The valve in the shower that our brand new tenants need to use suddenly stopped working, Dottie needed an urgent vet visit, and somebody tried to steal our Kia. Apparently Kia theft is all the rage these days, but the would-be thief was relegated by their incompetence to the role of vandal, as all the damage they caused didn’t help them start the vehicle.

My cousin, who has been storing the 5th wheel in her pasture for us, was gracious enough to let us camp there for a few days while we took care of issues at home and got the RV ready for full time living again. It was nice to spend some time with her family even though it was an unplanned delay.

When we finally set out for Yosemite Lakes, there was just one last point of stress: Priest Grade on Highway 120. It’s a narrow, steep and winding road that sits on the edge of a ledge, but for me, the biggest concern was my transmission temperature. These types of climbs with a heavy load in tow are hard on the truck.

I’ve always enjoyed seeing Yosemite in different seasons, but this is the first chance I’ve had to make

Fortunately, Thousand Trails – Yosemite Lake is under 10 minutes from the Big Oak Flat and Hetch Hetchy entrance gates to the park. In fact, a year prior we camped just a couple miles down Hardin Flat Rd with some friends, before we ever heard of Thousand Trails.

The campground was still in the process of reopening so we stayed at a site way in the back, near a meadow. It turned out to be a great spot. Over the course of our two week stay, the main camp sections were opened and the summer camp atmosphere came alive.

This has got to be my favorite TT campground yet, and being only three hours from Sacramento, it’s likely to become our new home away from home. We already booked another two weeks in June.

The park was beautiful and still covered in snow. Many of the roads were recently cleared and the evidence of a harsh winter was apparent. There was red clay across the highway in areas that had seen landslides, washed out shoulders, and trees down everywhere. In the higher elevations, the road was boxed in by walls of snow that had been plowed 10 ft high.

Once we arrived it was surprisingly uncrowded. We apparently timed our visit perfectly between impassable roads and tourist season. By the end of our stay, the campground, the park and the local grocery store were bustling with vacationers.