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Yosemite

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    #32
    dave2pvd
    Registered Users Posts: 1,511 ✭✭✭dave2pvd


    Good to get a few different viewpoints.

    Regarding food, I think that experiences as a tourist can be very hit or miss. It can be hard to find out where the good stuff is - whether its grocery stores or restaurants. Americans I know who have visited Ireland have reported very mixed experiences. Handy tools that can make a big difference these days are Tripadvisor and Yelp. They'll at least steer you away from chain restaurants.

    National or state parks: this is a generalization, but as far as food goes, you might be best advised to bring your own. Food tends to not be what they're about. You shouldn't really end up surprised though - it doesn't take long on Google to set expectations. I've been in many of them, from rustic (Nantahala) to relatively fancy (Acadia). They're all spectacular in their own way, and parks are something America does very well.
    But back to food: agreed, Hershey bars and Wal-mart. Not exactly the epitome of haute cuisine in the US. Same can be said for just about any fast food or chain restaurant. BUT: America has a lot of diversity in food, and a huge amount of really good restaurants. Typically, you find these in the cities. Far from the parks. And as someone who has lived half my life in Ireland and half my life in the US, I'll put food from my part of America above that of Ireland - on average. And that's an opinion.
    OP: good article here.


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    #33
    dave2pvd
    Registered Users Posts: 1,511 ✭✭✭dave2pvd


    I hesitate to add this, but when on the road, McDonalds and Starbucks are your friends for wi-fi. Invaluable for researching ahead.


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    #34
    Elvisjuice
    Closed Accounts Posts: 553 ✭✭✭Elvisjuice


    anewme wrote: »
    I did a national park tour in June 2016. Visited Yosemite as part of it. Stayed in Yosemite view Lodge which is in El Portal, nearest place to the park (about 45 mins) without being inside. Accommodation in Yosemite is very expensive. Yosemite lodge is very much like a motel. It's very road trip style. I found food in the states way below way below what we have here, and way more expensive in general.

    I did the mist trail hike in Yosemite it was fantastic!

    We saw a bear in the park!

    By the way I loved Zion national park and Angels landing hike. Zion was probably my favourite out if then all.

    If you are doing the Grand Canyon, do the helicopter ride, its expensive but worth every penny.

    I'm a hotel snob in general, and I was shocked at the prices of hotels, vs. The standards of what we have here.

    Any other questions, just ask!


    going to Zion later this year , how did you find Angels landing was it very crowded ?agree prices of hotels are nuts esp for the national parks


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    #35
    Sleeper12
    Registered Users Posts: 17,069 ✭✭✭✭Sleeper12


    We went there as part of our honeymoon in 1991. Well worth a visit. We took in lake tahoe and did the casinos there. The ghost town bodie is also a must.


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    #36
    myate
    Registered Users Posts: 320 ✭✭myate


    Zion as a park has got extremely busy recently. I've been there 4 times in the past 5 years, each time the place gets busier. We went last October & did Angels Landing first thing (first shuttle) one morning, 7am. Going up was fine but coming down was very busy to the point of dangerous in some spots. Instagram etc has got non hikers & people with no idea of hiking etiquette going up there. Some parts of the chain section are dangerous & requires communication between people coming down & going up.


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    #37
    anewme
    Registered Users Posts: 11,947 ✭✭✭✭anewme


    Elvisjuice wrote: »
    going to Zion later this year , how did you find Angels landing was it very crowded ?agree prices of hotels are nuts esp for the national parks

    Zion was my favourite out of all the parks. Springdale is a lovely little town to stay in too, lovely vibe there, the nicest hotels of our stay our stay were there. Food was also best there. Had gorgeous huevis rancheros at a lovely little Mexican place

    To do Angels landing, you would need to be up very early. We were in the first shuttle in the park into the morning at 7am If you are planning on driving into the park, parking can be full from 10am, so better to park in Springdale and take the shuttle. Plus with the heat. We reached Angels landing very early and it was starting to get busy then.

    The Angels landing hike is a series of switchbacks, some of which are narrow ledges. I got as far as scouts landing no problem and then got 2 chains up the ledge and had to come back down. The problem is that as you are trying to get up, someone else is trying to come down and there is only one chain. I was not going to let go to pass by someone so I got a bit stuck! I had no problem going up but coming down was scarier. it was the amount people up here that was off putting plus some of the behaviour was just not not suitable for the conditions.

    The hike is 5.4 m/8.7km and should take about 4 hours. When we were on our way back down at around 10.30, there were literally gangs of people going up(but I was there end June/early July) but apparently it's that busy all the time, so if you don't go first thing in the morning, it's too late


    They give you a brilliant little newspaper map and guides and it lists the times, shuttles and stops and hikes and grades on it. If you haven't already done so download this from the website , the spring 2017 one is now up.


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    #38
    faceman
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 16,610 CMod ✭✭✭✭faceman


    I've been to Yosemite a few times now and never get bored of it. The more time you can spend there the better, it's my favourite place on the planet.


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    #39
    wolfyboy555
    Registered Users Posts: 1,435 ✭✭✭wolfyboy555


    Can anyone recommend somewhere to stay on way to Yosemite from San Fran. We are booked into half dome village but was thinking of making some of the drive there the night before to save time the next day.

    We are supposed to be two nights in half dome village before driving back to Monterey but was thinking of cancelling one night and again driving that evening to cut down on the trip the next day. Is it possible to have showers in half dome village if you aren't staying there that day? Was thinking of hiking all day then coming back and showering and then head off for about 2 hr drive to somewhere in between again


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    #40
    jack presley
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,687 ✭✭✭✭jack presley


    wolfyboy555 wrote: »
    Can anyone recommend somewhere to stay on way to Yosemite from San Fran. We are booked into half dome village but was thinking of making some of the drive there the night before to save time the next day.

    We are supposed to be two nights in half dome village before driving back to Monterey but was thinking of cancelling one night and again driving that evening to cut down on the trip the next day. Is it possible to have showers in half dome village if you aren't staying there that day? Was thinking of hiking all day then coming back and showering and then head off for about 2 hr drive to somewhere in between again

    Groveland is a nice little town to stay in for a night. If memory serves me right, there are two hotels there. We stayed in one and ate in the other and they were grand. There's a good bar there too that has bands on some nights.


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    #41
    Ace2007
    Registered Users Posts: 19,705 ✭✭✭✭Ace2007


    Guys.

    No point starting new thread, so just going to ask here, we are heading to Yosemite in August, planning on staying one night, arriving from around Carmel.

    If you had a choice of places to stay - "Yosemite ridge resort" or the "Comfort Inn Yosemite area", which would you choose, - thinking about how long it will take to get to the main sight-seeing areas, traffic in/out of park etc.

    We are heading to San Fran the next day.


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    #42
    faceman
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 16,610 CMod ✭✭✭✭faceman


    Ace2007 wrote: »
    Guys.

    No point starting new thread, so just going to ask here, we are heading to Yosemite in August, planning on staying one night, arriving from around Carmel.

    If you had a choice of places to stay - "Yosemite ridge resort" or the "Comfort Inn Yosemite area", which would you choose, - thinking about how long it will take to get to the main sight-seeing areas, traffic in/out of park etc.

    We are heading to San Fran the next day.

    A quick search of google maps will give you an idea. Yosemite village is the main focal point of the park. Those accommodation options I believe are grand, a bed for the night.

    I'd encourage you to stay 2 nights in Yosemite. You won't regret it


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    #43
    Ace2007
    Registered Users Posts: 19,705 ✭✭✭✭Ace2007


    ended up booking 2 nights in Yosemite, just one thing that I'm curious about why is the temperature in Yosemite lakes so much hotter than Yosemite national Park - the lakes are showing as 40 degrees now, where as the park is showing as 26 degrees???


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    #44
    faceman
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 16,610 CMod ✭✭✭✭faceman


    Ace2007 wrote: »
    ended up booking 2 nights in Yosemite, just one thing that I'm curious about why is the temperature in Yosemite lakes so much hotter than Yosemite national Park - the lakes are showing as 40 degrees now, where as the park is showing as 26 degrees???

    Yosemite has all 4 seasons in one park. First time i was there, the was show at the park entrance and then t-shirt and shorts in Yosemite village. It's beautiful.


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