PM during our stay.  On this day, we rode the shuttle back to the lodge.

Michelle prepared dinner in our room, then we drove around Yosemite to view the sun beginning to set on the beautiful Yosemite sites.  I’m not sure “breathtaking” is a strong enough word to describe the beauty of Yosemite. 

Day 3

After breakfast, we took a half-mile walk to the base of Lower Yosemite Falls, our closest view of the tallest waterfall in North America.

Michelle’s friends arrived, so we drove to their housekeeping camp.  They truly have the comforts of home.  The park provides a three-sided structure with a canvas roof. The bedroom section is enclosed and has full-size and bunk beds, and clothes racks.  The partially enclosed kitchen has one large open cupboard, a table and benches.  There is also a large bear locker.  The campers supplied everything else:  a camping kitchen/storage unit, an oversized two-tiered toaster-oven, a microwave, an electric coffee pot, and an electric tea kettle.  Their campsite was on the Merced River, so they lined up chairs and chaises facing the water, where we viewed swimmers, tubers, and paddle-boarders.  I was surprised that the swimmers seemed to really enjoy themselves in the chilly water.  I didn’t see any of them shuddering from the cold.

In addition to the beautiful river view, Half-Dome could be seen from this campsite.  With all this grandeur, the campers considered this campsite second-best, having previously had river sites that included views of Half Dome and Yosemite Falls.  Picky-picky.

Michelle supplied the group with a dinner of potato/leek/mushroom soup, baquettes, and Waldorf Salad.  Crème brulee was provided by Morgan.  I was to learn that these campers eat nothing but gourmet meals.

Day 4

Michelle arose early and rode her bicycle to Housekeeping Camp to visit her friends.  Yosemite is a bicyclists’ paradise.  Except for a few hiking-only trails, the many trails in Yosemite are great for biking. 

I lounged around this morning and did some reading on the patio.  I’d come prepared to read several books, but this was my first chance to indulge in them because there is little reading time with so much to see. 

We joined our camping friends in the late afternoon for visiting, conversation, enjoying the beautiful view, and dinner which consisted of a Mexican vegetable dish called Calabasitas, along with Carne Guisada, and, of course, Margueritas.  Dessert was Bailey’s Irish crème brulee.  We sat around the campfire for a while and enjoyed watching the setting sun light up Half Dome.

Wildlife is abundant in Yosemite.  We saw many deer and squirrels.  We knew there were bears because of the warnings about sealing up all food, but we didn’t see any yet.  Birdwatchers can find many varieties of birds.  Among the ones we saw were Black Swifts, Red-Winged Blackbirds, Crows, Clark’s Nutcrackers, Brewer’s Blackbirds, Acorn Woodpeckers, Pileated Woodpeckers, and I even saw some Robins and Steller’s Jays in the campground.

Day 5

This is the day we set aside to visit Mariposa Grove.  After our usual breakfast, we headed to the camp to pick up Maria and Kathy to accompany us.  The drive to the grove took close to an hour, longer than it would have taken if we didn’t stop, but we stopped often to photograph various highlights, including a panaromic view (also known as the Tunnel View, when the photo is taken upon exiting a tunnel on the highway) of El Capitan, Half Dome, Bridal Veil Falls, and much of Yosemite Valley.  We also saw Horse Tail Falls.  One of the things I’d hoped to see in Yosemite was climbers going up the sheer granite valley walls.  At one point, we actually saw six climbers going up El Capitan.  Binoculars were needed to verify the number.  When we saw them, they were just beginning their climb.

We had another exciting moment when a bear scampered across the road in front of our car.  We were delighted that another of our Yosemite goals had been met – to see a bear!

Using my handicap placard, we were able to drive into Mariposa Grove, but only to a certain point.  To reach our destination, we needed to hike  close to a mile, uphill, to see the many giant Sequoia trees.  We saw an arrangement of four trees – one really large and three a bit smaller – that were dubbed The Bachelor and three Maidens.  We continued on until we came to the Grizzly Giant, probably the largest tree we would see.  Finally, we saw the Tunnel Tree, which had a tunnel all the way through it.

Dinner this night was meatloaf cakes, mashed potatoes, and carrots.  The dessert was cheesecake with cherry compote topping.

Day 6

We started the day with brunch at the Ahwahnee Hotel, as guests of Bill and Susie, our friends who were lodging there. Then we took a brief tour of the hotel, which included an exhibit of women who had contributed to Yosemite over the years.  We then ventured outside where we sat with refreshing drinks while also drinking in the beautiful scenery, which included a different view of Half Dome, a small waterfall, and gorgeous blooming dogwood trees.  We were amused by a pair of California Ground Squirrels that were chasing one another.  We also saw a very noisy crow, Red-Winged Blackbirds, and Brewer’s Blackbirds.

Dinner was again delicious and far from the usual camping food:  braised beef with carrots and gravy over rice.  These dinners always include wine and hors d’ouvres of cheeses, crackers, fruits and raw vegetables.  Michelle supplied the dessert:  pineapple upside-down cake, which she prepared in the electric skillet, with whipped cream.  Later Michelle brought out sticks and chocolate marshmallow bunnies that we roasted over the fire for a sweet treat.

As we sat around our campfire, a very nice lady, the matriarch of the neighboring campsite, brought sopes for all of us. Even though we had had a large dinner, there was no way that we’d turn down authentic Mexican food. All of the delicious sopes were consumed. Then our group visited with their group, and we realized what a small world we live in. They were from Whittier, not far from my former home, one of the women shared Michelle’s career as a nurse, the men and their kids attended CalHi, Michelle’s alma mater, and two of the men had played football at Whittier College, my husband’s and daughter Jeannette’s alma mater. These two really big guys teared up when they learned that they were meeting the wife and daughter of Evan McKinney, for whom the Evan McKinney award was named. This trophy is presented annually to an outstanding Whittier College lineman.

Day 7

The plan for this day was a drive to Happy Isles Nature and Art Center with Morgan and Kathy accompanying us.  We drove as far as permitted, and then walked to the Center.  Displayed were pictures and reproductions of the animals, trees, various plants, and rocks of Yosemite.  There were displays of foliage, pinecones and bark from the various trees. I hadn’t realized that Douglas Fir, Ponderosa Pine, and Incense Cedar trees have distinctly different kinds of bark. We walked around Happy Isles and crossed a bridge over this roaring section of the Merced River.  As we were heading to our car, a bobcat sauntered across our path, to make our day complete.

Dinner consisted of hors d’oeuvres of crudités, a variety of cheeses, a selection of dips, crackers and chips, nuts, cookies, and wines, followed by toasted coconut-covered marshmallows roasted over the campfire.  We said our good-byes because we’d be leaving in the morning.

Day 8

As we were driving out of the Yosemite Valley, we stopped to get one more view of climbers going up the sheer face of El Capitan, through binoculars, of course.  The climbers looked to be about half-way up, which I’ve learned means that they were less than one-fourth of the way.

We drove to the Fairfield Marriott, where we’d stayed on our way to Yosemite, to spend the night.  Wi-Fi at last!  I read my 168 emails before retiring for the night.  We arrived home at around 3:30 PM on May 6^th.  Banjo, our Goldendoodle, was beside himself with joy; and gifts of flowers and chocolates from Michelle’s husband awaited us.   Yosemite was great – no question about it – but being home is pretty great, too.

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So, for four or five years, my daughter and I planned to be in Europe for Diana’s English Channel swim.  As the time drew near, we began to study the logistics.  The first problem would be traversing the Chunnel, a trip that would prove difficult because of my claustrophobia.  I planned to handle this situation with massive doses of Xanax.  Then we talked about my needing a wheelchair for long-distance walks, which could cause another problem. Travel agents confirmed that England and France aren’t extremely wheelchair-friendly.  Add to that the indefinite timing of the swim.  Diana couldn’t be guaranteed a certain day to make the English Channel swim.  The date and time would be determined based on several things, including the number of swimmers attempting the channel swim this year, and the weather.  Diana only knew that it would probably be some time in August, hopefully during the week she had planned.

While we pondered whether or not to make this trip, Diana came up with a solution.  In addition to the Catalina swim and the English Channel swim, there is a third event that completes the distance swimmers’ triple crown.  It is circumnavigating Manhattan, known as the Twenty Bridges Swim, a feat she planned to complete in July.  The window for this event was much smaller than the one for the English Channel swim, and it was likely that her swim would take place within that window.

Jeannette and I decided that instead of flying to Europe in August for the channel swim, we would fly to New York in July for the Manhattan swim.  I felt that was a wonderful idea, especially since New York is one of my favorite cities.  So Jeannette and I flew to New York on July 14^th, arriving on the 15^th.  Diana swam around Manhattan on July 16, 2019.  We saw her off from a dock, as she entered the boat that would stay with her during her swim.  The boat carried her to the spot where she would begin swimming.  We spent the day doing touristy things, knowing that Diana would be swimming for hours.  When we felt she was within an hour or so of finishing the swim, we went to a lovely park that was next to the dock where she would land.  As we waited there, we saw another swimmer, a young man who had begun at the same time as Diana, as he finished the swim.  We knew it would be a while before we’d see Diana because she admittedly is a slow swimmer.  We were so excited when we saw the boat and then Diana in the distance, and we watched her finish the 28.5-mile swim in 9 hours and 34 minutes.   Everyone knows that the water around Manhattan is contaminated.  For that reason, in preparation for the swim, Diana was put on a regimen of antibiotics, and after the swim she rinsed her mouth with diluted hydrogen peroxide.

Obviously, a great deal of training and planning go into these long-distance swims.  Also, boats and kayaks are needed for each swim.  Their crews set the route, watch for obstacles, and toss bottles of liquid nourishment to the swimmer.  During the Catalina swim, one of the kayak crew’s tasks was to watch for sharks.  The boat crews are hired, but Diana was fortunate in having volunteer kayak crews, for the most part.  The rules in order for long-distance swims to be officially recognized are very strict.  No one was permitted to touch Diana once she entered the water, and when she reached the California shore on her Catalina swim, as she struggled to navigate the rocky beach, all of the spectators were told, via loud-speaker, to not go near her until the swim was declared official.   She began the Manhattan swim by jumping off the boat into the water right next to a pier, and she ended by climbing into the boat at the same spot.

After her New York swim, Diana was justifiably proud, and Jeannette and I were equally proud and decided it was our responsibility to share Diana’s accomplishments with the world.  All of the waiters, waitresses, hotel personnel, and cab drivers the three of us encountered were apprised of the important person in our midst, as Jeannette and I regaled them with the details and statistics of Diana’s past and future swims.  Everyone was understandably impressed.

As I said, New York is one of my favorite cities.  While there, we decided to see things we’d never seen before.  Although I’ve been to New York City many times, I’d never been to Coney Island.  Jeannette and I decided that during Diana’s swim would be a good time for us to visit this world-famous playground.  While there, we saw the New York Aquarium, shared a Nathan’s hotdog, and had some of the best soft-serve I’ve ever eaten.

At the top of Diana’s list of things to do in New York was to take a sightseeing boat around Manhattan, over the same route she swam.  Jeannette and I readily agreed.  This would be new to us, although we had previously boated to Ellis Island and back.  It rained off and on that day, so I looked like a drowned rat.  Nevertheless, the photo of the three of us standing on the boat deck with the Statue of Liberty in the background is one of my favorites.

Diana, Jeannette, and I agreed that we couldn’t leave New York without visiting the 9/11 Memorial, dedicated to the almost 3,000 people who perished as a result of this infamous event.  The last time Jeannette and I had visited New York was in December of 2001.  At that time we saw the direct aftermath of that horrible disaster. This time, along with Diana, we visited the 16-acre site where the 9/11 Memorial sits.  It was so nice to see the beautiful memorial that turned this hellish spot into a lovely park, with an impressive tower and two magnificent square reflecting pools, set within the original Twin Towers footprints, with waterfalls cascading down the sides.  By the time we left the memorial, I was exhausted from all the walking.  There didn’t seem to be any place in front of the memorial where a taxi could stop.  We saw a small building, which housed a police officer, with a sign warning that no one was to speak to the officer, so we walked up and began a conversation.  We explained that one of us was an old woman who was very tired and that we needed a cab.  The officer told us that cabs aren’t supposed to stop there; however, if we could get one to stop, she said she would look the other way.  Fortunately, shortly after, we were successful in hailing a cab.

Diana and I believed that a trip to New York would be incomplete without taking in a Broadway show; Jeannette, not so much.  Even though she had gone to Whittier College on a drama scholarship, at this point of her life Jeannette prefers the silver screen to live performances, which she says she detests.  She likes to quote a line from the movie “ Sabrina.”  In seeking favor with Sabrina, Linus, played by Harrison Ford, decides to take her to a musical, definitely not in his comfort zone.  When he asks his secretary to get the tickets, she says to him, “You realize, don’t you, that the characters will periodically break into song, and dance about,” which pretty much reflects Jeannette’s attitude toward musical theater.  Nevertheless, Diana and I prevailed, and a decision was made that we would see the hilarious musical “Tootsie.”  Whether or not she would admit it, her reactions revealed that Jeannette really enjoyed the show.  My daughter remembers just about every line of every movie she’s ever seen, so after the show, she was able to explain to us all the differences between “Tootsie” the movie and ”Tootsie” the play.  Later, Jeannette and I watched the movie.  Although I’d enjoyed this movie many years ago, most of it was new to me.  Jeannette, of course, vividly remembered every scene.

On August 3, 2019, Diana went to England to swim the English Channel.  She was accompanied on her trip by another distance swimmer, her friend Carol-Lynn, who was fortunate in getting to swim the channel on August 8.  We excitedly watched Carol-Lynn’s progress on a website that followed the boat that accompanied her.  Due to weather conditions, Diana had to extend her stay in England an extra week to have her opportunity to swim the channel.  After being in England nearly a month, she finally began her swim on August 21^st at 2:00 a.m.  We followed her progress online, all 21 miles of it.  After swimming 16 hours and 32 minutes, Diana touched down in France, completing the third and final event in the distance swimmers’ Triple Crown.

I am so proud to be able to call Diana Qualls Corbin my friend.  I’ll always remember my excitement when she completed her three major swims.  I feel privileged to have personally witnessed two of these – the first, on a California shore surrounded by twenty of her family members and closest friends who vicariously experienced this wonderful adventure with her; and then, just the two of us, my daughter and I, in a New York City park, watching with great anticipation to get our first glimpse of our super-hero friend swimming toward us, and then following her progress to the end of the swim.

Thank you, Diana, for giving us entertainment and inspiration, and for being a role model to show what can be accomplished with determination, dedication, diligence, and drive.  Thank you, too, for providing me with an excuse to visit New York.

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