“Glamping” in Yosemite

I am blessed. I have been lucky enough to have honeymooned in Paris, ridden a camel in the Dubai desert, joined a band and played the bodhran in an Irish pub, been moved to tears at the beauty of the Pitons in St. Lucia, and witnessed the temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia and the terra-cotta warriors in Xian. But I have never had such a wonderful vacation as I just had….and it was in the little ol’ United States, the contiguous 48, and I camped (or actually, as it is known, I “glamped”—glamorous camping —also known as RV-ing).

A year ago, my husband and I decided to visit Yosemite National Park and it took that long to plan the trip. You may be able to show up in New York City without a hotel reservation, but due to the 2009 PBS/Ken Burns 6-part documentary on the National Parks (which served as the catalyst for our trip), reservations are essential May – Sept, as Yosemite gets 4 million visitors a year! And this is why:

At every turn, every corner, and every step, there was another breathtaking view. Spectacular waterfalls right, left, and ahead, due to the record snow this past winter in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California.

Sheer rock faces, changing with—and reflecting—the passing sun.

Soaring Sequoias, 100 feet around and nearly 300 feet tall, that dwarf all in their shadow.

It is truly one of the most beautiful places I have ever been, which made it one of the best vacations I’ve ever been on.

Here’s how to plan a “glamping” trip to Yosemite.

331 days out – Booked our airfare, as one of us was flying on an award ticket. We flew into Fresno, California, the nearest airport to Yosemite, served by Delta Air Lines.

6 months out – Reserved our RV. We didn’t have to book it so early, but you need to know what size RV you have for the next step. We also rented a “kitchen kit” complete with pots and pans and dishes.

5 months out – Booked our campground spot. Campground reservations are available up to 5 months in advance. Be online—and signed in—precisely at 9am on the 15th of the month, 5 months prior, as reservations fill within minutes!

4 months out – Get in better shape. Yosemite has an über-convenient shuttle bus that runs throughout the valley, but to see the real beauty of this place, you’ve got to hike. Our best hike was 2.6 miles up (including 600 steps) to the top of 2 waterfalls and then 4 miles of switchbacks down. My knees did great!

3 months out – Start a list of what to bring. RV-ing was super easy, but there were things that we were thankful that we brought from home or shipped to the RV office. Cast iron pan, vegetable steamer, sleeping bags, cutting board, and my Italian coffee maker, among other necessities! We also made a list of what to buy —groceries, etc.—once we were in Fresno.

4 days out – Pack. We made sure to weigh our suitcases and box that we were going to ship, making sure nothing was more 50 pounds.
And we were on our way!

I’m not a camper, but I am a glamper. I like a roof over my head, a warm bed to sleep in, a hot shower, cold beer, and the ability to cook over more than a campfire. The RV was perfect. We had everything we needed and were right in the park. The park shuttle stop was only a block away, so we could take that around the valley and leave our RV where it was. I highly recommend this kind of travel if visiting a National or State Park.

Paris is romantic, the Caribbean fun, and Asia is exotic, but right now, I wish I were back in Yosemite.

- Lori from Delta Vacations

(3 votes, average: 4.67 out of 5)

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