We went to Yosemite for our first time during Memorial Day Weekend. Thankfully we lucked out with being able to score a tent in the Half Dome Village. I think this was due to the 7 day minimum cancellation so there were quite a a few. Key is keep refreshing the page and keep trying all day.
Anyway, the tents were better than I thought! Certainly not as clean as pictured on their website but it's a step up from a camping tent. We flew to California so we didn't bring all our gear. The bad thing about the tent village is that you can hear everything- from a cough, sneeze, talking, whispers, snoring, babies crying, and a stupid jerk kid sobbing at 7AM for an hour. Bring some ear plugs!
The location was amazing - easy for beautiful day hikes. We hiked Cloud's Rest which was the most amazing, breathtaking view I've ever seen in my life. Really. In the Valley, you can find restaurants, groceries, and gear. There's also showers and wifi.
We prefer the solitude so we'll probably backpack next time or stay at a different campsite to try something new.
Yosemite is top notch.
If you're not able to drive far, McKinney Falls is a nice quiet getaway. It's a typical state park where you're pretty close to your neighbor, but there are a few good spots that give you space. The Airport is nearby so you'l get some of the air traffic noise, but other than that it's a nice quiet break away from Austin.
We love Inks Lake SP! Site 346 is the best because you have the whole peninsula to yourself! water on both sides which means it can get windy.
BBRSP is quite possibly our favorite park in Texas. The draw is that there is far fewer foot traffic than BBNP - so much solitute. We camped at Fresno Vista and backpacked the Rincon Loop from the Barton Warnock Station… about 30 miles in 3days/2nights. Wifi at the Ranger stations and a shower at the Sauceda Station. If you have any questions don't hesitate to call the Ranger stations. Water near the Crawford Smith house.
Fresno Vista has a wonderful view! It gets a little windy at night and you have to park your tent pretty far away from the fire ring for flat ground. It's wonderful having a shelter over the picnic table. The drive to the site off the main road is truly 4x4 - we barely got away with being in a 2SW SUV. We stayed over NYE when a cold front swung by - it was brutal but we still loved it. You're so far away from your neighbor which provides quite a bit of solitude.