Yosemite Tour Review (Day 1) | Mariposa Grove · Tenaya Lake · Olmsted Point
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🌲 Yosemite 2-Day 1-Night Tour – Day 1 Travelogue
To celebrate my mom’s 60th birthday, we headed to the U.S. West Coast and finally visited Yosemite National Park, a dream destination of mine.
I’d heard it’s way too big to do in a single day, and since my mom doesn’t speak English, I thought she’d enjoy it much more with a 2-day, 1-night guided tour in Korean.
It wasn’t cheap, but I wanted to treat her and show some gratitude for raising me. Honestly? It was so worth it – no regrets about the cost!!
🚐 Departure & Love’s Travel Stop
The meeting time was 8 AM, but everyone was so eager that the whole group had gathered by 7:45. Felt like I was the only one taking it easy haha.
Since our hotel was right next to the meeting point, my mom and I strolled out right on time.
It’s about a 4-hour drive from San Francisco to Yosemite, so we stopped by Love’s Travel Stop along the way. But honestly, no one seemed too interested – we all ended up wandering into the nearby farmers market instead.
The guide said this particular market has the best-quality fruit around, and wow – fresh, sweet, and absolutely delicious.
🍕 Lunch: Groveland Pizza Spot
Our first stop was Groveland, once a Gold Rush town but now a sleepy little community.
We grabbed lunch at Two Guys Pizza Pies – classic American pizza: super cheesy, super salty. It was my mom’s first time trying U.S.-style pizza, and right away she said, “Wow, that’s salty” 😂
Still, it was all-you-can-eat, so we definitely left with full stomachs.
Fun fact: they don’t usually serve salad, but our guide called ahead so we had a special batch just for our group.
🚩 Yosemite Entrance
After another two hours on the road, we finally reached the Yosemite entrance.
There’s a huge sign with “Yosemite” on it, and of course everyone went wild with their cameras. Some people even climbed up on top for pictures – just be careful if you try that!
🌲 Mariposa Grove – Giant Sequoia Trail
Our first real highlight: Mariposa Grove!
This is home to the ancient Giant Sequoia forest, some of the largest trees on Earth. Seeing them up close was jaw-dropping – pictures really don’t do them justice.
The trail takes about 40 minutes to an hour, more of a stroll than a hike. Every tree felt like something straight out of “I Am Groot” 😆
Pro tip: use panorama mode if you want to capture the entire tree – they’re so huge they won’t fit otherwise.
Found this gem while sorting photos… we asked someone to take a picture of us, and this is what we got. Had to share it lol.
My mom was in such high spirits that she hugged me the whole time – I was sweating like crazy, but how could I say no to that smile? 🥰
🏞️ Glacier Point – Yosemite Valley View
Next stop: Glacier Point.
From here, you get sweeping views of Yosemite Valley and the Sierra Nevada mountains. No wonder it’s a “photo hotspot.”
The sunlight in the U.S. already feels intense, but here it was blindingly bright – sunglasses were an absolute must.
Every shot I took looked like a masterpiece. Magic, really.
💧 Tenaya Lake – A Glacial Alpine Lake
By the afternoon, it was getting hot, so our guide brought us to Tenaya Lake.
Since it’s fed by glacial melt, the water stays freezing. I dipped my feet in and it felt like 10°C (50°F) at most.
The air is so dry up there that after wading, I was completely dry again in just 3 minutes.
But beware: the mosquitoes are vicious. I gave up on taking photos because they were swarming me 😂
One honeymoon couple in our group actually went swimming – how they survived in that icy water remains a mystery.
🪨 Olmsted Point – Granite Wonderland
Our last stop of the day was Olmsted Point.
A surreal landscape of massive granite boulders, with the chance of spotting mountain goats if you’re lucky. Sadly, no animals for us that day.
Honestly, I was exhausted from car sickness + hiking + heavy lunch… but my mom? Still full of energy, smiling away like a champ.
We sat on the rocks chatting, and all I could think was: “Wow, nature really is amazing.”
🏠 Lodging & Dinner
For the night, we stayed at a cozy lodge provided by the tour.
Dinner was prepared by our guide, and after such a long, tiring day, it tasted absolutely heavenly.
Later, we went stargazing – and wow. Out there in the mountains, the sky looked like it was raining stars. Something you just can’t capture fully on camera.
📝 Final Thoughts
Day 1 of our Yosemite 2-day tour was all about experiencing the grand scale of nature.
From the ancient sequoias of Mariposa Grove to the icy waters of Tenaya Lake and the rocky slopes of Olmsted Point – it was a crash course in the wild beauty of America.
Yes, it required stamina and lots of time on the road, but the memories made it more than worth it.
- ✅ Use panorama mode to capture the giant sequoias
- ✅ Tenaya Lake is freezing cold even in summer
- ✅ You might spot wildlife at Olmsted Point if you’re lucky
- ✅ Bring bug spray and motion-sickness meds to make the trip easier
If you’re planning a Yosemite trip, I highly recommend at least 2 days, 1 night – don’t just do a day trip.
👉 Check out the Yosemite Tour Review (Day 2) as well!
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