Following is a handy guide to summer 2006 in the Park, to help families make the most of their next Yosemite visit.

These days, a family of four will spend upwards of $200 for a single day of fabricated fun at a theme park. Compare that to Yosemite, where it’s $20 per carload for a seven-day pass, a fee that allows unlimited access to nearly 900 miles of hiking trails, unique wildlife and the incomparable scenery of Yosemite Falls and Half Dome. If more than one visit a year is planned, the $40 annual pass is an even better deal.

While most people have heard of The Ahwahnee, Yosemite’s AAA Four Diamond historic national landmark hotel, there are also several moderately-priced lodging options that accommodate up to five people. There is still mid-week availability throughout the summer at many lodging locations. All non-camping lodging is operated by Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts at Yosemite, the contracted concessionaire that manages Yosemite’s lodging, dining, recreation, retail and transportation services.

A long-time favorite of families and small groups, the Housekeeping Camp facilities provide an adventurous ambiance without the hassle of setting up a tent – all for only $72 per night for four persons. Dotted along the Merced River, these units consist of three concrete walls, a canvas curtained doorway, concrete floor, canvas roof, covered patio, picnic table and outdoor pit grill. As the only permanent tent structures with cooking capability, the Housekeeping Camp units are perfect for big barbecues and late-night s’mores. Tents comfortably sleep four people with two single-size bunks and one double bed, and are within easy walking distance of central restrooms, showers, a grocery store and laundry facilities. Nearby is a sandy beach that is ideal for child’s play, with stunning views of Yosemite Falls and Half Dome a glance away for adults.

Curry Village tent cabins – available for $74 per night, double occupancy – have provided an economical respite for families for more than 100 years. Casual, yet comfortable, these permanent tent cabins feature canvas exterior walls, wood floors, electricity, screened windows, beds and linens with central restroom and shower facilities nearby.

Considered the hub of activity in Yosemite Valley, Curry Village allows guests easy access to a variety of recreation, dining and sightseeing options. Amenities include a Tour & Activity Desk, the Yosemite Mountaineering School, a pizza deck, cocktail patio, Taqueria, coffee shop and an all-you-can-eat buffet. Curry Village also offers gift and grocery outlets and seasonal operations such as an outdoor amphitheater, a swimming pool, raft and bicycle rentals and the renowned Curry Village ice skating rink.

For those who prefer more modern conveniences, Yosemite Lodge at the Falls is situated near the base of Yosemite Falls and offers comfortable motel-style accommodations. Room rates range from $123 to $170, many of which have balconies with views of North America’s tallest waterfall. Amenities at Yosemite Lodge at the Falls include a fine dining restaurant, food court, lounge with televisions, outdoor pool, a full-service Tour & Activity Desk for easy itinerary planning and multiple gift and grocery stores. Many tours in and around Yosemite Valley depart from here.

Those worried about how to keep the kids entertained in a national park, should worry instead about how to fit all of the available activities into just a couple of days. A leisurely raft trip floating down the Merced River, rock climbing lessons or a stable ride will make children quickly forget video games and television. Among the family-friendly activities that can be enjoyed in Yosemite, including some free of charge, are:

• Pet the even-tempered mules at the Yosemite Valley Stable, the largest public stable in the western United States, or watching experienced wranglers in action. For those seeking a saddle trip, two-hour, four-hour, half-day and all-day rides are available into Yosemite’s backcountry.
• Bike on Yosemite’s 12 miles of paved paths is a picturesque and relaxing way to view Yosemite’s sights. This activity costs nothing when visitors bring their own bikes, or rentals are available for $7.50 per hour, helmets included.
• Explore the Native Indian Village near the Visitor Center for an educational experience the kids won’t forget. The museum includes displays on Yosemite’s native Miwok and Paiute tribes dating back to 1850, as well as demonstrations of traditional basket-weaving, beadworking, acorn grinding and Native American games. Admission is free.
• Experience the ultimate in family bonding during an all-day introduction to rock climbing class. Yosemite Mountaineering School guides offer sensitive and hands-on instruction for families wanting to test the limits of gravity.
• Take a journey of Yosemite through the ages during the award-winning film, “Spirit of Yosemite,” shown several times daily at the Visitor’s Center in Yosemite Valley. Admission is free to this 22-minute film that features inspirational sight and sound.
• Go back in time at the Pioneer History Center in Wawona. Horse-drawn wagons, covered bridges and historic buildings from Yosemite’s past help explain how Yosemite was the inspiration for national parks across America and throughout the world. Admission is free.
• Learn to tell the difference between bear “scat” and deer droppings at the Happy Isles Nature Center. This family-oriented nature center features natural history exhibits (with an emphasis on wildlife), interactive displays and a bookstore geared to nature-exploring families. Admission is free.
• Gain a new respect for BIG at the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. Kids will feel like they’re an extra in the “Honey I Shrunk the Kids” movie series as they stand next to some of the world’s largest living things – including a tree with a 97-foot girth and a 232-foot tall tree with a tunnel they can walk through! Audio tours in multiple languages are also available on the Big Trees Tram Tour (weather permitting).
• For more organized activities, Delaware North Companies and the National Park Service (NPS) offer several free or low?cost interpretive programs specially tailored for families. Programs are presented year-round and include titles such as “Wee Wild Ones” and “Starry Skies Over Yosemite.”
• Relax in the comfort of the Visitor Center’s West Auditorium and watch Lee Stetson’s portrayal of naturalist John Muir in one of several Yosemite Theater evening offerings.
• Take part in an old-fashioned barbecue and square dance at Wawona Hotel. Kids of all ages will enjoy learning the dance’s simple steps and “do-si-do-ing” the night away under a starlit sky. Barbecue entrée items, including a children’s menu, range from $6.95-$17.95. The square dance is free and features live music.
• Partake in a guided hike led by one of the Yosemite Mountaineering School’s guides. Two-hour, four-hour, all-day and overnight backpacking trips are all available, as well as a “Bike to Hike” offering ~ enjoy the freedom of traveling along Yosemite’s paved biking trails and stop to take short hikes to special scenic locations.
• A Hiker’s Bus, departing daily from Yosemite Lodge at the Falls, drops visitors off at a number of trailheads in the Park to hike back to the Valley Floor, with destinations such as Glacier Point and multiple trailheads on Highway 120 through to Tuolumne Meadows.
• Learn the basics of golf on the Wawona’s nine-hole, 35-par golf course. The first in the Sierra Nevada, the Wawona Golf Course features a periscope (similar to those found in submarines) that lets players look over lush hilly greens, around trees and other obstacles. Open daily spring to fall, weather permitting.

In Yosemite, a variety of food establishments – many of which have special kids’ menus – make dining in Yosemite an experience that’s both easy on both pocket and palate.

The Yosemite Lodge Food Court provides the option of enjoying a comfortable, leisurely sit-down meal or grabbing a quick snack before heading out for the day’s activities. Hot and cold food stations serve a variety of family-friendly fare, such as pasta, pizza, hamburgers, garden burgers, hot dogs and fries. An entrée station dishes up both vegetarian and meat-based entrees. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.

The Curry Village Dining Pavilion, an all-you-can-eat buffet service in the spacious wood-paneled Pavilion, is perfect for the indecisive and picky eater. Pizza, tacos and burritos are also served at the Curry Village Taqueria and Pizza Deck. For dessert, ice cream cones at the Curry Ice Cream Corner.

Perennial children’s favorites are available in the Yosemite Village Area at Degnan’s Deli and Degnan’s Loft, serving sandwiches and pizza and salads respectively. For breakfast, Degnan’s Café serves fresh-made pastries, specialty coffees, ice cream and smoothies.

You can’t go wrong with picnics in Yosemite. Visitors can bring in their own food or find deli meats, cheeses and a host of other picnic-perfect items at the Village Store. Visitors are reminded to keep all food and beverages in the provided food storage lockers at night, so as not to tempt the wildlife.

Yosemite is easily reached by automobile this summer via two commonly used state highways: Highway 120 from the northeast through Groveland and Highway 41 from the south through Oakhurst. A third road from the west, Highway 140, can be taken as far as Mariposa; from there drivers can swing south on historic Highway 49 to connect to Highway 41 through the town of Oakhurst and into the southern entrance of the Park.

Amtrak, with service from Merced, make kids feel like they’re on an adventure even before the Yosemite fun begins. From Merced and other gateway towns, Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (YARTS) buses deliver visitors to the heart of Yosemite Valley. More information on these transportation options can be found at www.amtrak.com and www.yarts.com.

Although families are welcome to drive into Yosemite, once in the Park it’s nice to leave the driving to someone else. Free shuttles (with eco-friendly hybrid power) run on a constant loop through Yosemite Valley, conveniently stopping at most lodging accommodations, stores and sights of interest.

A free shuttle also is available from the Wawona Hotel to the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias and another throughout the Tuolumne Meadows area in the summer months.

For the truly adventurous who relish being on the go, the all-inclusive Yosemite Adventure Package combines lodging and activities into a two-day, two-night package, which includes two nights’ lodging at Yosemite Lodge at the Falls, Curry Village or Housekeeping Camp; breakfast for two both mornings; a Snack Box for two on both days; a two-hour stable ride; Go Climb a Rock class; hydration backpack and t-shirt. Additional adults and children may be added to this package to make it perfect for the whole family.

Equally enticing, the Yosemite Discover Package includes two nights lodging at Yosemite Lodge at the Falls, Curry Village or Housekeeping Camp; breakfast for two both mornings; a Snack Box for two on both days; a two-hour Valley Floor Tour; half-day bike rentals for two; an Evening Program and t-shirt. This package also may be expanded to include additional adults and children.

More information regarding the special packages, family vacations in Yosemite and lodging reservations may be obtained by calling 559-253-5676 or by visiting online at www.YosemitePark.com.

About Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts
Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts at Yosemite is an affiliate of Delaware North Companies and Yosemite’s authorized National Park Service concessionaire providing lodging, food and beverage services, gift and grocery stores, recreational activities, and transportation for the Park’s 3.5 million annual visitors. Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts, a subsidiary of Delaware North Companies, is a leading hospitality provider. The company’s portfolio includes some of the unique properties in North America, including Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex; Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Sequoia and Yellowstone national parks; Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite; Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa near Vancouver, British Columbia; Old Town San Diego State Historic Park; Asilomar State Beach and Conference Grounds; Niagara Falls State Park; Jones Beach State Park; the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia and Denver; The Lodge & Conference Center at Geneva State Park, Ohio; The BALSAMS Grand Resort Hotel, New Hampshire; and The Resort at Glacier, Montana.

About Delaware North Companies
Delaware North Companies is one of the world’s leading hospitality and food service providers. Its family of companies includes Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts, Delaware North Companies Gaming & Entertainment, Delaware North Companies Travel Hospitality Services, Delaware North Companies Sportservice, Delaware North Companies International, TD Banknorth Garden and American Park ‘n Swap. Delaware North Companies is one of the largest privately held companies in the United States with revenues approaching $2 billion annually and 40,000 associates serving half a billion customers in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. For more information, visit www.DelawareNorth.com.
|
Media Contact:
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
209-372-1445