Yosemite, worth 2-3 days ?
Nov 14th, 2004, 08:46 AM
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Yosemite, worth 2-3 days ?
My family may be going to San Francisco, Napa wine area, and possibly 2-3 nights in Yosemite. Is this too many or few days and where would you recommend staying ($200.00 per night or less. Lastly, any should not miss sights or events for a familiy with a 10 year old boy and a 14 year old girl. We like to hike but only for a few hours per day. Thanks for your help.
Nov 14th, 2004, 10:22 AM
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The first reaction that comes to mind in response to your question about the length of stay in Yosemite is "at least 2-3 days, more if possible."
You'll have a lot of options for any types of hiking, from the easy on up.
As for a place to stay, are you looking for accommodations for the four of you totalling $200 a night or $200 per room?
Yosemite Lodge in the valley is less than that per room. Book early.
You'll have a lot of options for any types of hiking, from the easy on up.
As for a place to stay, are you looking for accommodations for the four of you totalling $200 a night or $200 per room?
Yosemite Lodge in the valley is less than that per room. Book early.
Nov 14th, 2004, 11:51 AM
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You do not indicate the time of year. In the winter, you will be limited to the valley floor unless you like snow sports. There is a free shuttle to the Badger Pass ski area where you can rent downhill equipment, cross country equipment and snow shoes. If you never skied before, this last item might be the best. If there is no snow, you can take a shuttle to Glacier Point and hike back down to the valley floor.
Nov 14th, 2004, 02:56 PM
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As Michael mentioned, you did not mention what time of the year.
If you are going in Spring, Summer or Fall, then I would recommend at least 3 nights so you have 2 full days. There is plenty to do in Yosemite to fill more days...so don't worry! I would recommend staying in the Yosemite Valley so you are near the most activities.
The hike to Vernal Falls if our family favorite. I think it's about 3 miles round trip. In the spring you can get wet from the mist of the falls....I guess that's why they call it the Mist Trail! We take our bikes to ride the bike paths or you can rent bikes in the valley. There is a very short hike to Yosemite Falls and Bridal Veil Valls. Another short hike, if you don't have bikes is to Mirror Lake, which they should probably rename Mirror Meadow because the lake if filling with silt. You can always take a drive up to Glacier Point or down to the Giant Sequioas & Pioneer Village.
In the Summer and Fall you can drive Tioga Pass to see the high country scenery.
In the winter you will be more limited to what you can do, but it is still beautiful! I beleive they still have the ice rink at Curry Village in the winter months.
Utahtea
If you are going in Spring, Summer or Fall, then I would recommend at least 3 nights so you have 2 full days. There is plenty to do in Yosemite to fill more days...so don't worry! I would recommend staying in the Yosemite Valley so you are near the most activities.
The hike to Vernal Falls if our family favorite. I think it's about 3 miles round trip. In the spring you can get wet from the mist of the falls....I guess that's why they call it the Mist Trail! We take our bikes to ride the bike paths or you can rent bikes in the valley. There is a very short hike to Yosemite Falls and Bridal Veil Valls. Another short hike, if you don't have bikes is to Mirror Lake, which they should probably rename Mirror Meadow because the lake if filling with silt. You can always take a drive up to Glacier Point or down to the Giant Sequioas & Pioneer Village.
In the Summer and Fall you can drive Tioga Pass to see the high country scenery.
In the winter you will be more limited to what you can do, but it is still beautiful! I beleive they still have the ice rink at Curry Village in the winter months.
Utahtea
Nov 18th, 2004, 10:50 AM
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"We like to hike but only for a few hours per day."
For this reason, hiking down from Glacier Point may be too long. I'm not saying "do not do this", (because we did during September and really were jazzed about the whole experience)...I'm saying that it could be 4.5 hours. Bring food/water, etc.
Starting at the trailhead near Mirror Lake and hiking up to the falls is the best approach so that after reaching the first waterfall, a family could determine how much further they feel like hiking to reach the next waterfall. They are all worth it, however, somebody might be "halfway tired" upon reaching the first falls. This would be a good place to turn around.
The sunset glow upon Half Dome is a nice event to witness, after you descend from the falls there and make your way back to Mirror Lake. From here, or from a higher elevation, sunsets are majestic.
The $15 per person shuttle from the valley floor to Glacier Point may take longer than the hour it took us to drive in a (in no traffic, around Noonish).
You can bring bikes, or rent single speed cruisers for $25/day, to tour the valley. We parked the bikes and left them unlocked several times and had no issues. (although I don't recommend repeating this) I didn't want to bring my $3K bike from home and worry about security.
Simply witnessing wildlife that is accustomed to humans in their proximity and therefore, somewhat tame, is a "should not miss". On several occasions, we had deer and bucks within 10 feet. I snapped a few photos of a coyote who was wandering as freely as your dog w/o a leash.
A full moon is a nice thing, however the absence of a moon is great for star viewing, also...
The guided night tours are great.
http://www.nps.gov/yose/now/pdfs/yt04-12.pdf
http://www.yosemitefun.com/yosemite_day_hikes.htm
For this reason, hiking down from Glacier Point may be too long. I'm not saying "do not do this", (because we did during September and really were jazzed about the whole experience)...I'm saying that it could be 4.5 hours. Bring food/water, etc.
Starting at the trailhead near Mirror Lake and hiking up to the falls is the best approach so that after reaching the first waterfall, a family could determine how much further they feel like hiking to reach the next waterfall. They are all worth it, however, somebody might be "halfway tired" upon reaching the first falls. This would be a good place to turn around.
The sunset glow upon Half Dome is a nice event to witness, after you descend from the falls there and make your way back to Mirror Lake. From here, or from a higher elevation, sunsets are majestic.
The $15 per person shuttle from the valley floor to Glacier Point may take longer than the hour it took us to drive in a (in no traffic, around Noonish).
You can bring bikes, or rent single speed cruisers for $25/day, to tour the valley. We parked the bikes and left them unlocked several times and had no issues. (although I don't recommend repeating this) I didn't want to bring my $3K bike from home and worry about security.
Simply witnessing wildlife that is accustomed to humans in their proximity and therefore, somewhat tame, is a "should not miss". On several occasions, we had deer and bucks within 10 feet. I snapped a few photos of a coyote who was wandering as freely as your dog w/o a leash.
A full moon is a nice thing, however the absence of a moon is great for star viewing, also...
The guided night tours are great.
http://www.nps.gov/yose/now/pdfs/yt04-12.pdf
http://www.yosemitefun.com/yosemite_day_hikes.htm
Nov 18th, 2004, 10:51 AM
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"We like to hike but only for a few hours per day."
For this reason, hiking down from Glacier Point may be too long. I'm not saying "do not do this", (because we did during September and really were jazzed about the whole experience)...I'm saying that it could be 4.5 hours. Bring food/water, etc.
Starting at the trailhead near Mirror Lake and hiking up to the falls is the best approach so that after reaching the first waterfall, a family could determine how much further they feel like hiking to reach the next waterfall. They are all worth it, however, somebody might be "halfway tired" upon reaching the first falls. This would be a good place to turn around.
The sunset glow upon Half Dome is a nice event to witness, after you descend from the falls there and make your way back to Mirror Lake. From here, or from a higher elevation, sunsets are majestic.
The $15 per person shuttle from the valley floor to Glacier Point may take longer than the hour it took us to drive in a (in no traffic, around Noonish).
You can bring bikes, or rent single speed cruisers for $25/day, to tour the valley. We parked the bikes and left them unlocked several times and had no issues. (although I don't recommend repeating this) I didn't want to bring my $3K bike from home and worry about security.
Simply witnessing wildlife that is accustomed to humans in their proximity and therefore, somewhat tame, is a "should not miss". On several occasions, we had deer and bucks within 10 feet. I snapped a few photos of a coyote who was wandering as freely as your dog w/o a leash.
A full moon is a nice thing, however the absence of a moon is great for star viewing, also...see if you can take either of these conditions into consideration when scheduling.
The guided night tours are great.
http://www.nps.gov/yose/now/pdfs/yt04-12.pdf
http://www.yosemitefun.com/yosemite_day_hikes.htm
For this reason, hiking down from Glacier Point may be too long. I'm not saying "do not do this", (because we did during September and really were jazzed about the whole experience)...I'm saying that it could be 4.5 hours. Bring food/water, etc.
Starting at the trailhead near Mirror Lake and hiking up to the falls is the best approach so that after reaching the first waterfall, a family could determine how much further they feel like hiking to reach the next waterfall. They are all worth it, however, somebody might be "halfway tired" upon reaching the first falls. This would be a good place to turn around.
The sunset glow upon Half Dome is a nice event to witness, after you descend from the falls there and make your way back to Mirror Lake. From here, or from a higher elevation, sunsets are majestic.
The $15 per person shuttle from the valley floor to Glacier Point may take longer than the hour it took us to drive in a (in no traffic, around Noonish).
You can bring bikes, or rent single speed cruisers for $25/day, to tour the valley. We parked the bikes and left them unlocked several times and had no issues. (although I don't recommend repeating this) I didn't want to bring my $3K bike from home and worry about security.
Simply witnessing wildlife that is accustomed to humans in their proximity and therefore, somewhat tame, is a "should not miss". On several occasions, we had deer and bucks within 10 feet. I snapped a few photos of a coyote who was wandering as freely as your dog w/o a leash.
A full moon is a nice thing, however the absence of a moon is great for star viewing, also...see if you can take either of these conditions into consideration when scheduling.
The guided night tours are great.
http://www.nps.gov/yose/now/pdfs/yt04-12.pdf
http://www.yosemitefun.com/yosemite_day_hikes.htm
Nov 18th, 2004, 02:41 PM
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One of my favorite things to do in Yosemite is to wander along the Merced river in the valley. There are some paths and trails, and it's just nice to sort of meander and see what you can see. Very relaxing.
Nov 19th, 2004, 02:16 PM
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Speaking from the kids' perspective... mom booked a week every summer in the housekeeping cabins in Yosemite, and I brought a friend. It was barely enough time, and we loved every minute. We took the shuttle around to various hiking trails, spent most of the time hanging out at the river and floating downstream, and attended a lot of ranger activities. For my honeymoon, we spent a week in May; we bicycled around and the falls were glorious. If you're talking about winter, though, my story would change. Kids'll appreciate this stop. As for the wineries, not so much...though our son really go into the tour at Mondavi; he collared the guide and made him give a technical explanation of all those tanks...he's now in engineering college, thank goodness....
Nov 19th, 2004, 05:40 PM
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As others have already said, if you can spend more time in Yosemite that would be better. I suspect that your kids will most likely enjoy Yosemite more than SF and wine country. I'd recommend about 4 or 5 days in Yosemite if at all possible. There is so much to see and do there. If you stay in the Valley look into the Yosemite Lodge which should be in your budget range.
Definitely book now for the summer.
http://yosemitepark.com/
Definitely book now for the summer.
http://yosemitepark.com/
Nov 20th, 2004, 11:11 AM
#13
Time: the more the better
Where to Stay: unless you're bringing camping equipment, Curry Village has real cabins (not the tent kind) -- everyone thinks they only have tent cabins. Also Yosemite Lodge. Curry is near more kids activities and is livlier at night with stuff to do than Yosemite Lodge, but Yosemite Lodge has a better pool. Both offer bike rentals. Raft rentals are at Curry. Warn your kids: neither of these accommodations have t.v.. Live with it. If you can't live with that thought, you'll have to either spend the big bucks at the Ahwahnee or head over to the bar at Curry Village (behind the pizza stand) where you will be stuck watching 24 hour sports t.v. (although this may be a plus for some, I've never seen the attraction in watching grown men play with balls!).
Things to do:
If you don't bring your own, definitely rent bikes.
Get oriented by taking the free shuttle bus, and get off when you find something you want to do (i.e. Happy Isles, Curry Village, etc.).
"Hike" and I use the term loosely, to Yosemite Falls, which in July/August will be almost non-existent, but the base of the falls is a good place to explore (10 minute easy walk from Yosemite Lodge).
Bring an inner tube or rent a raft at Curry Village. It's usually really, really hot around that time, so the ice cold Merced river will be a welcome relief. If you take the shuttle bus, you will be able to figure out where the beaches are located -- there's a good one behind Lower Pines campground.
Tons of ranger activities -- check Curry Village and the campgrounds, but they usually have walks and talks and activities posted.
Hikes: well, everyone has their favorite hike, and I hate to hike, so I'd say the easiest and shortest one (other than my earlier comment on the huge trek to Yosemite Falls)
is the bridge halfway up to Vernal Falls. Do this early in the morning, because the heat can get pretty brutal mid-day. And take sandwiches (which you can pick up at the deli in Yosemite Village) and water.
Just so you know, we've been going up every year since my son was 3, and he's 15 now, and we've taken him all over the U.S. and Western Europe. This is the place where he never gets bored, even without the video games and t.v.
Where to Stay: unless you're bringing camping equipment, Curry Village has real cabins (not the tent kind) -- everyone thinks they only have tent cabins. Also Yosemite Lodge. Curry is near more kids activities and is livlier at night with stuff to do than Yosemite Lodge, but Yosemite Lodge has a better pool. Both offer bike rentals. Raft rentals are at Curry. Warn your kids: neither of these accommodations have t.v.. Live with it. If you can't live with that thought, you'll have to either spend the big bucks at the Ahwahnee or head over to the bar at Curry Village (behind the pizza stand) where you will be stuck watching 24 hour sports t.v. (although this may be a plus for some, I've never seen the attraction in watching grown men play with balls!).
Things to do:
If you don't bring your own, definitely rent bikes.
Get oriented by taking the free shuttle bus, and get off when you find something you want to do (i.e. Happy Isles, Curry Village, etc.).
"Hike" and I use the term loosely, to Yosemite Falls, which in July/August will be almost non-existent, but the base of the falls is a good place to explore (10 minute easy walk from Yosemite Lodge).
Bring an inner tube or rent a raft at Curry Village. It's usually really, really hot around that time, so the ice cold Merced river will be a welcome relief. If you take the shuttle bus, you will be able to figure out where the beaches are located -- there's a good one behind Lower Pines campground.
Tons of ranger activities -- check Curry Village and the campgrounds, but they usually have walks and talks and activities posted.
Hikes: well, everyone has their favorite hike, and I hate to hike, so I'd say the easiest and shortest one (other than my earlier comment on the huge trek to Yosemite Falls)
is the bridge halfway up to Vernal Falls. Do this early in the morning, because the heat can get pretty brutal mid-day. And take sandwiches (which you can pick up at the deli in Yosemite Village) and water.Just so you know, we've been going up every year since my son was 3, and he's 15 now, and we've taken him all over the U.S. and Western Europe. This is the place where he never gets bored, even without the video games and t.v.
Nov 20th, 2004, 04:19 PM
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aahhhh... Surfergirl, I was reliving all my summer vacations at Yosemite just reading your post! You hit it right on, now I want to go back next summer (and coming from Orlando Florida is quite a hike in itself!).
Nov 22nd, 2004, 08:04 AM
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I fell in love with Yosemite as a child, so for me I can't think of a better place to take your kids on vacation. They will carry the memories and impressions with them their entire life. The more time the better!
One of the most gratifying hikes for me at Yosemite is to take the bus up to Glacier Point and hike down on the Panorama Trail. It is absolutely gorgeous. The views of the Valley, Half Dome, Nevada Falls and Vernal Falls are to die for. It is an all day affair, BUT it is mostly level or downhill as you are descending into the Vally, so it is not as tiring as some other hikes out of the valley.
I also agree with the poster above about hiking along the Merced River. There are surprisingly few people and the everchanging views of the Valley Walls as you walk along are awesome.
-Bill
One of the most gratifying hikes for me at Yosemite is to take the bus up to Glacier Point and hike down on the Panorama Trail. It is absolutely gorgeous. The views of the Valley, Half Dome, Nevada Falls and Vernal Falls are to die for. It is an all day affair, BUT it is mostly level or downhill as you are descending into the Vally, so it is not as tiring as some other hikes out of the valley.
I also agree with the poster above about hiking along the Merced River. There are surprisingly few people and the everchanging views of the Valley Walls as you walk along are awesome.
-Bill
Nov 22nd, 2004, 08:18 AM
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Oh yes, stay much longer like the others suggested. It is one of the Top 3 places I have EVER been to! Our dearest friend said he felt that Yosemite was how he envisioned the Garden of Eden to be.
Nov 23rd, 2004, 07:21 PM
#18
Where did you hear that? I seem to recall that rumor about 6 months ago, and would be interested in knowing if it's true -- not that I am THAT into t.v. while in Yosemite, I blame the question on my husband, who looks for the remote (and promptly loses it) as soon as he enters any hotel room!
Nov 23rd, 2004, 09:33 PM
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Surfergirl,
My boyfriend does the exact same thing upon entering a hotel room (he manages not to lose it though)! He also jumps on the bed and touches the ceiling. I can't take him anywhere.
love
roxy
My boyfriend does the exact same thing upon entering a hotel room (he manages not to lose it though)! He also jumps on the bed and touches the ceiling. I can't take him anywhere.
love
roxy
