We have had the pleasure to RV in California’s Sierra foothills along the American River with a teardrop trailer in tow, used a larger RV to camp the awe-inspiring Big Sur, and have been regulars at KOAs up and down the California coast. This time, we decided to grab a Type C motorhome, and head to iconic Yosemite National Park!
An RV is a comfortable lodge on wheels from which to pursue a mind-boggling variety of camp destinations and public lands. You can just roll up, and anchor your family in nature and enjoy the pop-up communities all over America!
My family is still chattering and reminiscing about our whirlwind RV adventure that jumped off from our home in Oakland, California. We wove our way through California’s Central Valley and scenic rolling woodland foothills to ascend the majestic forests of Yosemite National Park near our destination at Yosemite Lakes RV Resort — our weekend basecamp.
Thanks to the folks at Go RVing, we were loaned a Type C- motorhome from El Monte RV, suitable for our family of four — me, my partner the indomitable co-captain Rodney, with our teen roadies Arwen and Will. There was plenty of room for cooking, eating, lounging, and sleeping for all of us with room to spare for two additional youths.
This RV was the largest we have driven, yet it handled smoothly with great visibility and fewer blind spots than our SUV at home. Anyone who feels comfortable driving a truck or minivan will manage navigation with a Type C well, with no special licensing required. Inside, we had all the comforts of home with a four burner stove, oven, refrigerator/freezer, and tons of cabinet storage that locked securely keeping our belongings tucked away in case of any bumps in the road. The rear contained a queen sized bed and upfront there is a full-sized cab over sleeping area. Adding to the convenience was an onboard shower and bathroom with a flush toilet – so thankfully, no middle of the night, chilly treks to the bathroom for us!
Before picking up our RV, we made runs to our local grocery store with lists for our carefully planned meals decided on by the family the night before. We also saved money by bringing a bunch of items we already had from home, like garbage bags, cleaning supplies, spices, pots and pans, bedding, linens; and other pantry items measured in just the right amounts for our favorite weekend recipes (can’t leave home without my grits!).
Rue’s Favorite Creamy Grits Recipe (from SpryLiving.com)
Grits provide a hearty and hot camp morning base topped with breakfast meats, eggs, shrimp, or sauteed veggies for a complete breakfast!
Leaving early afternoon on a Friday allowed us to spend a leisurely four hours on the road from the RV pick-up, and we used a travel app to weave around the usual traffic. By 5pm, we arrived at the resort with plenty of light on our side to tour the site, and selected one of their first-come-first serve spacious and shaded camp spaces.
Yosemite Lakes RV Resort sits in a prime location overlooking a beautiful river landscape, just minutes from Yosemite’s entrance with options for all styles of campers. Guests can drive in and select a cozy yurt that overlooks the scenic river, stay in a park model cabin, or pitch a tent along the developed hillside if they don’t have their own RV.
The hospitality and check-in at the campground was warm, quick, and informative thanks to our cool camp ranger Jeremy. And at our site, we were able to get our water and electricity hooked up within minutes before we took off to explore the campground’s many other amenities. With a television and Wi-Fi in the main lodge, the teens and man were eager to unwind from our marathon preparations and drive, catch a glimpse of Game 3 of the World Series, and share some of our adventure on social media before settling in for dinner.
By nightfall, we were more than ready to throw down on the grill some pre-marinated steaks, along with garlicky potatoes and asparagus, before the evening campfire with ranger Jeremy.
We finally tucked in for the night after the last toasted marshmallow was consumed, with lots of family jokes and giggles, excitedly looking forward to the splendor of Yosemite Valley the next morning.
Our adventure was well underway. Stay tuned for Part 2!
