The Yosemite Valley brings the drama, with near vertical cliffs - including the infamous El Capitan whose sheer rock face would tower over the Burj Kalifa - hedging the banks of the Merced River. Waterfalls flow from great heights, feeding Alpine lakes and streams, and at ground level, walkers explore grassy meadows, groves of cedar, and oak trees, hoping for sightings of deer, coyotes and black bears. Wander among groves of ancient Sequoia trees, which are the oldest living things in the world no less, and let the altitude and the scenery take your breath away at Glacier point.
Yosemite National Park in California makes for one of the most alluring combinations imaginable with a sophisticated city stay in San Francisco, and a few days wine tasting in the elegant Napa and Sonoma valleys.
