Yosemite

Most visitors to California have Yosemite National Park on their list of 'must dos'. It's so popular that accommodations start booking up a year in advance. But if you have the luxury of flexibility thanks to living just a four hour drive away, as those of us in the Bay Area do, an overnight trip is easy to fit in. Because while the on-line reservations often show the park fully booked months ahead, a generous cancellation policy means spots often open up, so start checking 7 to 10 days before you hope to go, and chances are you will find a spot. Spring is often considered the best time to visit, as the waterfalls are at their best. This year, thanks to a deep snow pack and a late spring melt, the waterfalls are still going strong. A word of warning: Yosemite Valley can get very hot in the summer. While there are some lodge-style accommodations within the park, the majority are either campng spots or 'tent cabins': basically a small wood frame canvas-covered tents, packed quite close together, that can really get cooking in the warm weather. If you spring for a signature tent cabin, you should be lucky enough to have an electrical socket included with your basic beds and small shelf, which not only proves handy for a fan or space heater, depending on the time of year, but also was used, I admit, to re-charge cell phones and our portable DVD players. (For the drive home only; they were off limits while in this spectacular park - although the boys did not even ask to watch them once, there were so many better things to do right outside our door).

We'd heard a few complaints about the quality of food in Curry Village, but found Degan's Deli, a short walk or free shuttle bus ride away in Yosemite Village, to be just fine and surprisingly reasonable to boot. We will certainly be making a return visit to this lovely spot. Hikes range from flat and paved to steep and challenging; there are miles of flat bike trails; ranger shows that were both humorous and educational and many other special activities happening each day.