We stayed a couple of nights @ Wawonna Hotel and a couple of nights in Curry Village Cabin. The Awahnee is super nice, but very expensive. Yosemite Lodge would be a good choice. If you wanted to do something really different, you might consider a tent cabin. This is roughing it a little, but is considered luxory camping. The tent cabins don't have bathrooms(you have to walk a little way from you cabin to shower and use the restroom) The Wawonna area is by the Mariposa Grove of Big Trees and it is about an hour from "the valley" attractions. Yet another hour is Hetch Hetchy area. Then finally, Tuolumne Meadows is a different area(high country). It just all depends on what you want to see and do and just how much of it. If you are there and have the time, I would suggest full day in each of the four areas.

Sequoia, is much like Maripossa area, but just better. About the only place to stay "in park" in Sequoia is The Wuksachi Lodge. King's Canyon is attached to Sequoia. The two parks are really one big park. I haven't really done it. It is a hikers park. I hope to do a 5 or 6 day backpack trip at some point there.

You for sure don't want to miss the waterfalls in Yosemite, they are among the best in the world, and there are 5 or 6 of them all within 5 miles of each other. If you can hike at all consider The Mist Trail. You might want to do the Panorama Trail-which end on the Mist Trail. It is longer, but is mostly downhill. Tons and tons of great hiking options at Sequoia/KC and Yosemite. Opportunity for a lot of wildlife as well.

In park is just much better than staying outside of the parks, in my opinion. If you want to splurge for a meal, consider the Sunday Brunch at the Awahnee.

Don't under estimate the size of these parks they are really big. Expect Yosemite to be crowded(especially in the valley). But if you do a little hiking, you can get away from most of the crowds. You will probably see a bear or two in Yosemite, but they don't really have problems with bear attacks there. They do have problems with bears breaking into cars and into tents.

How will you travel? Are you renting a car? If so, one way drop off fees, especially from one state to another can be very high. It might be best to start in one place and return to the same. The trip can be circular, so that there is no feeling of covering the same ground twice.

We have taken trips to the Southwest from San Francisco, camping along the way. It usually took us three days to get to the canyon area (Bryce, Zion, Grand Canyon etc.), and as long to get back. I would start in Salt Lake City or Las Vegas and tour the Southwest from there, and drop San Francisco. You'll just have to come back to see California on another vacation.

Thanks, everyone I have some homework to do. Great info.