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While it is indisputable that America has some of the worlds most renowned national parks, they vary in size and attractions. I’ve heard of folks that were fortunate enough to go on a National Park tour, where they would stop for a period of time at each. Surely retired or rich, most of us must “take ‘em as we can get ‘em”. With that in mind, start with the small guys and work your way up. I knew that Yosemite was going to be hard pressed to match Denali, but I didn’t realize how much smaller it was. Again, a really beautiful place, but can’t even come close to Alaska’s beauty.
You definitely want to go to Yosemite before a Yellowstone or Denali. Only a 4 hour car ride from San Fran, it makes sense. Biggest difference is the lack of wildlife. These deer were all I saw during the day…
Funny thing is, you read things like, “please don’t feed the deer” and “store all food away from the bears”. OK, maybe they do have a few black bear, but it seemed more like a promotional gimmick, unlike in Alaska, where the Moose and Caribou can be found outside McDonald’s and boring after the first day, wildlife was abound and really wild. Don’t get me wrong, Yosemite is beautiful, but after Denali, no match.
Best time for Yosemite is late May, early June, when the peaks still have snow and the falls are at their highest. The Czechs have the Šumava region designated as their national park, and it is nice, but in all fairness, 50% of the tress are dead from acid rain. America has spent billions in preserving some of the last wilderness in the world, and along the way made their mistakes, but all in all, our parks are the best.
Still on the list prior to leaving this area: Yellowstone, Salt Lake City, LA, Big Sur, Hollywood, and the Sequoia National Park. Maybe a quick trip back into Mexico again, but I’ve only about 6 months to accomplish all this, so things I’ve seen aren’t high on the priority list…Yosemite pics here.
