Zion / Yosemite trip recomendations

[Preston]

OTOH, maybe he's thinking Camp 4.

True enough, but his girlfriend may not be.

"...Rainbow Falls is at Devil's Postpile and was quite energetic in October"

Rainbow Falls is beautiful. Also, Devil's Postpile itself is quite intriguing. Hike to the top and you'll see nice patterns formed by the tops of the basaltic columns that have been polished by glacial action.

Lee Vining, the town nearest Yosemite on the eastern side, has places to stay also, but not as many, and they're often booked solid in advance.

Quite true; especially if the Autumn color is nice and/or weather conditions are favorable for photography. There are typically several workshops in the area in the Fall, so the best spots, including the South side of Mono Lake, will be heavily impacted.

Assuming Tioga Pass is open, go up high to Tuolumne Meadows, the domes, and Tenaya Lake areas. They offer great food for the soul.

--P

[ericpmoss]

I'm trying not to do to much driving [...]

I'm now thinking late Oct/ early Nov for the trip having a few days at Zion then drive to Yosemite with an overnight somewhere.

Anyone any recomendations for accomadation at Zion, or any where to avoid.

I've stayed at several places near Zion.

The Driftwood Lodge: It's quite nice, and near nice restaurants and bars, but at the far end of town.

Zion Park Motel: It's quite plain, but relatively cheap and you can actually walk from there to the park entrance if you miss the free shuttle for some reason. If you and partner don't mind plain accommodations, you can spend the savings on good meals or renting bikes (Zion Cycles) to tour the valley floor, or wetsuits if you feel safe going way up The Narrows.

Cable Mountain Lodge: much nicer than my own apartment, and complementary tickets to the iMax where they have first run movies. That's not a real incentive, but a nice perk -- I saw Inception on a 70' screen with noone else in the theater. It's also inside the park itself (or close enough), and near a convenience store for getting hiking food.

Desert Pearl: Another super-nice place. Some people won't stay anywhere else, and I can see why. It's slightly farther from the park than Cable Mountain, but still very walkable, and very near good food. Any of these places is fine, and the last 3 are fantastic. I haven't stayed at the Zion Park Lodge, but I bet it's pretty great, too.

For food, I liked Whiptail Grill, which is at the first shuttle stop outside the park. The cook looks like a 70s rock star and makes killer food, IMO. You can sit outside at sunset, watch the canyon turn red and follow the falcons as they hunt pigeons. It's a really nice way to end the day. The Spotted Dog is across the street and looked good, but I had such a comfy routine that I felt no loss w/o it.

There are some fancier places such as Parallel 88 that was good for meaty fare, but I'd go to the organic grocery in town for breakfast food and hiking snacks, spend ALL day in the park, starting with the earliest shuttle, and gorge at the Whiptail after you're done hiking or getting that last sunset shot. You can go to Oscars for standard (but good) food if you want to run into other photographers. I haven't found anywhere with good coffee there, unless it's at the high-end restaurants.

BTW, if you stay at a fancy-ish place, ask if there are rooms with a view of the river or the canyon/sunrise/sunset. It can't hurt, though it's better to be out in it during daylight.

[brucep]

OTOH, maybe he's thinking Camp 4.

I staid on Camp 4 last time, but If I suggested it this time, then I would be on my own while she stayed in the Lodge!

[dperez]

For the Yosemite area if you do not plan on camping in the valley and would rather stay in a motel, you should to try to lock down a reservation in advance. Motels all around Yosemite and the Eastern Sierras tend to charge holiday rates during the month of October. El Portal has the closest motels outside of the park.

Zion and Yosemite should be your highlights, but like others have said September may not be the best time. Mid to late October should offer more color if that is of interest to you. Death Valley is awesome, but distances are far and you only have a couple of weeks, although there are things you can check out in DV on your way up to Lone Pine.

A decent little book you might want to pick up for your time in Yosemite is Michael Frye's The Photographer's Guide to Yosemite

Best of luck,

-DP

[ImSoNegative]

going out west is def. on my "to do" list

[Boinzo]

I had a trip to Zion and Yosemite in late September just past.
I'd say the amount of time you spend at Zion will depend on how much hiking you are in to and whether you are going to try for the Subway and the Narrows. Some of the best hikes there are very strenuous if you are carrying much LF gear.
I can second the Whiptail Grill in Springdale - awesome. Best meal I had in Utah easily. I stayed at the Zion Lodge for one night and thought it a bit over-rated. Next night I moved to the Zion Canyon B&B in Springdale - fantastic place. Can't recommend it highly enough.
I can also recommend a visit to David West's Gallery in Springdale - David is a lovely guy and was kind enough to sell me a replacement tripod when my existing one broke. He shoots mostly digital but is worth visiting just to say hi.
If I had my trip again I'd spend more time in Death Valley - it's just amazing. But you need to be highly prepared obviously.
Yosemite was great but I would want to make sure I was staying in the valley. My accommodation was a 40 minute drive away - a bit tiring after a big hike and a real time waster.
I also drove SB12 from Bryce to Moab. Fantastic drive. Would be great to have the time to meander along there over a few days and explore some side tracks like the Hole in the Wall Road and stuff.
One of the best pieces of advise I got from the fine people here was to take a look at Laurent Martre's books "Photographing the South-West". Very useful indeed.
Mostly I was left just wanting to get back there! And soon.

[Drew Wiley]

I think just about the best way to ruin a trip is a "see it all" mentality, rushing from one
"must see" spot to another. Heck, you couldn't see all the fantastic places in the Soutwest
in twenty lifetimes. And I've been hiking the Sierra for more than half a century - hundreds
of trips - and there are still significant area I haven't even seen yet. You can realistically slide from Zion thru Vegas and Death Valley over to Lone Pine then up across Tioga into Yosemite. But if you're in a rush with no time to do some relaxed walking, you'll miss the best part of the experience. There are plenty of easy walking opportunities in Zion if you
don't want to grunt all the way up to the rim. You can also take to Kolob Can entrance for
fabulous dayhikes at higher elevation, or simply drive thru the tunnel up to the top to
explore little side canyons. A lot of the magic is discovering things for yourself rather than
letting a postcard or guidebook dictate what you need to see. Sometimes the best shots
come that way too.
l

[C. D. Keth]

I think just about the best way to ruin a trip is a "see it all" mentality, rushing from one
"must see" spot to another.

Hear, hear!! Drew's advice is the most solid I've read in this thread.

Bruce, whatever you do try to be willing to be flexible. If you find something wonderful in zion, stay an extra day. If you really explore one great place, you won't be missing out on anything.

[ignatiusjk]

I would spend less time in Death Valley and more in Yosemite.If you've never been here before(the Staes) Yosemite is a photographic must see.Your camera will be warm to the touch from photographing Yosemite.Zion is nice but I liked Bryce Canyon better.Enjoy and notice all of the foreiners in Yosemite.

[Richard Raymond]

Bruce,
Good luck with the trip. I think that it is quite possible for you to do your trip as planned. The confusion for most of us is that your trip initially takes a 2-3 hour drive east to Zion, then you have to drive the 2-3 hours back to Las Vegas to then travel west to Death Valley -- another two to three hour trip (assuming you plan to stay at Furnace Creek or Stove Pipe Wells). This is a lot of "Car Time". I am sure that this is why some are recommending going more East to Moab or Monument Valley, etc.
As you have strong personal reasons for visiting Yosemite you might want to consider a trip focusing on the Sierras. Arrive in Las Vegas and plan stops from Red Rock Canyon, Joshua tree, Death Valley, Sequoia, Kings Canyon, the 395 corridor from Lone Pine north to Mono Lake and Yosemite. I am sure that you could make a plan that would minimize the amount of "in car time" and provide for a variety of things to do and see. Note: aside from Death Valley you will have a good variety of motels to choose from even without reservations during the fall.
Later in September and early October will provide for the best chance for color without getting plans changed by snow. Death Valley will be warm but not hot. Make sure that you plan a little time for San Francisco to see the sites, enjoy the food and photograph.
Regards
Ric