The month before the start of medical school my best friend and I hopped on a plane and ended up in Reno. Our rental white ford fiesta waited for us at the airport, little did we know we would be spending hours upon hours in it during our week long stay, including one nap. Genoa Nevada is home to David Walley’s Resort and Hot Springs, the oldest saloon in Nevada and that is it. The slow moving pace, beautiful scenery and relaxing hot springs made for the perfect summer get away.

During our trip to Nevada we made the couple hour drive to Yosemite National Park. I do not recommend spending 12+ hours in a ford fiesta but boy did we have fun! In an attempt to beat the traffic we left our resort at 4am, leaving both of us exhausted by the time we made it into the park. An hour power nap in a random parking lot gave us the energy to keep exploring! We saw deer, coyotes, and lots of birds. I was hoping to see a bear or two but that will have to wait for next time.

My only regret is not spending more time in the park, I would love to go back and camp for a week at some point. The sights and the wildlife are already calling me back.

Cost:

Park Entrance Fee: $35
Gas: $40 (fill up before you get to the park, gas prices in the park were CRAZY!!)
Sleeping in the parking lot: Priceless

We packed lunch and snacks so that was a big expense that we were able to cut out.

Until next time Yosemite!