One week away from work. Nine nights with my nieces. My California summer vacation was needed more than I realized!

For this year’s trip, we chose to rent an Airbnb but didn’t really have a city in mind. All I knew was that there needed to be enough space for nine people, needed to be surrounded by nature, and had to be within a reasonable driving distance from my Mother’s house. After several random searches, we found the perfect house to rent in the city of North Fork, California.

North Fork, ca

While the city of North Fork isn’t large and definitely isn’t a tourist destination in itself, it is, apparently, the exact center of California. Who knew? What it was, however, was quiet, surrounded by nature, and located about 20 minutes from Bass Lake and a little under an hour from the South Entrance in Yosemite.

The Home - airbnb.com/rooms/34754131

The home we stayed in was incredible. It had three living areas (one of which was a gorgeous sunroom), a trail in the back that led to a creek, WiFi and smart TVs, and a fully loaded kitchen! We didn’t need to bring anything other than our own food and clothes, which made packing for the trip a million times easier. It was honestly the perfect vacation rental since we all had plenty of space not to drive each other crazy, and the girls had a great time playing out back!

All I took were crummy photos on my iPhone, but I’m sharing them because, well, why not?

Link to AirBNB: airbnb.com/rooms/34754131

The backyard

Yosemite national park

A few miles in from the South Entrance is the town of Wawona and the super cool Big Trees Lodge. We stopped inside for lunch before we headed off for a little hike!

Wawona - Big Trees Lodge

Chilnualna Falls Trails

Just a short drive from the Big Trees Lodge is the Chilnualna Falls Trail and a super accessible water fall! There are two paths - one that is NOT family friendly, and one that is quick and easy for everyone. We obviously took the easy one (although I would have absolutely taken the harder one if we didn’t have the kids). The path leads you to the base of a beautiful little waterfall that sprays cool refreshing mist all over you.

Yosemite Tunnel View

Seriously, Yosemite blows my mind and makes my heart explode. This view is absolutely worth the winding drive up the mountain. The viewpoint is called “Tunnel View” because it is located right next to the mouth of a crazy long tunnel that you drive through. I think I might make Yosemite an annual adventure!