More Than Just a View

August 14, 2025 
Sentinel Dome, Yosemite National Park 
Total distance walked: 2.2 trail miles 

Summer has come to a close here in California and fall is beginning to settle in. Looking back on the season, one of the highlights was when my niece Heather came to visit for a few days. We had only been together a handful of times, most of them when she was a child. Now she’s grown and she wanted to reconnect, to get to know her aunts—my sister and me—on a deeper level.

During the visit, Heather and her friend Adam were eager to explore Yosemite. So one day, my sister, her daughter Nikki, Adam, Heather, and I all squeezed into my car and hit the road. It was a tight fit, an adventure from the very start.

We began our day at Tunnel View just outside the Wawona Tunnel where we took in the iconic landmarks of El Capitan, Bridalveil Fall and—way in the back—Half Dome. These views would pop up from different angles as we moved around the park throughout the day.

Next, we hiked up Sentinel Dome and were rewarded with a 360-degree panorama.

Later, we wandered around Glacier Point taking in the breathtaking sights of the valley below.

Our journey continued through Yosemite Valley until we wrapped things up with a peaceful picnic at Cathedral Beach.

It was a full day—not just about the scenery, the views or the hike, but about connection.

Yosemite gave us more than vistas; it offered a place to simply be together. There were more summer adventures ahead, but this day will remain in my heart.