Archive for the 'Sierra Nevada' Category
Free entry to national parks on three weekends
June 2, 2009 2:29pm
You’ll get free entry to Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and 144 other national parks on three weekends this summer: June 20-21, July 18-19 and Aug. 15-16. At Yosemite, for instance, that can save you $20 per car, or $10 per person if you arrive by foot, bicycle or motorcycle.
The offer was announced today by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, who cited “these tough economic times.”
Besides free entry, some concessionaires will give away $5 vouchers and free tours, boat rides, shopping bags and other extras. But don’t expect to camp for free; the regular fees apply there.
Gate opens at Yosemite’s vital Tioga Pass
May 22, 2009 2:50pm
Snow and debris have finally been cleared from Highway 120, a key eastern gateway to Yosemite National Park, in what is expected to be a big summer for the park. ”Tioga Pass has opened for the season,” the official Yosemite National Park road conditions line announces, just in time for Memorial Day weekend. The weather should be favorable too - with highs around 80 degrees through the weekend and predicted lows of 48. Visitors are urged to be cautious of high water levels due to recent rapid snow-melt.
For more information, visit www.nps.gov/yose/ or call (209) 372-0200.
– Leslie Anne Wiggins, Los Angeles Times
[Photo: A view of Highway 120. Credit: Associated Press]
Mt. Whitney permits for fall will be issued starting Wednesday
May 12, 2009 3:05pm
It’s still early to think about summiting 14,497-foot Mt. Whitney — unless you’re fine with crampons and an ice axe.
But once the snow melts, the 11-mile-one-way slog with about 6,000 feet of gain is a nontechnical (walk-up) climb in the breathtaking Sierra landscape. Though permits — one day or overnight — for the Mt. Whitney Trail are given out lottery-style in February, the Inyo National Forest’s website shows that permits are left for some dates in summer and early fall. Permits are required from May 1 to Nov. 1.
Anyone seeking permits in September and later needs to call [(760) 873-2483] or fax [(760) 873-2484] starting Wednesday, May 13. Permits cost $15 per person and go fast, so best to start calling or faxing at 8 a.m. when the permit office opens. (Mt. Whitney is off Highway 395 near the town of Lone Pine, California, about four hours north of Los Angeles.)
To check on what dates still have permit space, go to the Inyo National Forest’s Web page on Mt. Whitney Trail Reservation Availability.
Lake Tahoe: Half-off rooms and 24 other discounts at Zephyr Cove Resort
May 8, 2009 7:54am
Now that the snow has melted, Zephyr Cove Resort — one of the nation’s largest snowmobile-tour venues — has a phenomenal accommodations deal for late-spring and early summer visitors. The lakeside resort is in South Lake Tahoe on Highway 50, four miles from the casinos in Stateline, Nevada.
Deal: Take 50% off the regular rate on rooms, suites, cabins and chalets for stays Sundays through Thursdays. In addition to the low rate, under the venue’s “25 Reasons” promotion, you can get 24 other discounts, such as the following: 20% off breakfast, lunch and dinner at the resort; 20% off gift shop purchases; $25 off per hour when renting a power boat or jet ski before 11 a.m.; $5 off beach chair rentals; $50 off of a glider-soaring adventure. Read the rest of this entry »
Celebrate National Park Week, April 18-26
April 10, 2009 3:38pm
If you’re a fan of public lands, then the time to show some extra appreciation for them is coming up.
For annual National Park Week — April 18-26 this year — national and state parks, national monuments and historic sites, and other recreation areas locally and around the country will be celebrating with a variety of activities.
In California, numerous parks are hosting special events, including a Junior Ranger Day, where kids can learn about nature through hands-on activities, nature walks and stories. Among those with Junior Ranger Day on the calendar for April 25 are Joshua Tree, Death Valley, Sequoia and Yosemite national parks, as well as Pinnacles National Monument. Read the rest of this entry »
Yosemite rooms sold out for summer? Just about — and then there are those overbooked cabins
April 4, 2009 9:34am
Still making summer vacation plans?
Don’t cross Yosemite off the list, but for many reasons — a natural disaster last fall, a shortage of cabins and subsequent overbooking and an abundance of natural beauty — rooms are pretty much sold out now through the end of summer.
“We’re not taking reservations for Yosemite Lodge or Curry Village,” said Kenny Karst, public relations manager for DNC Parks & Resorts, which operates lodgings at the park. “We’re all sold out.” There are, however, some rooms left at the landmark Ahwahnee Hotel.
Roundup: Added security at Mexico City airport after tourist robberies; YouTube video of pilot landing at SFO on Twitter; winter fun in Yosemite
March 3, 2009 9:37am
Good morning, travelers!
Winter travel | Need a wintertime California weekend getaway? Why not Yosemite? There’s ice skating, skiing and snow-shoeing for starters. Read: “Yosemite roars into winter action.”
Mexico | As if there weren’t enough reasons within the drug war to hinder tourists from going to Mexico, reports of armed robberies at Mexico City’s international airport (MEX) have been added to the mix. The good news is that they’re adding federal and local police to help with the matter. So maybe the problem will be gone by the time you get there. Read: “Mexico increases airport security after robberies.”
Mammoth: “Ski stimulus” lodging from $99 per night
February 22, 2009 2:00pm
Have the stunning views of snow-slathered mountains in the distance gotten you itching for some powder time? Big Bear’s a good option, sure, but if you’d like to sink those poles into more snow, try Mammoth. From Los Angeles, it’s around 310 miles by road and, remember, Horizon Air started offering direct flights from LAX this season.
If you’re worried about how your wallet will fare in the “new and improved” Mammoth Lakes, rest assured that deals do still exist. For instance, if you’re looking to save pennies but don’t want to sacrifice location, you can now stay slope-side for as little as $99 a night midweek. Read the rest of this entry »
Yosemite: Curry Village ‘Temp-RATE-ture’ deal rewards the brave
February 19, 2009 3:34pm
If Mother Nature’s with you — or against you, depending on how you look at it — you could get yourself a nice deal at Yosemite National Park in the off-season. In the park’s popular Curry Village, promotional prices for an unheated tent cabin shift with the mercury.
This is only for those equipped for winter camping. The nights, in these here parts, don’t tend to be much fun for the unprepared.
Deal: Under the “Temp-RATE-ture” promotion, what you end up paying for your unheated tent cabin will be determined upon your arrival by the previous night’s recorded low in Fahrenheit. If the low was 24 degrees, then you pay $24 (pre-tax). What happens if the low dips below the zero mark? The park pays you to stay — call it a deserved reward for your bravery. Neither the amount you pay the camp nor the amount they pay you will exceed $39. Read the rest of this entry »
Today’s faces and stories from the L.A. Times Travel Show
February 14, 2009 12:43pm
Even though it’s Valentine’s Day, lots of folks are stopping by the L.A. Times Travel Show right now at the L.A. Convention Center in downtown Los Angeles.
Dave Woodworth came by to tell me all about his Yosemite-based business: He rents Model T Fords so you can party like it’s 1915 as you drive around the gorgeous national park. He tells me he does all the upkeep on the fleet of Model Ts and Model As he owns.
You can also splurge on a suite at the Tin Lizzie Inn that includes two nights in a suite and a day’s rental of a Model T or Model A. Cost: $1,200, with some other extras thrown in. Info: (661) 296 8578; www.driveamodelt.com
Shirley Lane of Santa Monica showed up to talk about her upcoming bicycling trip to Slovenia and Austria in August. She’s 86 and has a big tip for readers: Make sure you aren’t traveling on an expired ID. (You can check out Shirley at her cycling website.)
Shirley tells me that she inadvertently brought an expired driver’s license on a recent trip and was stopped at the airport because it wasn’t considered a valid ID. They let her through but she was labeled a “high risk” and was thoroughly checked before proceeding to her flight.
I once accidentally traveled on an expired license, but wasn’t given the “high risk” treatment. At any rate, Shirley makes a point: Check your IDs before you’re on the spot.
If you’re at the show, come by to say hello!
–Mary Forgione, L.A. Times staff writer
[Photos: Mary Forgione]
