From all the research I've done I know that if the govt shuts down all the parks will be closed. At Zion and Bryce our reservations are actually outside the park entrances (in Springdale for Zion and at Ruby's for Bryce) so I assume they would be open - but there doesn't seem to be much else to do in the areas - most land is either in National Parks or National Monuments which I understand would also close. And we do have two nights at the lodge in Grand Canyon North Rim so we would be screwed those two days. (I even checked into reservations in Page, Az and the town is full those days).

So Stu, since the shut down didn't happen I guess you weren't really affected. Do you have a sense what there would have been to do in those areas if the parks had shut?

And Michael, were there other things to do in the Yosemite area when you got kicked out of the park? I actually was in Acadia Natl Park earlier this week and there would have been plenty to do in that area even if the park itself had closed. I just don't get the sense that it's the same in Utah/Az.

We are also planning a day (or two) in Napa. Should I expect a higher probability of nice weather there?

Napa will be warmer during the day, maybe even hot. There is some morning overcast there but it burns off earlier and it warms up more than in SF.

Take a look at Pacific Grove as an alternative to Monterey. Echo the recommendation for Pt. Lobos. For more coastal hiking close to San Luis Obispo, Montaña de Oro State Park has lovely vistas. I haven't hiked in Big Sur but definitely check out hiking possibilities in that area if you wind up on the coast. There's an elephant seal rookery (www.elephantseal.org) a few miles north of San Simeon.

>>we were kicked out of our campsite in Yosemite, but those staying in the Awahnee did not have to leave because it is run by a private concession.<<

I queried a park ranger in Yosemite, the check-in person at Yosemite Lodge (private concession, where we stayed), and a waiter at the Awahnee. They all told me the same story. They were told my their employers at both the Awahnee and Yosemite Lodge that they were not going to allow check-ins past Tues, and everyone at the hotels were to be evicted by Wednesday. Gates entering the park were to be closed on Tuesday. The "employees" were going on unemployment "soon" (don't know the specifics about that).

If I had a vacation planned for Yosemite & everything was going to be "shut down" - I would go to Lake Tahoe.

Stu Dudley