Every Thursday, I will be posting a photo from my travels and a spotlight on the location. Today’s Spotlight Thursday is from my recent visit to Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park in California. Yosemite was one of the highlights of my move from Colorado to Virginia cross country road trip. Yosemite National Park was my 34th National Park on my quest to visit all 59 US National Parks.

I spent two and a half days exploring this park in late October.  I was hoping that with it being out of summer and in school had started that the park wouldn’t be super busy.  I was wrong all the campgrounds and hotels were still full even in the middle of the week.

I managed to find a small site in the Hodgdon Meadow campground in the northern section of Yosemite not too far from the Yosemite Valley.  I arrive in Yosemite very late at night due to the long drive from Great Basin National Park in Nevada.

My first day in Yosemite started at the Ansel Adams gallery.  Ansel Adam’s photos of the American West have inspired generations of travelers including myself.  I couldn’t wait to visit the gallery that honours him and carries prints made from his original negatives. I took part in an Ansel Adam Gallery photo class and got some advice from a local photographer.  After the course, I drove up to Glacier Point and had lunch overlooking the valley.  I explored starts of a couple of the trails near Glacier Point.  I spent the evening watching the sunset over half dome and the Yosemite Valley.

The next day I had breakfast at the Ahwahnee.  In the afternoon, I hiked up to the lower Yosemite falls and enjoyed the view before heading out of Yosemite and back to my drive to San Francisco.

Enjoy this photo of the Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park, California, USA?  Check me out on Instagram @MatDifference for more great photos.

Check out my other photos from Spotlight Thursday.