Yam Kan Travel

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Yosemite - Spring 2013

Yosemite is one of our favorite National Parks. Yosemite Valley with its mesmerizing waterfalls, huge granite mountains, and beautiful meadows is paradise for a nature lover.

How to get there: It is about a 4-5 hour drive from the bay area. The closest airports are in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose and Sacramento.

When to go: If I were to pick one time of the year that is best to visit Yosemite, it has to be spring. We suggest going there in March-April-May as the weather is just perfect and temperatures are in the 70s. The Merced River and all the waterfalls are gushing with the new snow melt, and the park is not as crowded as it gets in the summer. That being said, we have been there in summer and winter as well and the park is just so mesmerizing you wouldn't care about the weather. In the hot summer months (June-September) cool down by river rafting on the gentle Merced. We did that with my parents and had such a fabulous time. I hope K agrees! He was the one who had to compensate for the rest of us rowing in random directions. In the winter months always check road conditions before planning a trip. When we went one December the roads were open, but we needed snow chains. Winter is a great time to try cross country skiing or snowshoeing in the Badger pass ski area. Did you know the first ski school on the west coast was started at Badger Pass in 1928?

Where to Stay: There are a few options inside the park. Recently we discovered a few nice places just outside the park. They are not too far from the Park entrance. They are ideal if you are looking for a little more comfort and want to avoid the crowds. It gets really hard to find accommodation in the park during summers, so book in advance.

Let’s start with places to stay in the park:

Curry Village: The best thing about Curry Village is its location. It is right in the middle of the park and it’s easy to get to all the key locations such as Vernal falls, upper lower Yosemite falls, mirror lake etc. The bus stop is just a five minute walk. The canvass tent cabins let you experience camping without having to rig your own tents. The Curry Village has bike and raft rentals as well. Anytime other than summer make sure that you get a heated cabin. We stayed there last year in April, and forgot to confirm that the cabin was heated. That is the coldest I have been in my life, and could not sleep all night. The shower area is a couple minutes away, and I could not wait for sunrise to go thaw myself. Last year, Curry Village had a Hantavirus scare. Many cases of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) were reported, and mice that cause the disease were found there. They did do a lot of cleanup but we would not be comfortable staying there. Besides having had the camping experience a few times, I like a plush bed that many other options around the park offer.

The Yosemite Lodge: The best thing again is the location at the base of the Yosemite falls. The Mountain Room Lounge at the Yosemite lodge is a great place to relax after a hike or get a picnic lunch before one.

www.nationalparktravel.com

The Ahwahnee Hotel: This is the best place to stay in Yosemite. It provides you the best of both worlds - luxury with breathtaking views of nature (Yosemite falls, Glacier Point and Half dome). The rooms are just exquisite, and my favorite memory is the dinner we had there during our first trip to Yosemite.

Hotel Wawona: We saw this hotel on our way to Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. I have not seen it from the inside, but was not impressed by the outside look. Also, it is about an hour drive from the park

www.nationalparktravel.com

Housekeeping Camp: Yosemite is so close to us that we have made last minute plans to go there a couple of times. During the spring and summer months, places get booked well in advance and it gets hard to find a place to stay within the park. This happened to us one time when we went there with my parents. We had to stay at Housekeeping Camp for one night. It is located right across Curry Village. It is ideal for people who want to camp outside without the hassle of setting up a tent. You can choose a unit by the river. Black bears are very common in Yosemite and I was scared that there was no door. You can guess who was the first one to climb the bunk beds! My dad was the bravest and offered to sleep by the entrance. Anyways, bears don't really bother humans. Just make sure there is no food left out in the open. There are bear proof food lockers and trash cans throughout the park.

Campsites: There are many campsites all along the valley.

We just started exploring options outside the Park, and here is one we stayed at during our trip last weekend:

River View Lodge: The best part of this hotel was the river view. The sound of the gushing Merced River makes the location so serene. Not all rooms are river facing, so make sure to inquire while making a reservation. The rooms are comfortable, and the bathroom has a Jacuzzi that would feel good after a long hike. Also, the lodge is less than a 10 minute drive from the Park entrance.

What to do:

Biking: The bike trails in Yosemite are just amazing. Take the bike to the upper/lower falls area, and then walk the last mile to get a fabulous view of the waterfalls. The trails are mostly flat with mild incline at few areas. There is over 10 miles of paved trails in Yosemite. This is the best way to explore the park at your own pace. This time we rented the bikes at Curry Village and rode along the meadows, then went to the lower Yosemite falls, and stopped by at the Swinging Bridges on the way back. Make sure you carry enough hydration!

Biking through the meadows:

View of the upper falls from Swinging Bridges while biking:

A beautiful view of half dome:

Hiking: Our all time favorite hike is the Mist Trail along the Vernal Falls. It is about a 3-mile round trip hike. You will be hiking right by the waterfall for the last part of the hike, so be ready to be covered with spray. The last few 100 meters are stairs cut into the cliff and are a little steep. The hike is closed in winters when the trail is slippery. After taking in the splendor of Vernal falls you could continue to Nevada falls which is about a 7 mile round trip. If you continue along this trail you can get to the top of half dome, which is an entire day hike.

This trip we decided to go to the Mariposa Grove of the Giant Sequoias. We love going to Muir woods closer to home, and decided to see Mariposa Grove as we had never been there. It is over an hour drive from the park. There is so much to see within the park, it could be a few trips before you would be driving to this area. It was a beautiful hike, and its always great to breathe in the fresh air these 3000+ year giant trees provide.

A fallen Sequoia:

Another favorite hike is the one to mirror lake. It is a super easy flat hike to the lake where you can see beautiful reflections of the half dome and surrounding areas. Once we spotted a black bear on the trail on our way back from the hike!

www.allyosemite.com

River Rafting:The merced river provides a very easy Level 1-2 river rafting experience. At times I was complaining as that meant that we needed to row. Anyways, we let K and dad take care of the rowing while we gave instructions or relaxed with our feet dipped in the icy cold water.

paddling.about.com

Enjoy nature and wildlife:Yosemite can be equally amazing even if you don't plan on doing any of the activities. You can just relax, talk a few walks, and enjoy nature. The Yosemite shuttle is an easy way to get to various attractions and lodging within the park.

It is easy to spot black bears, fox, wolves, and deer. On our first trip to Yosemite, K and I were hiking when we saw a mountain lion cub. Last year, we saw a couple of black bears not too far from our hiking trail.

Deer spotting in Curry Village:

Glacier Point: Glacier point is one of the best overlooks in Yosemite. You can see half dome, yosemite falls, Merced river and even spot the little tent cabins of curry village. Roads to Glacier point are usually open May through November.

Rock Climbing: Rock climbing in Yosemite is not for the faint at heart. We have seen people climbing El Capitan through some really high-end binoculars that our fellow travellers shared with us. Just looking at them was scary. People who do this are experts for sure but more importantly they have no concept of fear!

This hike takes multiple days, and the climbers just need to hang out sometimes:

http://www.terragalleria.com/

Here is what the path looks like:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brz/2932294063/

http://www.dpmclimbing.com/

What to eat:

Curry Village: There are three places to eat in Curry Village. Our favorite after a long day's hike is the Pizza place. They have a wide variety of toppings you can choose from to make your own pizza. There is also a decent sandwich place. We usually pack sandwiches and have a picnic lunch by Sentinel Beach or any other nice spot by the Merced. Curry Village also serves a buffet, but, we are not very fond of it.

Ahwahnee: The restaurant at the Ahwahnee creates the perfect ambiance for a romantic dinner. Reservations should be made in advance, and the dress code is semi-formal. The ingredients are fresh and organic, and the presentation is great. I have heard that the Sunday Brunch is also good.

Yosemite Lodge: Located at Yosemite Lodge at the Falls, the Mountain Room Restaurant has striking views of the Yosemite Falls. There is another area - mountain room lounge- that is open till 11pm. It is one of the few places that serves food that late in the valley.

If you have never been to Yosemite, we hope you have already started planning a trip!

We would love to hear from you. Which is your favorite National Park? What is your idea of a perfect vacation - Beach, National parks, City, Historical sites, Adventure? We try to balance all of them, and feel that each vacation teaches us more about this world and shared experiences bring us closer to each other.

Happy travels everyone!

-Yam

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Santa Barbara

We went to Santa Barbara a couple of years ago, it was a really beautiful trip. By the time we left on a Friday night it was quite late, and all of us were tired after a busy week. The first 2-3 hours everyone was in a great mood, talking and listening to some great music. Just about 1 hour from our destination we started feeling really sleepy. Sis went to sleep, and I could barely keep my eyes open. K was driving half asleep, and just a couple of exits before our hotel we get pulled over by a cop. He stops us and comes to check if K was driving drunk since he was weaving a lot between lanes and driving at 50 mph on the freeway. He saw our faces and knew that we were really tired, gave us a warning and let us go. Great cop!

We reached our hotel around 1:00 am, and just wanted to crash. When I got out of the car and looked at the hotel it was so different than what I had expected. But the moment I stepped in the room, I was pleasantly surprised. It was very modern, clean and comfortable. After a good night's sleep, I got up a little earlier than the other two sleepy heads and went to get some coffee and breakfast. At the reception I met Frank, the most friendly hotel owner I have ever met. The reason I booked the place is because almost every person on Yelp said that it was a great place to stay, and raved about the owner. They were absolutely right! Frank helped me choose from the restaurants and activities I had planned for the trip. He knew most people who walked in through the door by name, and greeted everyone with such enthusiasm. I guess people who have stayed here decide to go back when they are in Santa Barbara. The place is called - Inn at East Beach, and is a cute boutique hotel just a minute walk to the Beach. It is very close to downtown ( State street) and the harbor. I have stayed in many hotels, many of them more decadent than this one; but have never met someone as friendly as this person. I recommend this hotel to anyone planning a trip to Santa Barbara.

Saturday morning we decided to walk to the beach, it was a gorgeous day. The temperature was a little over 80 degrees, and the beach was beautiful. After walking along the beach, playing in the water and taking some pictures we decided to head for lunch.

We went to this really authentic Mexican place called Los Agaves. It was a really small, but clean and colorful place. We ordered the Chicken Molcajetes, and it was very flavorful.

Chicken Molcajetes

After the satisfying lunch, we went Whale watching. I had booked online with Condor Cruises. What an awesome experience that was! We were the last ones to board the ferry and had we been a couple of minutes late we would have missed it. Glad we made it. We saw around 7- 8 humpback whales. The guide told us that the humpbacks were on their way from Costa Rica to feed in the nutrient rich waters on the coast along the Chanel Islands. We were supposed to see some Gray Whales as well, but probably they were already heading back up to the Alaskan waters. These whales stayed under the water for about 8-10 minutes, after which they would come up to breathe. We did not really see any breaching, but they would come up and swim close to us for about 3-4 minutes and then go back in again to look for food. I wish people would stop confining them to theme parks, and enjoy them in their natural habitats. They were swimming so fast, I cannot imagine how claustrophobic it must be inside a tiny pool.

After whale watching, we drove around the mission area.

In the evening we walked along State Street. It is lined with shops, restaurants, and nightclubs. At night we went to a Cajun and Creole place called The Palace Grill. It was really nice and very authentic.

Sunday morning we woke up late, checked out, and then went to the art festival along the beach. Awesome location and some great art. It was a really gorgeous day, warm and bright as I like it.

We went to an Italian place called Pallazio for lunch. It was pretty decent. We then drove about an hour and stopped at Goleta for horse riding. It was an amazing experience. We had reservations at the Circle Bar B ranch. The horses were very well trained and our guide Adam was super friendly. I have done horse riding a couple of times in India, but it was the first time I was doing it all by myself, i.e. when no one was holding the horse. It would not have been scary if it was just flat ground all the way. Here we were crossing streams, and walking along a narrow path with the Santa Ynez mountains on one side and the Refugio canyon on the other side. Initially I was not able to control my horse and it would stop and eat plants along the way. Adam told me that it was not good for the horses to eat those plants, and that I should pull him away a couple of times and he would stop doing that again. I was scared that I would hurt him, and was unable to pull hard. Adam came back and pulled the horse once and he never did it again.

From the top of the mountain we could see the Pacific Ocean and the Chanel Islands. It was an amazing view. After about 15 minutes, I got so comfortable on my horse that I was holding the reins with one hand, and clicking pictures with the other. Everyone was making fun of me all along, since I was the one who was most scared initially. The guy told me to relax, and said that the horse could sense that I was not comfortable. Later, when the horse would walk too close to the cliff, I would gently pull the reins to move him towards to mountain and he started responding so well.

Our next and final stop after horse riding was the cute Danish village of Solvang. Its rich heritage goes all the way back to 1911, when Danish- Americans settled here. The authentic architecture, thatched roofs, traditional windmills; all have been beautifully preserved. There is tons of boutique shopping, and it is most famous for its Danish pastries. We had our pastry fix at Mortensen’s Danish bakery before heading back home.

On a different trip we stayed at Pismo Beach which is about an hour north of Santa Barbara. It is a great place for surfing and boogy boarding. You could also ride ATVs on sand dunes. I will leave it for Dee to write about that later:)

We have been meaning to take the Amtrak to Santa Barbara. Hopefully, we will get to it some day. Take the Coast Starlight which has daily service from Seattle to Los Angeles. It is considered one of the most scenic train rides in the world. With a view like this, it is the journey not the destination that matters:

Source: Google images

Hope we have been able to give you some tips to help plan your weekend getaway in Santa Barbara. Happy Travels!

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-Yam

Saturday, April 20, 2013

National parks- America's Crown Jewels

It is said that the National Parks in America are one of her best preserved Crown Jewels. Yellowstone was the first National Park, and was established in 1872. Since then a number of National Parks have been established, and we have been privileged to visit a few of them. Each one of them is unique in term of its natural beauty and geological features.

Some of the parks we have visited are:

• Arches – Location: Utah