The drive from San Francisco to Yosemite National Park on the 4th of July was smooth. I guess it was the right choice to start our road trip on a holiday, most of the roads were empty. FYI the non-stop drive is about 3 hours and a half, but because we decided to make a stop for breakfast/lunch, it took a little bit more.

Lunch Break

We stopped around noon at Escalon, which is a city in San Joaquin County and has a population of 7,132, and decided to go to Hula’s to eat. This little restaurant is so underrated, the food is great and once you finish they give you mini ice creams which were such a great treat (that day was too hot, so the ice creams were spot on). After this break, we kept on going to Yosemite.

Reaching Yosemite

Around 3 pm we finally reached the Big Oak Flat entrance. We paid the entrance ticket ($35), which lasts for 7 days, and got a map of the park. Just in case, we decided to go to the visitor center before anything, and it was right next to the entrance.

We got some recommendations from the park rangers and a very thorough explanation. One of the recommendations was to start with Tuolumne Grove Trailhead.

Tuolumne Grove

15 minutes away from the entrance of the park, you will find the Tuolumne Grove Trailhead. To reach, you just follow the Old Big Oak Flat Road and turn left on the Crane Flat Gas Station. Two minutes later, you will see on your left the entrance to this trailhead. Because it was so close, the rangers recommended us to start with that one.

Also, this is a very easy and short hike. It will take hardly two hours in total, depending on how long you stay to take pictures or have a picnic. Also, the entire trip is downhill and the grove itself contains a couple dozen mature Giant Sequoias, including one you that you can walk through. So if you are like us, and cannot make it to Mariposa Grove, this is a good option.

Dinner

Because it was the first day, we did not want to go somewhere far from the Blackberry Inn, so we went to Buck Meadows Lodge and Restaurant. The food was good, not outstanding, but nice. The service was fast, even though when we arrived (7 pm) the restaurant was pretty full.

After a nice dinner, we went back to the b&b and rest.