California Official Visitor's Guide 2009 - (Page 44) play » family » yosemite Majestic Half Dome looms above Yosemite Valley; wade in or raft the Merced River; bike the valley. CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT yosemite hits it big Stoke your family’s sense of adventure in the High Sierra T he adventurous cartoon cowboy known as Yosemite Sam will have nothing on your kids after a few days in one of America’s favorite national parks. Yosemite is vast, it’s varied, and it’s got plenty of ways to tire out an outdoors-loving family with kids of any age. Yosemite Valley is where you’ll tick off your list of many of the park’s most beloved sights. Bring a picnic blanket and binoculars to the meadow at the base of El Capitan to spot top rock climbers scaling the massive granite face—a Spider-Man stunt brought to life. At night, the climbers’ tiny headlamps flash across the rock as they bed down on cots suspended in the air. At the opposite end of the valley is Half Dome, where unless you’re ultra-fit, it’s probably best to hold off on the 8.5mile trek to the top. Instead, try the beautifully quiet (and blessedly flat) hike to Mirror Lake for an unusual vantage point directly underneath the dome. At Lower Yosemite Fall (there are two; the other is Upper Yosemite Fall), give yourself a spring or early summer “Yosemite facial” by standing in the mist that envelops the footbridge at the fall’s base, then rent bikes for a laid-back pedal through the meadows. During the summer months, rent a raft for a low-key float down the Merced River. Two final valley must-dos: photo-viewing at the Ansel Adams Gallery and breakfast at the landmark 1927 Ahwahnee Hotel [ parents’ night out]. On the hour-long drive to Wawona and the southern section of the park, you’ll pass the turnoff for Badger Pass [ winter in Yosemite], a small ski area with a ’50s-era atmosphere. The Wawona Hotel hosts 44 Enter keyword in Search box at visitcalifornia.com ALEX FARNUM (4) http://www.visitcalifornia.com
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