After a hot hike up to Vernal Falls, our first stop in Yosemite National Park, we headed to Sentinel Beach to have lunch and cool off. There were no showers in our campground, so...you get the idea!

We sat back and relaxed for a couple of hours before heading off to our next destination in Yosemite. Our first sunset at Glacier Point. It's one of the most iconic views in Yosemite and especially famous for photos at last light. With about an hour to drive from the Valley Loop, we made our way there 2 hours before sunset to make sure we were in the right place at the right time.

It's one of the most popular destinations and with lots of parking and easy access to the viewpoint, it gets busy quickly and it stays busy late. Get there extra early to secure a parking spot.

By the time we arrived and found parking, the official viewpoint was already full! Thankfully, we discovered that the views were actually better a couple of hundred feet before you get to the viewpoint, with no trees, fences, or people in the way!

The show started early, as storm clouds started to roll in 30 minutes before the sun was due to set. It created incredible shapes and textures in the sky. The colour then quickly began to change as the night grew ever closer.

The iconic Half Dome sits majestically in the centre of your view from Glacier Point. As the sun set beyond the mountains behind us, the last light crept up the face of the Dome, turning the top a vibrant pink.

Of all the many sunsets we've seen on our adventures around the world, this one takes first place. The vibrant colours and strange cloud formations constantly changed, before, during, and after sunset. Combined with one of the most beautiful landscape vistas in the world, we quickly understood why this place has captured the attention of so many, from all over the globe, including ourselves.

As the sun set, and the colours faded, we sat back in awe of what we just witnessed. It what was definitely one for the books!

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Yosemite National Park was the ninth stop on The Big Trip. Follow us to see the rest of our journey as we spend 3 months exploring America’s most beautiful National Parks.