I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve traveled more than 20 miles from our house since March. We’ve been nervous about traveling; every possible trip seemed to carry risks we weren’t willing to take. But, we needed a break from being at home. Not only are we working from home, but being at home is also a lot of work because of the never-ending projects inherent to living here.

Somehow, after 20+ years in California, Mike had never been to Yosemite. A few weeks ago, we decided that this would be our escape. Given the weather is turning towards winter, we figured the crowds would be less. We found a nice, clean rental near Mariposa that met our requirements for cleanliness. Everything was great. Though the park was more crowded than I expected it might be, we were pleasantly surprised by how respectful people were with wearing masks and keeping good distance from others in more crowded areas.

Mike was amazed. We just missed Glacier Point and Tioga Road, which closed for the season when the first snow fell a few days before our trip. We’re already talking about going back when these higher-elevation areas are open.