Hi, friends!!! In all my years of blogging, I’ve never actually done a post quite like this, recapping our travel, but it seemed like the perfect way to summarize our big, bad, beautiful RV camping trip to Yosemite last week! What was RV life REALLY like?! What are my Yosemite must-dos?! What did I wished I’d packed?! What am I so happy I did pack?! Any other thoughts or tips?! It’s all right here, folks, in one single place, for anyone who might be brave enough to follow our footsteps, errr, wheel marks. Honestly, though, you don’t even need to be all that brave. It was all so incredibly FUN that I can’t stop reliving it all or perusing our pictures. And seriously, I can’t stress enough that if I can do it, guys: SO CAN YOU!
I would tell you if the whole trip was awful. It was, in fact, the complete opposite, one of the most wonderful weeks and experiences I have shared with my little family to date. I highly recommend this exact trip or anything similar, and please don’t hesitate to ask me if you have any more questions!
In no particular order, here are some thoughts, tips and tricks!
THAT SWEET RV LIFE
Let’s start with RV life. And how much I was shockingly and completely obsessed. I mean, you get to experience camping, basically—with glorious comforts like AC and Nespresso and walls! Plus, mattresses you can make up with sheets and comforters, a fridge/freezer, cupboards and drawers, lighting, electricity, a toilet, shower, mirror, and generally more than enough space for the whole family. It is a small house on wheels and it is amazing, both for road-tripping and the days on your campsite.
We rented from CruiseAmerica.com and they were so easy-breezy to work with. They have locations everywhere, including right here in Costa Mesa five minutes from us. The total cost for our 20-foot RV came out to roughly $150/night all-in. I know that’s a legitimate cost, so it’s something to weigh. But we said about 10,000x on our trip that it was worth every last penny!
Additionally, we’d never camped as a family before. If we were going to purchase a tent, air mattresses and cots (because duh), and all the fixins, we would’ve easily spent hundreds of dollars. We wanted to try this whole camping thing before we invested long-term, and that was a really good call for us! Now, with our first trip in the books, I know with confidence that I am an RV girl, and not a tent girl. And I am completely OK with this critical piece of self-enlightenment! We still borrowed all kinds of gear for this trip (headlamps! lanterns! bike trailers! bike racks! more!) because frankly, there is so much you need. But now, we know what to buy (and not buy) for future adventures.
Some other things I loved about a week of RV life? The cozy quarters—it drove us crazy a few times, but mostly it just drove us outside. The small space to clean—it felt so rewarding to detail our entire “house” in like 15 minutes! We also loved that we didn’t have to set up or break down camp—what a perk and a time saver. Oh, and one of the biggies—WE SLEPT! Soooo well. Full night every single night. All of us, including our happy napping Reese’s Pieces. I was actually surprised by how comfy the beds were! Even if Hadley did end up sleeping with me every night, and Ems cozied up with Doug. That’s life with kids and we’ll take it!
In short, if even one small part of your heart is the slightest bit curious, you should 100% consider an RV extravaganza! We truly had the time of our lives. Every kiddo called it the “Fun House” throughout our trip. And that’s exactly what it was!
YOSEMITE MUST-SEES
What did we do every day in Yosemite with our crew of 6 adults and 8 children?! Fourteen humans of so many sizes and ages in a massive national park?! Like seriously, where on earth to go and what to see?! The looming, glorious, picturesque playground could potentially be so overwhelming. Thankfully, our longtime camping pros and Yosemite expert friends led the way, providing us beforehand with a thorough itinerary of every little thing we would do. From this list, I am so happy to share my favorites! Here they are, with pictures and brief descriptions!
Stop at Wawona Road Tunnel
This magical Tunnel View signifies your entrance into Yosemite land, and you need to stop to behold the glory and channel your inner Ansel Adams! We got some incredible pictures here. It is a breathtaking sight. And, don’t be shocked if you see a pic of our family here on the back of our Christmas card!
Hike Up Mist Trail to Vernal Falls Footbridge & Picnic Lunch
Now, this hike is actually quite legitimate, but nothing your big kids can’t do! Round trip, it’s about 2 miles and takes 1-2 hours. We wore the babies and trekked on up to this glorious spot for some views and a picnic lunch. We also stopped beforehand at the Happy Isles Nature Center, which is essentially a little museum. The kids were obsessed!
Hike to Lower Yosemite Falls & Lunch at Degnan’s Kitchen
It’s hard to even call this a “hike”—let’s call it a scenic, slightly up-hill walk to the most breathtaking sight of Yosemite Falls! It’s about a quarter mile each way, and this should definitely go on your trip list of musts. Spend some time snacking and gawking at the spectacular misty falls, then stop for lunch afterward at the DIVINE little deli called Degnan’s Kitchen, in Yosemite Village right at the base. It’s the only lunch we didn’t pack and I savored every last bite! Bonus tip: Their cookies are sublime. We also spent some time exploring the Visitor Center here at the Village and that was a blast.
Play Day at Mirror Lake
We spent most of a wondrous afternoon at this pool of beauty glittering right below Half Dome. We jumped off rocks, picnicked, made new friends, swam and snapped some of our trip’s most magnificent photographs. I adored this peaceful and stunning afternoon of rest, relaxation and unforgettable memories.
Pizza Dinner & Ice Cream at Curry Village
One of my favorite things about our campsite was the proximity to the darling Curry Village, which features a General Store, coffee and ice cream shop, Pizza Patio, cafeteria and more! One night, we walked to dinner and dessert as a group. The pizza was killer and so was the ice cream. Several of us also enjoyed the coffee shop more than once!
El Capitan
So, this was on the agenda but we scrapped it at the end for one last lazy camp day. This was a good call—and yet, we stopped for a bit at El Cap on our way out, and next time, I am dying to spend more time simply gawking at the unbelievable majesty! We spotted one climber and basked in the expanse of the mesmerizing El Cap meadow. El Cap is striking. El Cap is iconic. El Cap brought me to tears. At the very least, do a drive by!!!
WHAT DO I WISH I’D PACKED?
I would totally share my entire packing list with you if it wasn’t the length of a Great American Novel. Instead, here are the things I WISH SO BADLY that I had packed! They are random. But so is camping. Be warned:
- Real Kitchen Towels (paper towels just didn’t cut it, though you need those, too!)
- Bin for Shoes
- Small Broom
- Dustpan
- Paper Plates, Bowls, Napkins and Utensils Galore
- Mat or Tarp for Right Outside RV Door
- Wet Swiffers
- E-Z Up for Shade on Campsite
- Scissors
- Extra Socks for Everyone
- Extra Play Clothes for the Girls (everything gets so dirty!)
Just remember—you’re setting up an actual temporary home! A small one, but still. You kinda need all the things. I brought real plastic dishes, pots, pans, a cutting board, knives, colander for spaghetti, Windex, dish soap, small drying rack, Nespresso machine, trash bags, Ziplocks, paper towels, snacks on snacks on snacks, just to name a few items. It’s a lot, but you got this, girl!
SOME GLAMPY FAVES
Now. If I’m going to do anything new, I’m going to do it with my own touch of personal style! Here are a few small things that brought a touch of practical glam to my camping wardrobe:
- Celine Dupes—I’m a bit of a sunglass collector, and I usually save up and spring for the real, full-on, designer deal. But for camping? I bought my first pair of knock-off sunnies and it was SO NICE not to stress about losing or breaking them, while also feeling so stylin’! These truly amazing black Celine dupes are totally chic—and polarized! I’m in love!
- Black Strappy Target “Birks”—I adore my real rose-gold Birkenstocks in no small way. But I was not about to bring those beauties into the dirt. I left them at home and opted instead for these totally darling Birk-esque black sandals from Target! They are the only sandals I brought. They are durable, cute and so comfortable!
- Favorite Backpack—I wore this spacious, comfortable leopard Nike backpack every single day of our trip. It was perfect for all our excursions, easily fitting our lunches, cameras and all of the baby paraphernalia. Plus, it’s leopard. Need I say more?!
- This Woodsie Scent—This Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt Cologne was my Valentine’s Day present from my sweet handsome Douglas. I basically asked for it, straight-up. Ha! It’s technically unisex, but boy, do I love its fresh, earthy tones! It was the perfect light “perfume” to bring on this trip. Fit right in with the natural surroundings.
- Best Travel Pants Ever—These (pictured below) are my favorite travel pants in the whole wide world. Planes, trains, RVs—perfection. I’m serious. Mine are a few years old, but I’m pretty sure this divine pair here is only slightly updated from my version. They are Zella from Nordstrom and I really just can’t rave enough. Get some! You’re worth it!
MISCELLANEOUS WISDOM
I’m totally a “wise” expert now, right?! #GoesCampingOnce Here are some quick tips and tricks we picked up through this whole experience:
- Booking a Campsite: Getting a summer campsite in Yosemite is nothing if not crazy competitive. Basically, we got SUPER lucky! All six adults in our group were at our computers, poised to click lightning-fast at 7am on the dot when the new block of campsites was released on April 15 for the August week we all wanted. Booking takes place on the official Yosemite National Park website, where you can find the full lowdown. In summary, Yosemite National Park’s reservable campsites are all available up to five months in advance on the 15th of each month at 7am PST. There are tons of campsites to choose from. We were at the crème-de-la-crème Lower Pines, which is truly situated in the heart of the Valley, surrounded by towering granite cliffs, looming sequoias, glittering galaxies, and not far at all from the most beautiful meadow I’ve seen in my life, plus Curry Village for a taste of yummy restaurant food and civilization. Securing a campsite (or several) is hard, but we are proof that it’s possible!
- Prepare Your Bicycles—Bikes are really and truly the way to get around once you’re camped in the Valley. Car traffic in and out of the park can be truly insane, and you can get pretty much everywhere within a short bicycle jaunt. So pump up those tires and hitch up the trailers for your little babes! At first, this sounded like a bit of a pain to me, but once we got situated with our biking brigade and embarked on our first excursion, I was wowed by the freeing experience of spinning through forests, across bridges and alongside the most beautiful rivers! Plus, it’s an awesome workout. Essentially the spin class of all my dreams!
- Plan Your Food Wisely—Food prep is pretty key to success on a trip like this. Each of the families planned and purchased food for their own breakfasts, snacks and lunches—and each family cooked one community dinner for everyone. Spaghetti and salad, tri-tip and baked potatoes, and steak foil packets like this were all DELISH and so practical! Plus, we went out to eat twice. For breakfasts, we did a mix of cereal, Costco muffins, oatmeal, eggs, bacon, and Pop Tarts because I was feeling fun. For lunches, we were all about that PB&J, trail mix, apples and bars of all kinds (KIND, ThinkThin, ZBars, NutriGrain bars, etc.). Overall, our group ate REAL WELL, but only because we planned for it.
- Let it Gooooooo—Your kids are going to get DIRTY! Like really, really, really dirty. I wish I had a video montage of Hadley literally scrubbing her sweet little hands in the dirt and then on her pretty face. Every single day, multiple times a day. I began to call it her Dirt Facial. She was so happy. She was so free. She was so dirty. And I wouldn’t have it any other way! The RV and/or campsite will also get all kinds of crazy. This is not the time to be super uptight about cleanliness and organization! Let the kids run wild! Go wild yourself! I cleaned the RV once a day and that was very satisfying and also plenty. Beyond that, I tried really hard to relax and savor the whole experience.
- Any Downsides?—Of course! Doesn’t every trip with young kids have some secret lurking harsh truths? Ha! The prep, guys. THE PREP. Meal planning, list making, clothes packing, bike prepping, gear stacking, oh my. This was an all-new experience for me, and it was no joke! This is not a chill-on-the-beach type of vacation—before, during, or after. Did I mention the El Cap-sized towering laundry piles you will bring home? However, it is so rewarding, rejuvenating and elemental in a way that’s hard to even describe! The payoff is great, but the work is real. In addition, any family thrown into quarters so much smaller (and dirtier) than their usual is probably going to have moments of tension. We definitely had ours; oh, did we! But they passed pretty quickly and by no means defined the trip. Oh! And let us not forget the time Doug backed up the RV into my BFF’s brand-new beautiful Tahoe!!! Yes. Yesssss, that happened, right on our campsite. Gahhhh! (Always use a spotter, guys, ALWAYS!) It was the worst, and yet, it’s OK. I cried a little—they laughed. (You’re the best, Molls!) As a group and as families, we tried to have a whole lot of grace for each other and embrace the eccentricities of a sweet week we’ll never forget.
WILL WE DO IT AGAIN?!
Absolutely! 100% we will take another RV camping trip and I genuinely cannot wait. I already want to go to Yosemite again next year, and I’d also love to take our girls on a much longer road trip to see monumental, bucket-list, can’t-miss spots across America. Has anyone done something like this? I wouldn’t mind a mix of hotels and RV (I know that’s shocking coming from me!!!) but bottom line, we are raising our hands as official fans of camping on wheels!
Thank you for this week in your heavenly majesty, Yosemite. You have our hearts and our awe.
That’s all for now, guys! Let me know if you liked this post! It was so fast, easy and fun to put together!
