Technically, I’ve been to Yosemite.

I have pictures.

I can tell you what the drive looked like.

I can say we were there.

But when I think about Yosemite, I don’t really feel like I’ve seen Yosemite.

Because sometimes you can make it all the way to a place you’ve wanted to visit and still not get the experience you thought you were going to have.

For us, Yosemite became one of those places.

And it all started with a tire.

We Made It to Yosemite

Yosemite was supposed to be one of the big stops on our three-week road trip.

This wasn’t somewhere we happened to pass and decided to check out.

It was Yosemite.

One of those national parks I’d seen in pictures over and over again.

One of those places where you arrive expecting to spend the day looking up.

We’d made it all the way to California.

We were there.

And then our plans started unraveling.

The Tire Changed Everything

A tire problem isn’t particularly exciting under normal circumstances.

On vacation, it can take over an entire day.

Suddenly, you’re not thinking about trails or overlooks.

You’re thinking about whether the tire is safe.

Where you can get it looked at.

How far you can drive.

Whether someone can fix it.

What time places close.

And what happens if they can’t.

That’s the thing about travel problems.

They don’t care what you had planned.

Yosemite could be sitting right there waiting for us, but the tire had become the priority.

It had to.

There wasn’t really a choice.

We Were There Without Really Being There

I think that’s what made Yosemite so frustrating.

We hadn’t missed the park entirely.

Sometimes that’s easier.

If weather closes a road or you simply can’t get somewhere, you know you didn’t get to go.

Yosemite was different.

We were there.

Close enough to see what we weren’t really getting to experience.

We drove through.

We saw some of it.

We got glimpses of the place we’d come to see.

But our attention wasn’t really on Yosemite anymore.

Part of my brain was looking out the window.

The other part was thinking about that tire.

That’s a strange way to experience somewhere you’ve been looking forward to.

You’re physically there while mentally already dealing with whatever comes next.

This Wasn’t One of Those Times When Changing the Plan Felt Fine

I’ve gotten much better at letting travel plans go.

Capulin Volcano was a perfect example.

The road was closed.

The alternative was a three-mile hike.

There had been a Brake for Snakes sign.

I made peace with that situation remarkably quickly.

Yosemite wasn’t like that.

I was disappointed.

Really disappointed.

And I think that’s important to admit.

There’s a temptation to turn every travel mishap into:

“But it all worked out exactly the way it was supposed to.”

Sometimes it doesn’t.

Sometimes something goes wrong and you wish it hadn’t.

I wish we’d gotten our Yosemite day.

I Didn’t Want to Check Yosemite Off the List

Maybe that’s why I’ve never thought of Yosemite as a place we’ve completed.

I could mark it off.

Yosemite National Park — visited.

Technically true.

But that isn’t what I want from travel.

I don’t want to collect proof that I stood inside the boundaries of a national park.

I want to experience it.

I want time to stop somewhere because we want to stop.

I want to look around without thinking about what problem we need to solve next.

I want to take the walk.

See what catches our attention.

Stay longer than necessary.

Yosemite didn’t get that kind of day from us.

Or maybe we didn’t get that kind of day from Yosemite.

Either way, it feels unfinished.

Sometimes the Responsible Choice Is the Disappointing One

There’s a version of this story where we ignore the tire.

We’re already at Yosemite.

We came all this way.

Surely we can deal with it later.

And maybe everything would have been fine.

But that’s not a gamble I’m interested in taking.

A road trip already asks a lot from your vehicle.

We were thousands of miles from home.

We still had a lot of traveling ahead of us.

Taking care of the tire was the right decision.

It was also the boring decision.

And the disappointing decision.

Those things can all be true at the same time.

Sometimes being a responsible traveler means giving up something you really wanted to do.

I don’t have to pretend I liked it.

Yosemite Became the One That Got Away

Out of seven national parks on that trip, Yosemite is the one I think about differently.

There were parks where we didn’t see everything.

That’s normal.

There were trails we didn’t take.

Views we missed.

Roads we couldn’t drive.

Things we skipped because they didn’t work for us.

I’m completely okay with most of that.

I don’t believe you have to see everything to experience a national park.

But Yosemite taught me there’s another side to that idea.

You do have to experience something.

Something that makes you feel like you were actually there rather than simply passing through.

For me, we didn’t quite get that.

Maybe That’s Not Such a Bad Thing

I wouldn’t choose to have a tire problem again.

Let’s be very clear about that.

But there is one thing I like about the way Yosemite ended.

I still want to go back.

Not because there’s another attraction I need to cross off a list.

Not because I need a better picture.

I want the day we didn’t get.

I want to return without a tire problem controlling the schedule.

I want to arrive knowing we have time.

I want to see where the day takes us.

Maybe we’ll hike.

Maybe we’ll drive.

Maybe we’ll find one beautiful place and stay there much longer than we need to.

I don’t even need to know yet.

That’s the nice part.

Yosemite still gets to be ahead of me.

I’ve Been There. But I Haven’t Seen It Yet.

Travel doesn’t always give you the story you expected.

Sometimes the road closes.

Sometimes the weather changes.

Sometimes you get the spectacular day you imagined.

And sometimes your tire decides it’s going to be the main character.

Yosemite was supposed to be one of the big moments of our road trip.

Instead, it became the place that reminds me that getting somewhere and experiencing somewhere aren’t the same thing.

So yes.

I’ve been to Yosemite.

But I don’t think I’m ready to say I’ve really seen Yosemite.

I don’t feel like I’ve visited Yosemite yet. I feel like I’ve only been there.

And someday, I’d really like to change that.

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Keep Reading

How to Visit a National Park Without Trying to See Everything
I don’t believe you have to see every trail and overlook to experience a national park—but Yosemite taught me there is a difference between seeing less and barely getting to experience it at all.

Brake for Snakes: The Hike I Was Secretly Happy We Couldn’t Take
Another national park plan that didn’t work out, with one major difference: I was considerably less disappointed about this one.

The Best Travel Memories Usually Aren’t Planned
Unexpected moments can become some of the best parts of a trip. Unfortunately, not every unexpected moment works that way.

7 Road Trip Do’s and Don’ts I’d Follow Again After 3 Weeks on the Road
Three weeks on the road gave us plenty of opportunities to learn what works when plans inevitably change.

I Thought Great Vacations Were Supposed to Be Exhausting
I’m learning to let go of the idea that we have to do everything—but that doesn’t mean I’m never disappointed by what we miss.

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☕ Comfort Corner

Most travel gear can’t fix a tire or rescue a day that’s gone sideways. But these are some of the simple things I like having with me when plans change.

My Travel Backpack
When a normal sightseeing day suddenly becomes something else, I appreciate having the things I use most together and easy to reach.

My Owala Water Bottle
One of those very unexciting travel items that becomes especially appreciated when you’re spending more time dealing with a problem than you expected.

My Merrell Shoes
Whether the day involves exploring a national park or walking around trying to deal with an unexpected travel problem, comfortable shoes are something I’m always glad I packed.

My Fire Tablet
Sometimes the adventure ends earlier than planned. Having something I enjoy doing when we’re back at the hotel makes an unexpected quiet evening feel a little less like lost vacation time.

Find all of my travel favorites in one place.
You can browse my Travel Comfort & Style Amazon Storefront to see more of the things I actually use when I travel.

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Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links. That means if you choose to make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I personally use and genuinely believe make travel more comfortable. If it hasn’t earned a place in my travels, you won’t find it here.

Travel isn’t about having the perfect gear. It’s about finding the little things that help you enjoy the journey a little more. These are mine.