In our humble opinion, the third day was the best one. For our last day we planned to have a simple hike and relax before leaving Yosemite. We started the day with an early and delicious breakfast at the Blackberry Inn, and then head-out to Tuolumne Meadows.

Tenaya Lake (Round 1)

We were lucky enough to make one stop and, to be honest, this was the best one of them all: Tenaya Lake. We reached there around 10.30 am and we were able to take amazing pictures there. The water was freezing, but the whole view of the whole lake was so breathtaking that the temperature of the water did not matter to us. Because we had to keep going to Tuolumne Meadows, we decided that we will return to Tenaya lake on our way back.

Tuolumne Meadows

Some 20 minutes later (after we found parking), we arrived to the visitor center of Tuolumne Meadows. There, we talked with a ranger and he recommended us to do the Soda Springs and Parsons Memorial Lodge hike. This was a good options for us, especially because we wanted to do a mostly flat trail and learn a little bit more about the history of Yosemite.

Soda Springs and Parsons Lodge

The round trip to Soda Springs takes no more than an hour. The walk is very easy and flat. The soda springs are carbonated cold water that you can see bubbling out the ground (FYI: they are protected within a log enclosure).

Later one we continued to he Parsons lodge which is a memorial to Edward Taylor Parsons, a New Yorker who joined the Sierra Club in 1900. This lodge offers a wide variety of public programs celebrating the arts and sciences, featuring writers, musicians, naturalists, historians, adventurers and other presenters.

Lunch Break

After the long hike, we went for lunch at the Tuolumne Meadows Grill which is located pretty close to the campground. The food they offer is really good, the burgers come in a very good size, and for vegetarians they have a delicious veggie chili. And if you want a bit of indulgence, the sort serve is amazing.

Tenaya Lake (Round 2)

After lunch we decided to go back to Tenaya lake and chill. Because of the long hikes, we needed a break and this lake offers the best option to just lay down and unwind. Again, we had amazing time here, and got more amazing pictures and videos.

Dinner at Rush Creek Lodge

Because this was our last official day at the park, we decided to have dinner at one of our favorite spots: the restaurant of Rush Creek Lodge. And in this final occasion, we decided to have the Tuna Poke again, burrata and king salmon. All of them were delicious.

Going back

As you can see, after dinner you can go back to San Francisco or, like us, we decided to spend one last night, and then get up early and go back home. The next day we said goodbye to the Inn, bought some fresh fruits from the farms around Escalon, stopped at Livermore Outlet, and reached back home.

Yosemite, for sure, is one of the most beautiful National Parks that United States has. Everyone should visit it once in their lifetime, but also try to give back. If you shop any product (t-shirts, calendar, etc.) make sure to buy it from one of their visitor centers, the money you invest will go back to the park, so the rangers and all the volunteers can keep taking care of it. You can also make donations and they are tax deductible.

And always remember to take a good care of the park, so many more people can enjoy its beauty.

P.S. We are already planning to go back to Yosemite, hopefully this time in winter.