Last year, for the Thanksgiving break, we decided to spend a day at Yosemite National park on our way to our final destination, unfortunately, the National Park was closed on that particular day due to restorations after the fires. At that time, reservations were not necessary and some days were open and some days they weren’t. They told us we may em drive through but most roads would be closed and May be asked to turn back around so we decided to wait until this year to go back, and we recently went back!
We decided on a weekend getaway road trip aboard the most comfortable ride, the 2022 Chevrolet Traverse, it was perfect! I definitely fell in love during this trip, with the Traverse! I know I know, I am a sucker for cars but this SUV has it going on!!!
First off, I love the way the second row seats are, there is space in the middle to walk through the third row seats and there is a ton of space! I used the third row to change Jason’s diapers, yes, that much space. Stacy was so excited when she saw the big girl seats she got to sit on (still uses a child seat but the space was exciting for her). Both Jason and Stacy enjoyed their separate sunroof options and would ask for it to be opened to soak in the sun.
Driving such a bigger SUV scan feel intimidating, but Chevrolet provides so many safety features that it’s so easy to get used to it! Here are a few:
– Rear vision camera
– Teen Driver Technology (I talk about it lore in depth here)
– Safety alert seat
– Rear cross traffic alert
– Lane change alert with side blind zone alert
– Rear camera mirror (you know this one is my favorite) although it takes a minute to get used to it.
– Rear pedestrian alert (this came in handy at school pick up zone).
– HD surround vision
– Adaptive cruise control.
Also worth mentioning, parallel parking this SUV, I thought was going to be challenging because of the size, however, it was super easy with all the extra help of the cameras and alerts! I parked it like a pro on super tight spots on busy streets (now that I’m driving my boring mini SUV, I miss these features).
It was also nice to have the power-folding 3rd row feature to fit in our luggage and stroller for the trip. I really liked being able to take what I wanted without worrying about not having enough spaceZ I even took a mini cooler with snacks for the long trip! The kids and I approve 100% the 2022 Chevrolet Traverse is hands down, our favorite midsize SUV (I thought it was full-size) thus far!
10 things you need to know before going to Yosemite National Park:
1. Reservations, reservations, reservations!! Plan ahead, minimum 3 months ahead of you really want to experience it all. And make sure to make your entry reservations.
2. $35 per car to get in, more details on fees on their website.
3. If you don’t reserve and just took off for an adventure one day (like we did) just be there either before 6am or after 4pm. But make sure it’s after 4pm, they will give citations to those parked outside waiting. Before 6am and after 4pm, you do not need a reservation.
4. Plan your day, check the weather and sunset time. During this time of the year (May/June) the sun sets at around 8:30pm in Yosemite, so you have plenty of time to explore.
5. Renting a hotel instead of camping? No shame, we did too! Maybe save a bit and don’t stay in the ultra expensive hotel inside the park and stay at nearby towns like Oakhurst, super cute, affordable and everyone is so incredibly friendly!
6. We didn’t get to go to Glacier point because the roads are closed, be sure to check their website before your trip to make sure you have the latest on road closures.
7. If you have kids under 2, perhaps stick to the paved roads for your hikes. It’s still pretty incredible.
8. Pack a brown bag and have a picnic, there are so many picnic tables throughout or even better, take a blanket!
9. Now that the park is open, pan for traffic, lots of it. There are sightseeing spots and people will literally cut you off as you’re about to park 🤷🏻♀️.
10. Read all the signs, there are a lot of road updates and circulation, just take it easy, no rush!
Yosemite is so breathtaking and we loved it, we are definitely coming back once Jason can hike along to explore more of the trails.
Have you been to Yosemite?
Xoxo,
LA Mami,
Julie López
