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My recent trip from Chicago to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks via No. 5 and rental car from Grand Junction was so successful that I'm thinking about a similar trip to Yosemite National Park sometime.
Has anyone done this from Chicago?
It looks to me as if taking No. 5 to Sacramento is the thing to do. Then there seem to be two choices: 1. Renting a car at Sacramento and driving 3 hours 45 minutes (according to Mapquest) to the park. 2. Taking a San Joaquin train to Merced and thence the bus to the park. That would be about 5 hours.
Presumably it would be cheaper to go by train and bus than rent a car, but what about getting around inside the park? Would that be difficult without a car?
train lady Member # 3920
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Henry have you checked lately to see if vehicle traffic is allowed within the park? Some of the parks are running shuttles and people must park outside because the parks were getting to be like times square. Zion was like that and at one time Yosemite likewise. Ihaven't checked lately
Doodlebug Member # 4564
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Henry, I'm assuming that you are planning to spend several days inside the park and stay in one of the lodgings in Yosemite Valley, the central tourist area, either in the historic Ahwanee or the equally convenient but less expensive Yosemite Lodge at the Falls about a mile away.
From the valley, which is impressive just to stand in and in which there are numerous flat, easy walks/hikes, there is a network of bus and open-air tram tours operated by a private concessionnaire to the major non-valley attractions including Glacier Point, Tuolumne Meadows and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. There is also a grand tour bus route that takes you to all these places in one day.
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We took the trip 3 years ago -- California Zephyr to Sacramento (where we spent the night), San Joaquin to Merced, bus to Yosemite. Worked just fine.
At the time, private cars were banned from virtually all park roads beyond the spectacular Yosemite Valley (where the Amtrak bus terminates, and the in-park lodgings and main campgrounds are located).
The park runs free hop-on/hop-off shuttlebuses around the Valley floor. As Doodlebug mentioned earlier, excursion trams and buses can take you to some of the other noteworthy attractions elsewhere in the park.
However, during the four days / three nights we spent there (in a tent cabin at Curry Village), we never ran out of trails to explore within the Valley itself - some are flat and rated "easy," while others are more strenuous since they go to higher elevations.
Be sure to spend several nights inside Yosemite, rather than at one of the motels outside it. If possible, don't visit the park during July and August when it's packed with vacationing families. We went in late September, after the nation's schoolkids had returned to their classrooms. The park's lodging and camping areas were still surprisingly busy, but the trails were serenely under-populated.
Oh...and if you find yourself hiking back toward civilization as dusk approaches (but you're still out on the trail), keep a very cautious eye peeled for bears!
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Ham Radio Member # 6587
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If you are flexible on dates, Yosemite is spectacular in late April. Weather is almost always perfect, the tourist hordes haven't materialized for high season and the park falls are running at full tilt with snow runoff.
smitty195 Member # 5102
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Just some random Yosemite trivia:
-The main fire engine for Yosemite (inside the park) is the actual "Engine 51" from the TV show, "Emergency". It has had several upgrades over the years (new engine, new pump, new water tank), OSHA improvements, etc...If you're an "Emergency" fan, stop by and take pictures---they're used to it.
-I don't know if Xanterra still owns the concessions inside the park, but if so, that is the same company that recently purchased the Grand Luxe trains (former AOE train). I believe his name is Phil Anschutz.
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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Here is the outfit that presently holds the hospitality concessions at Yosemite.
While Illini in the Algonquin language, translates to "Brave Men", Ahwahnee, in the Yosemite tribal language, must mean "Heap Big Wampum".
Henry Kisor Member # 4776
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Members of the intellectual elite among us may be interested in the following etymological survey, which suggests among other things that "Ahwanee" means "Big Mouth":
quote:Originally posted by Gilbert B Norman: While Illini, in the Algonquin language, translates to "Brave Men", ....
Mr. Kisor, be assured if the above was not instantly known, the Pledgemaster's favorite "thing", well at least in my house, got a little "working out'.
But with respect to the Ahwahnee, I think my point has been made.
sbalax Member # 2801
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Mr. Kisor--
If you chose not to stay at the Ahwanee at least do one of the free tours or have lunch in the dining room. It's really very nice. The last time we were there we bought a set of three mixing bowls in the Ahwanee pattern.
If you want to stay very close to the park consider The Yosemite View Lodge or theTenaya. We like the Lodge and always get a room right on the river.
BTW, I was going through some boxes of books and found my copy of Zephyr. It is well used!
Frank in sunny but breezy SBA
Henry Kisor Member # 4776
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Thanks to all. I have almost persuaded She Who Holds the Purse Strings of the desirability of a rail trip to Yosemite next April.
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