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national park
Dan and I travelled to the US with our friend Cuong and spent just under 2 weeks exploring the national parks and taking a plethora of photos! The only camera gear I brought with me was the Sony A7III, Sony 28mm f2 and the Canon 35mm f1.4 II + Metabones iv adaptor.
My sister and I’s trip was too quickly coming to an end when we woke up in Forks one morning ready to make the long drive back to Seattle. Before we made our way back to the city, we had a few stops along the road trip back first!
We made it to Olympic National Park and queued up in the long line of cars waiting to drive to the top. Once we made it to the ticket booth, the road ahead was miraculously empty and we started making our way up. At first the road was gloomy - we were driving through thick fog which looked beautiful surrounding the trees at all the viewpoints we jumped out at.
Suddenly as we were driving, we break through the thickest part of the fog and find ourselves on the other side of the clouds where it was a beautifully sunny and warm day. We made it to Hurricane Ridge Visitor Centre where there were yellow wildflowers growing in the fields and a pair of deer grazing in the grass - mamma and baby.
We spent a couple of hours here looking out to the landscape of snowcapped mountains and doing a little souvenir shopping at our last National Park stop of the trip. Soon it was time to make our way back down through the clouds and into town.
Our next stop was the Olympic Game Farm where you can drive around and the gorgeous animals poke their heads into your car window asking for food. Here are the famous bears who wave back at you when you wave your hand! I think the day was too hot for them, so they were all lazily lounging around instead.
After being in the car for so many hours, my sister and I made one last stop for dinner on the highway before heading into Seattle where I will have one last blog post from our entire trip coming next week!
all photos edited with my NEW Washington Lightroom Preset
There are so many things I want to say about Mt Rainier National Park that I don’t even know where to start. While I was doing my research on Washington while still back at home, I noticed that this was the most recommended National Park of all and it would pop up on absolutely every list that I clicked on. I’ve seen a few photos from the park and had a vague idea on what hikes we wanted to go on, but I think because I didn’t really know what I was expecting and the fact that this was a stop halfway through our trip just made this beautiful place all the more surprising for me.
We woke up early in the morning in North Cascades National Park and spent about 6 hours in the car making our way south of Washington. The highway started off beautiful - rocky mountains, rushing rivers, reflective lakes. It eventually turned into a highway that looks like it was built somewhere in Mars. We had the music blaring and the vlog camera rolling every hour into our road trip through the state.
After a few viewpoint and a couple of food stops, the highway starts becoming more lush. At first we enter and exit small sections of forest along the way. And before you know it, we were immersed in green, crossing a bridge over an amazingly blue lake with a mountain looming over us in the not-so-far distance. Our first official stop in Mt Rainier was one with the daisies. We could see Mt Rainier in the distance and there was a viewpoint covered in white little flowers. We stopped her for a quick picture and to stretch our legs before continuing.
We were delirious and pretty tired by the time we reached our cabin in the woods. We were staying literally minutes from the park entrance, but by the time we arrived it was already getting dark and we had no energy left in us again. Instead, we decided to get to know the area we were staying at a little better with a small walk around the grounds and then and early bed time to be prepared for the following day.
Morning was an easy one. We ordered a blackberry pie which we shared for breakfast with a coffee each. We had this all in the car with the morning light shining on our faces as we drove to the entrance of Mt Rainier National Park. There was lots of roadwork on the way up the mountain, so we vlogged in the car, talking about silly things and making ourselves laugh to wake ourselves up. By the time we got our first glimpse of Mt Rainier up close we started getting excited.
I couldn’t recommend more to get to this National Park as early as possible. We were there from pretty much sunrise and we managed to be able to go for a drive around the park, stopping at a few lookouts and waterfalls for pictures that were completely full of cars and people by the time we were leaving the park in the afternoon. If you get here late there is a high chance that you will miss out on seeing and doing quite a few things!
We set off on our first hike of the day and ended up spending the next 6 hours hiking through the mountains. Our first stop was Myrtle Falls in Paradise, followed by the longest hike of the day to Upper Crystal Lake and back to Longmire where we started off so many hours ago earlier that day. The majority of photos from this blog post where taken of all the amazing sights we saw along the way!
At the end of the day we got back to our car and ended up taking the wrong road home which sent us to a different exit of the park. We turned around and headed back the right way to our cabin where we fell asleep ready to do it all over again tomorrow.
all photos edited with my NEW Washington Lightroom Preset
After a gloomy and cold welcome to Washington, we awoke to a sunny first day in North Cascades National Park. Since George and I were staying in Winthrop, we had made up a plan on what to see in the park where we start from the end which was closest to us and made our way back to the entrance.
We set off and quickly arrived at the first carpark where we could hear the sounds of a woodpecker working away in the forest somewhere. We took a quick hike to Washington Pass Overlook and hung around to film and take photos. Our next stop was to hike to Rainy Lake. We stopped where we thought the hike path begun but after walking for a while we started to think we weren’t in the right place. We hadn’t seen a single other person around but luckily a German couple appeared in the distance walking towards us on the hiking path. We asked them if this was the Rainy Lake trail and somehow in-between both our language barriers we figured out we were definitely in the wrong place!
We checked the map again and figured out the right place where we were meant to be and headed towards it. At the carpark we got distracted by a couple of chipmunks - we don’t have them in Australia so they are cute to watch as they scurry around! The hike to Rainy Lake was beautiful. I couldn’t help myself and would point out and exclaim about all the moss hanging from the trees every few minutes - it was amazing! We passed some look out points and waterfalls before we made it to our destination. Rainy Lake was stunning, the water was a vibrant blue which reflected the mountains and waterfalls surrounding it. Even though it was the middle of summer, there was still a pile of unmelted snow at the bank of the lake.
Since we weren’t going to get the chance to drive back through North Cascades National Park tomorrow, we decided to visit Diablo Lake one last time. Unlike yesterday, today the sun was shining brightly and the water was such a brilliant shade of turquoise. It was ever so slightly less windy so we made sure to spend a little extra time here soaking in the landscape.
It was only our second day in Washington but I already feel like we’ve seen so much!
all photos edited with my NEW Washington Lightroom Preset
The day started the same way it ended; with the moon. We woke up in our LA home at an ungodly 3am and fumbled sleepily with our things getting ready and packing up the last of what was laying around into our suitcases. We rolled our baggage to our car and sadly said goodbye to the perfect place that homed us for a week. After a drive through the empty L.A. streets so early in the morning, we were soon saying goodbye to Los Angeles too as our plane took off.
The sky turned from black to orange to white as we flew through the clouds. Minutes before landing, I remember excitedly peering out the window and seeing all the green down below. Seattle, Washington was already looking promising. Water and trees? My idea of heaven.
We set off in our car, music blaring and us energetically cheering to the vlog. We were beyond tired after our week visiting theme parks and our early flight, but I think our excitement was enough to keep us awake. We drove straight past Seattle and headed for the first highway. At first sights, Washington was reminding me of Poland in Europe. The grass was overgrown on the edges of the road and trees planted in any nook and cranny that was available around the structures. We had a 5 hour drive ahead of us to our first accommodation in Winthrop.
As we left the city behind, the country fields started rolling out in the distance and we passed so many beautiful country homes and barns. The barns were painted bright red with white windows and doors - it looked like it was right out of a movie. The rain would pour and then stop, it was a perfect welcoming to Washington, I thought. We were headed to North Cascades National Park to a place that has been on my bucket list for years. As soon as we caught the first glimpses of the mountains in the distance that we were driving towards I couldn’t help but get emotional.
The road continued as we passed bridges, lakes, pine forests, fields and more country houses. The fog was getting thicker and I couldn’t be happier. We made a pitstop for some coffee and eventually made it to the North Cascades information centre. I don’t think I’ll ever forget reaching the National Park entrance after driving for hours, we were surrounded by forest and there wasn’t another soul around. It was magical.
Our first stop once we were in the park was Diablo Dam - a place that’s been on my bucket list for the longest time. I remember always seeing photos of it online and knowing that I had to see this beautiful place for myself. We drove down a winding road that really looked like it could only fit one car, but somehow it was a two lane road. We drove across the dam and I had goosebumps on my arms - it felt unreal being here in person. As we parked and got out of the car the huge gusts of winds immediately pushed us around, but we went for a little wander around anyway, running around and taking photos.
Onwards with our road trip, we continued on the single road through North Cascades and seriously couldn’t believe our eyes - how can something so beautiful really exist?! Around the bend of one of the roads I squealed with excitement as I saw yet another sight I’ve wanted to see my entire life - the top of a forest immersed in fog. We made it to the town of Winthrop and made our way up the gravel road to our accommodation. A beautiful house perched on top of a hill with 360 degree views of the still snow capped mountains all around. We had spent hours driving around that day, so we made dinner and headed off to bed ready to wake early the next morning to do some exploring. The windows of our accommodation reached from the floor to the ceiling, so I fell asleep watching the moon rise from the mountains.
Am I really here? I guess I’ll find out tomorrow.
all photos edited with my NEW Washington Lightroom Preset
It was our second last day in Yosemite National Park when Dan and I spent the night in our trembling wooden cabin, shaking from the storm happening outside. The lights and internet would switch off momentarily before turning back on more times than I could count and the wind was howling loudly outside. Frustrated that we couldn't get in contact with our families to let them know how we were, we fell asleep only to wake up to a perfectly calm and sunny morning the next day. Walking outside to the balcony of our cabin was strange. The night was so noisy and yet this morning all was quiet and still - such a stark contrast to when I fell asleep. When I first noticed the light snow in the surrounding trees, we immediately got ready and headed out.
I think it was Yosemite's perfect way of saying goodbye. On our last day I finally got to see what I've wanted to see my whole life; the world drenched in winter. The further we drove up the same road we had driven the entire week, the thicker and thicker the snow on the ground and hanging on the tree branches was. I couldn't believe my eyes.
We stopped on the side of the road so many times to take photos of the snow covered trees and the pathways leading to nowhere. The Yosemite National Park entrance sign that was bare when we first arrived at the beginning of the week had piles of snow on and around it. We visited all our favourite spots one last time. Tunnel View, Lower Yosemite Falls, Valley View and places which I don't even think have a name.
It wasn't long after that where we headed off to spend one day in San Francisco before catching our flight that same night back home to Sydney.
all photos edited with my NEW Yosemite Lightroom Preset
I have never seen it snow before. I've been to the snow twice in Australia; once with my family when I was young and again on a road trip recently with Dan and my friends to the Victorian Alps where the landscape was covered in snow. But it never snowed while we were there.
Dan and I travelled from Hawaii to Yosemite National Park just after peak winter season. The days were cold, but not extremely. There were still patches of snow in the park but most of it had melted away. Towards the end of the week, the forecast said it was going to snow and I was so giddy with excitement every time I looked at it, I couldn't wait for that day to arrive. I giggled one afternoon while Dan and I were getting lunch at the two workers in the cafeteria having a chat in between small amounts of work left to do for the day. "Oh man, I got so mad when I saw the weather predictions this morning. I just want the snow to go away, I've had enough". Such a stark difference to my opinion. I've never seen it snow and can count the amount of times I've been in snow with one hand.
We had spent the morning in Yosemite Valley, wandering around, taking photos and going on a hike. By the afternoon we had finished everything we wanted to do, so we decided to go on a drive to the tree-house cabin we stayed at in the summer time in Yosemite West. The further we drove, the more of our surroundings were covered in snow. We rolled down the road slowly to approach two deer nibbling at the ground right on the side of the road with our windows down. Onwards, the snow still lingered in thick slabs on top of rooftops and verandas. Some driveways of what I'm assuming are holiday houses were still caved in with snow and the trees surrounding us were also decorated in white.
On our way back, we wanted to see the closed entrance Glacier Point Lookout road so we stopped at Badger Pass Ski Area, parked our car and went for a walk. It was too late in the afternoon to purchase an entry to go and ski, so we went for a walk around the area to admire the trees and the mountains of snow. In the distance I could see what looked like rain, but it was falling in the motion that a feather would. "Is it snowing over there?!" I wanted to go up the ski lift so badly, but we couldn't unless we hired ski equipment which it was too late to do. I started to get excited. Before I knew it, the storm clouds crept closer and the snow started to fall everywhere. At first it was small amounts and within minutes there was white everywhere I looked. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face, holding my hands out to try and catch some snowflakes. Dan and I spent the next hour running around madly in the snow, taking pictures and filming. I laughed and breathed in deeply, knowing I will never forget this moment.
Finally with our hair and clothes drenched we went back into the warmth of the car and headed to our new accommodation, a cozy wooden cabin just outside of the park. Our time in Yosemite National Park was slowly coming to an end with only a handful of days left over before flying home.
I also have some exciting news because I've started sharing more fashion shoot behind the scenes videos + Lightroom & Photoshop Tutorials on my YouTube Channel! Be sure to subscribe as I upload 2 new videos every week x
all photos edited with my NEW Yosemite Lightroom Preset
"The mountains are calling and I must go."
- John Muir
It was sunrise on the first day Dan and I woke up in our room in Yosemite National Park. The warm morning light streamed in through our b&b window, creating a little rainbow from the fractures of light. We couldn't contain our excitement to be back in this beautiful place, so we were out of our room and on the road heading to the park in record timing. Our idea behind coming to Yosemite National Park again was to be able to immerse ourselves in the landscape, to enjoy the quiet under the stars, to distract ourselves with landscape photography and just not be working for a minute. And that's exactly what we did.
Each morning we took the same road into the park, and every morning it looked like we were in a completely different landscape. One day it was warm and sunny, the next it was gloomy and cold, one day we woke up and the world was a winter wonderland. We embraced even the small things like our drives to and from destinations. On our first morning we set off on a hike to Mirror Lake again. Having visited this place in the summer it was a strange, nostalgic reminder being here again in winter. Where everything is the same, but all so different at the same time. I remember the ice cracking under our feet as we set off on the hike. Where there were leaves and branches the year before, now was a pile of snow still unmelted. When we got to the end of the hike, it was such a stark difference from the year ago we were there. In the summer, there is a sign pitched into the ground that states "mirror lake" but all you can see around it is tall grass and dirt pathways paved out by people who have gone looking for the lake. In winter this time, everything was glacial blue and magnificent. The water from Mirror Lake actually reached up to the sign they've pitched and was so still it really did look like a perfect mirror reflection of the trees and mountains surrounding the valley.
One afternoon, Dan and I were chasing the sunlight for photos and out of the shrubbery a few meters away from us, two white wolves stealthily jumped out, glanced at us and went about their way. It was terrifying but so wonderful to see these creatures up close. That same afternoon, the sun was still lingering in the sky, but had set already in Yosemite Valley. We decided to head to Yosemite Falls and when we arrived we had the whole place to ourselves without a single other soul around. I remember standing on one of the rocks just following the water crashing from the top to the bottom of the waterfall. Again, in the summer time the waterfall was there but it was such a small stream of water. Now in the winter, the water was powerful and loud.
That night we headed up to Tunnel View to take photos of the stars. We shivered in our coats as we waited for our 30 second exposures to finish, giggling at silly things we were talking about and constantly realising and appreciating where we were.
These are just a few snapshot memories of our time in Yosemite National Park. Below are so many photos I've taken of our time there. I still have more to come too!
all photos edited with my NEW Yosemite Lightroom Preset
We are so close.
It's one of our favourite places in the world.
Why don't we just go?
Dan and I had spent the morning watching the waves crash on the black sand beach on the Big Island in Hawaii. We were waiting at our gate to board our flight to Honolulu when we started talking about Yosemite National Park. We spent the rest of the time we had waiting at the airport and on our flight doing some research and trying to plan out our trip if we were to make it happen. With a smiles we couldn't wipe off our faces, my hands shaking and crazy eyes of "should we" we cancelled our flight back home.
[ AND SO WE WENT ]
Instead of catching an 8am flight the next morning to Sydney, we were boarding a 10pm flight that same night to San Francisco instead. I couldn't believe we were doing it and I couldn't believe how easy it was. One second I was ready to go home and the next I was just travelling further away. After a quick five hours on a plane, that made me feel sick from the turbulence - I squeezed Dan's hand so tightly almost the whole way there - we landed just before sunrise. We picked up our hire car and drove into the San Francisco sunrise, headed for snowy Yosemite National Park with a suitcase packed full of summer clothes. Our first day in San Fransisco was spent driving around the suburbs of Stanford shopping for winter clothes and boots.When we were ready for the snow, Dan drove towards Yosemite while I was on the phone calling a few different places to try and book our accommodation! Worst case scenario, we decided we could always sleep in the car. Luckily the third place I called picked up my call at 6pm and said they had a room available. The next morning we woke up at sunrise again out of excitement and set off on our drive to the park. This is our first couple of days spent exploring this magical place again.
I also have some exciting news because I've started sharing more fashion shoot behind the scenes videos + Lightroom & Photoshop Tutorials on my YouTube Channel! Be sure to subscribe as I upload 2 new videos every week x
all photos edited with my NEW Yosemite Lightroom Preset
Nothing makes me happier than being on the road, surrounded by trees, fields, clouds, basically anything natural. Ireland is the epitome of this. On our second last day in Ireland, Dan and I travelled from Kilkenny to Wilkow Mountains National Park and spent the day driving around the winding mountain roads, chasing sunlight in between the rain.
We pulled over more times than I can remember, running in the direction of something that caught our eye from the road. Whether it was through fields, pathways or fjords, we explored everything we could during our day in Wiklow. The wind was icy all day even though it was the middle of summer, but I remember I was so happy that the goosebumps on my skin didn’t matter.
One of my favourite spots in the park was a field of grass so vast you couldn’t see where it ended - it just connected back up to the mountains looming in the distance. As I got out of the car, the wind swung my door open sharply and my hair went flying in every direction. Dan and I ran as fast and as far out as we could into the fields, laughing hysterically and giving each other piggy back rides on the way there. When we abruptly stopped running, shoes muddy from the damp grass and wind howling into our ears, it was a moment where life really sunk in. I am me. I am here. I am happy. SO so happy right now. I never wanted to leave.
Each location we visited in Ireland had it’s own little piece of magic that I could easily say every time that “this is my favourite place”. I’ve come to the conclusion that Ireland in general is just a marvel of green and hidden secrets. Every town we visited and every park we explored holds a special place for me. I would go back to Ireland to explore more in a heartbeat.
all photos edited with my Gdansk Lightroom Preset
01. cascade creek falls | Situated on your way into Yosemite Valley to the left side of the road when you take the 120 or Big Oak Flat Road into the Valley. There are only a couple of car spaces available to pull over to walk to the bridge this waterfall is situated next to, which are quickly filled up in peak seasons like summer. So hopefully as you're driving past there aren't too many people pulled over already!
02. merced river from above | Also situated on Big Oak Flat Road as you head into Yosemite Valley, make a stop on the Pohono Bridge to see this impressive view of the Merced River from above. These two images were taken on a winter morning.
03. half dome | Get your first glimpses of the Half Dome amongst the rest of the landscape of Yosemite National Park. This spot in an unnamed viewpoint just off Big Oak Flat Road before Cascade Creek Falls, with a small space for you to pull over, stretch your legs and see the first of many amazing views to come.
04. tunnel view | This is the spot to get *the* shot of Yosemite. This is not a viewpoint literally in the tunnel right next to the carpark. We saw a lot of people walking on the tiny pathway inside the polluted tunnel to get to a viewpoint that isn't the right one (although you can get a view of the side of mountain from here)! Tunnel View is the view you see just a few steps from the carpark out in the fresh air. To get here, you need to drive to the east end of the Wawona Tunnel along the Wawona Road/Highway 41. From here you can see El Capitan and Bridal Veil Falls as well as Half Dome right in the background. The first image was taken in the summer, so the falls were quite small and were hard to see. The next two images were taken in the winter where the waterfalls were flowing, however there were plenty of low-hanging clouds and fog which made it hard to see the Half Dome at times.
05. valley view | Situated to the left side of the one-way Northside Drive on your way out of Yosemite Valley, just before the last bridge before seeing the signs to the highway. There is a little carpark that fits around 15-20 cars and is a few steps from the road. This is the view of the valley from the Merced River. The first picture is Valley View in the winter, the second image is in the summer.
06. yosemite falls | While Yosemite Valley, pull over and take a walk around Sentinel Meadow where you can see some amazing views and a different perspective of Yosemite Falls. Be sure to listen to the signs and stay on the marked paths to 'give plants a chance' to grow back again!
07. el capitan bridge | Located along the one-way Northside Drive on your way out of Yosemite Valley. There are plenty of spots to pull over by the bridge to see views of El Capitan and Cathedral Rocks.
08. cathedral rocks | Located along one-way Northside Drive and close by to El Capitan Bridge, El Capitan Meadow gives you impressive views of Cathedral Rocks as well as El Capitan itself. In the summer, we saw plenty of deer grazing in the meadows early in the morning and in the winter we caught glimpses of two wolves chasing after each other in the afternoon!
09. half dome sunset | Stop by Sentinel Bridge at sunset to see the last light linger on the Half Dome while being reflected in the Merced River. When the weather conditions are just right only the top of the Half Dome will be lit up in vivid colours.
10. glacier point | Located at the end of Glacier Point Road, about an hours drive out of Yosemite Valley. This is one of my favourite lookouts in Yosemite - you can see the Half Dome as well as many other mountains and you have clear views of Vernal and Nevada falls. If you use the binoculars at the viewpoint you can even see all the people that have hiked to the falls! I would recommend to get to this viewpoint early in the morning during peak seasons. Not only does it look amazing in the morning light, but once there are too many people they close access to Glacier Point Road until people leave to make more room. Access to this road is also closed during the Winter season, however you can make the 10 mile (one way) hike to Glacier Point or spend time at Badger Pass Ski Area (photo below).
While there are some amazing hikes you can do while in Yosemite National Park, I thought it would be a great idea to put together a blog post of all the landmarks and viewpoints you can see along the way that are super easy to get to. Whether you are only visiting for a short length of time or are looking for new perspectives to photograph the park, I hope this blog post has been helpful! What other viewpoints have you been to in Yosemite that you can recommend? I'd love to visit them on my next trip and add them to this list!
I also have some exciting news because I've started sharing more fashion shoot behind the scenes videos, travel vlogs + Lightroom & Photoshop Tutorials on my YouTube Channel! Be sure to subscribe as I upload 2 new videos every week x
In the morning of our last day in Yosemite, we decided to head to Glacier Point.
At the top. This lookout is situated at the end of Glacier Point Road, about an hour out of Yosemite Valley. Be sure to get here as early as possible! Once there are too many people at the lookout, access to Glacier Point Road closes until people start leaving to make room.
The two waterfalls we didn't have a chance to hike to this time, but we will see them the next.
On our flight from San Francisco to Gdansk, Poland.
Yosemite was a sweet ending to an amazing trip. Well, not so much an ending but a good way to say we'll see you next time, America!
all photos edited with my Disposable Film Lightroom Preset
Our tree house in the morning light.
First stop of the day was the Tunnel View lookout. This is the perfect place to get *that* Yosemite shot.
We stopped at a river while on the Cook's Meadow Trail to get some photos and noticed some deer grazing in the grass.
We couldn't get over the views you could see from pretty much anywhere in the park. I've never seen mountain/cliff formations like this before, and they would tower around you wherever you were.
This is THE spot that Sam and I wanted to go to more than anything. Yosemite Valley is a gorgeous lookout from the bottom of a river and all the shots that made us want to come to Yosemite National Park were taken from here.
Needless to say, we stuck around for quite a while taking a million photos.
Onwards we went to Yosemite Lower Falls. I've included more information about the hike at the bottom of this blog post!
Reading about these falls online and visiting them in person was a completely different experience to what I was expecting. I loved them, but I didn't realise there wasn't a hike involved at all to get there, so naturally it was (in my opinion) what looked like the most popular place for everyone to hang out. There were lots of people trying to escape the summer heat by swimming in the water! If I ever go in non-peak time I would love to hike to Upper Yosemite Falls!
We had fun scaling the unsuspecting slippery rocks to get as close as we could to the waterfall. We didn't get too close but enough to feel the cool mist on our hot skin. It was bliss!
A very friendly squirrel who came up to Dan and sniffed his camera.
Extra information on some of the trails we did:
Lower Yosemite Fall Trail
hike length: 1 miles
hike time: 20 minutes
difficulty: easy, the entire hike is a paved footpath
Cook's Meadow Loop
hike length: 1 mile
hike time: 30 minutes - there are quite a few spots to stop and take photos along the way!
difficulty: easy
other posts about hikes: Mirror Lake // Bridal Veil Falls
Since we were only in Yosemite National Park for a short couple of days, we wanted to see as much as possible so we picked the easier trails that took less time. I can't wait to come back next time and be able to spend time hiking to Vernal & Nevada Falls, as well as the Half Dome one day!
all photos edited with my lightroom preset Disposable Film | black and white photos edited with my lightroom preset Ghosts
After our last hike of the day, we had just enough time to go and see something else again. Of course Sam and I chose to go to our favourite spot in the park, Valley View to see it in the setting sun, and it was glorious.
Valley View is an easy viewpoint to get to, it's right next to the road with a little carpark when you're on your way out of Yosemite Valley. I don't know if we were just lucky, but we found it was quite empty (only a couple of other people there) while we were visiting in the morning and again in the afternoon.
This is one of those afternoons that I will remember forever. We each took turns scaling the rocks in the river to get to this tree log for a photo each. No one fell in the water, though we all had moments where it looked like we were about to!
Tunnel View was on the way back to our accommodation so we stopped here one more time, just before it got dark. We were the only ones there and it felt like we had the world to ourselves.
all photos edited with my Disposable Film Lightroom Preset
time of year: summer
hike length: 1.2 miles one way
total time: about 3 hours there and back, but we stopped a lot to take pictures
Mirror Lake was a great hike that I would do again in a heartbeat. You can either walk on the one mile paved trail that takes you straight to mirror lake or you can take the unpaved trail loop that we did. If you take the trail loop, you hike through so many different landscapes starting with hiking through a forest of giant sequoia trees, walking past many rivers with rushing water, giant stones that create caves and finally the lake itself that is surrounded by a huge meadow with the most beautiful mountain views and sprouting wildflowers. I love hiking in natural places, so taking the unpaved trail loop was a very easy decision for us.
The hike itself is fairly easy, moderate if you're not a regular adventurer. I would recommend to wear sturdy boots that you don't care too much to get dirty as there is no paved walkway and it was very muddy at times. We spent a lot of time walking on the rocks right next to the track instead of the muddy tracks that we could have slipped on!
Next time I would love to visit Mirror Lake in spring after the winter snow has melted and the lake is filled up. We went during the middle of summer while there were many hot days in a row and the lake was mostly dried up. That didn't get our hopes down though, with a little bit of camera trickery (hanging my arms over whatever water was left while I was taking a photo) I still got some photos I was super happy with of Mirror Lake reflecting the surrounding mountains. Here are the photos from our afternoon adventure.
We set off on the 1.2 mile hike to Mirror Lake.
My first photo stop was this river - I am obsessed with fresh water and natural rivers! I did get a big mosquito bite on my forehead while I was shooting around this river, so next time I might not want to forget the insect repellent..
A crystal clear blue lake.
Our first glimpses of the mountains surrounding Mirror Lake.
A friendly squirrel who came up to us for enough time to snap a few photos.
When we got to our destination we realised the lake was a bit uhhhh.. dry!
Taking a break from the summer heat in the soft grass.
Me ruining dan's hipster photos!
As we sat down for a few minutes, there was a little squirrel we were watching run up and down the metal grate. I caught him in this picture, can you find him?
Taking photos of wildflowers then noticing my friends in the distance waiting and watching me haha.
What was left of the lake - at least the whole thing didn't evaporate!
I found the furthest dry point near the lake to take this photo, my feet dangerously near the edge and me leaning over as far as I could to get a shot with just water.
A deer walking on the hiking path.
There was a storm predicted during our hike, but we were lucky to just get a few storm clouds roll over us and no storm.
The sun came back out to play eventually as we finished and headed back to go to our next hike.
all photos edited with my Disposable Film Lightroom Preset!
Yosemite National Park is a place that holds a special place in my heart. It was the last leg of our USA trip and probably the most beautiful.
We left our San Francisco Airbnb early in the morning and Dan & I took turns driving down the highway towards the National Park. The views along the way were wonderful, apple tree farms, endless country hills, winding roads up and down mountains. The moment we arrived at Yosemite National Park we were all in awe. We paid our entry ticket and as we started driving, we were surrounded by more and more Sequoia Trees until that’s all we could see. We all fell silent and stared out the window. I think in that moment it really sunk in where we were.
We made so many stops on the way to our accommodation, any viewpoint or waterfall that we drove past we stopped and eagerly jumped out of the car to take photos. We pulled over at Bridal Veil Falls and did the quick hike to see them. When we arrived at our accommodation just at sunset, one of Hayden’s friends arrived minutes after us and they went back on their way to Los Angeles. Dan, Sam and I spent the rest of the night figuring out what we’re going to do in the park over the next couple of days and taking pictures of the stars from our balcony.
We set off in the morning from San Francisco to Yosemite National Park.
The scary winding road leading into the park.
Pit stop for lunch where Hayden took my camera and snapped some photos.
We were already in awe at the sights before we even got into the National Park.
Our second stop, a lookout just underneath some loudly buzzing electric powerlines.
We're officially here! As soon as we saw the sign, we pulled over and took about a million photos and selfies with it. This is Sam holding up a polaroid I took while Dan filmed it developing.
We were all sitting in silence for the first 10 minutes of driving through the park. Being from Australia, we've never seen so many beautiful and tall Sequoia trees together before. Again, we were in absolute awe of our surroundings.
There is no phone reception in the National Park, so you only have a map to guide you. Though we found out pretty quickly that it's very easy to get around & hard to get lost with most of the roads doing a big loop around once you're in the park.
Bear proof bins & storage containers.
Our first glimpse at the ever amazing Half Dome.
Sam's face of disbelief/awe/amazement at the waterfall that was casually on the side of the road. By this time we've pulled over a million times, but every time the sights were beautiful!
Our first mini hike was to Bridal Veil Falls. This was still just on our way in and through the park to our accommodation.
Spotting the huge pine cones hanging from the ends of the tree branches from our balcony.
We arrived at our treehouse where we were staying for the next few days. It was here that we said goodbye to our travel companion Hayden as he was picked up by a friend and they drove back to Los Angeles.
Our first sunset in Yosemite & the view from our balcony in the photo below.
Bridal Veil Falls hike information
hike length: 0.5 miles
hike time: it took us about 15 minutes there and back
difficulty: easy, the entire hike is a paved footpath
all photos edited with my Disposable Film Lightroom Preset!
Where do I even start with Joshua Tree? My time there was a change of pace, a breath of fresh (and sometimes dusty) air amongst the craziness of our trip so far and the craziness that was still to come. The air is still, the heat relentlessly hot, but I felt at peace and a sense of overwhelming calmness and inspiration when I’d sit at the front of our house watching the landscape around me. My eyes were constantly glued to our car window and I felt a sense of nostalgia the moment I was there for a place I’ve never been to before. The best way I can describe Joshua Tree is magic.
Maybe the magic there lies within the fact that the further you’d drive away from the city of Los Angeles, the more it started to look like a different world. That when we first started to see the span of the desert and the mountains and nothing else, that I had to pull over to soak it all in. Or that when I first got out of the car the realness of being in the desert sunk in, the heat was like no other heat I’ve experienced before and I could taste the dustiness of the air every time I breathed in. Or maybe it was that we arrived at our home in the desert in the almost-dark and didn’t get to realise where I was until I woke up at 5 in the morning to watch the sun rise, all the while hearing coyotes howl in the not-so-far distance and watching the jack rabbits and chipmunks come to life when it was cool at night.
Visiting Joshua Tree has been on the top of my bucket list for as long as I can remember. I have always wanted to visit the desert, see the sunrise, watch the stars and just be in this beautiful place. We left New York on the 4th of July, dragging our feet during the long lines at the airport on two hours of sleep. When we landed in Los Angeles, we tetris-packed our rental car with all our luggage and headed off on our roadtrip to Joshua Tree. I drove the entire way there as it’s something I have always wanted to do. The longer we drove the more the city and suburbs disappeared into a dust storm. We took a few wrong turns and missed exits, but we finally got to our first destination in one piece - the world’s biggest dinosaur in Cabazon. It was here that I got my first sense that I was really doing this, that I was really headed towards where I have always wanted to go. The heat was relentless and almost suffocating. But I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.
We headed off for the next leg of our trip. By this point we were passing Palm Springs, entering Yucca Valley and the roads look just like they do in the movies. Sam was filming and taking photos for me because the views were incredible and I didn’t want to forget a single moment. The road winds and turns and we drove towards and through the mountain until we ended up in the town of Joshua Tree. We pulled over on the side of the road to take photos with the setting sun, dust flying around us with every car that zoomed past while we were wandering.
The paved road eventually stops and turns into a dirt road along the way to our house. We drive up a small hill and our home is waiting for us. It is an incredible place with an amazing view and big windows to see it all. We unpack our things, take billions of photos in the last light of the day and make a quick dinner. I still can’t believe I am here.
I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.
Happy 4th of July, America.
—
Another three hour night of sleep and I am woken by Sam grabbing my arm, who was woken by Nat to see the sunrise. As soon as I opened my eyes and saw the amazing colours brewing in the sky, I jumped out of bed and grabbed my camera to sit outside. All we could hear were small sounds of wildlife as we stared at the vast, purple tinted openness in front of us. With no sounds other than a bird whistling a little tune, I watched the sun rise over the mountains in the distance. Something I have always wanted to experience.
The sun was already warm as soon as it trickled over my skin. By the time our house was in the sunshine by 7am, it was 31°C.
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Joshua Tree is amazing in the summer. We had a couple of recommendations from locals that we started conversations with that it's better to come in October (when the park is busiest) beacuse the days are warm and the night cools your skin. But we loved it in the summer. We had time to laze around guiltlessly during the day in our beautiful home, we went for hikes in the afternoon in the setting sun and the nights were cold enough to make you forget how hot it was during the day when you'd take out your favourite jumper to snuggle in while watching the shooting stars. In the summer Joshua Tree National Park and the town is so lovelily empty. It felt like we had the whole world to ourselves.
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I will never forget my time in Joshua Tree. Hiking through the desert, seeing the wildlife, spending my birthday there, feeling so small in a place so big. I remember so fondly the drives back to our home after being in the National Park all afternoon. The sky a dim marvel of subtle colours and the car headlights twinkling in the distance like stars.
In some current news, I'm excited because I've started sharing more fashion shoot behind the scenes videos + Lightroom & Photoshop Tutorials on my YouTube Channel! Be sure to subscribe as I upload 2 new videos every week x
The World's Biggest Dinosaur, Cabazon
Experiencing my first sunset in the desert.
The drive from Los Angeles to Joshua Tree.
Seeing little snippets of Joshua Tree for the first time.
Our cute AirBnb rental property - a little pink house in the middle of the desert.
This was our little lizard friend, who we think was dopey from the heat but would always hang out with us when we were outdoors.
Planning on where to go exploring in Joshua Tree National Park. The heat was too intense during the day so we had to wait until the afternoon to go hiking.
I would stare out the car window in awe as we drove through the National Park.
Spending early mornings filling in words for my travel journal and flicking through my polaroids after watching the sunrise.
Celebrating the 4th of july in the desert.
Our AirBnb house had gorgeous windows which spanned from the ceiling to the floor - perfect for gazing out to watch the clouds and animals scurrying around in the bushes when it was too hot to go outside during the day.
My friends and I were all obsessed with seeing squirrels around New York, we couldn't believe how cute a chipmunk was when we saw three of them running across the road!
Pulling over on the side of the road to take pictures at sunset.
We barely saw another car or other people - it felt like we were at Joshua Tree all by ourselves.
There was a hike with desert flowers we wanted to do, but just as we were about to get out the car we realise the were HUNDREDS of bees surrounding us. We sat inside the car looking at them in disbelief (taking pictures of course) and we unfortunately missed out on this hike. Maybe next time!
Dusk in the desert.
Joshua Tree's main street.
all photos edited with my new joshua tree lightroom preset!
