Thanks everyone for the wonderful comments. I attest that the great scenery and a wonderful camera are what make the picture what it truly is! I definitely do not like to be rushed while taking them. Todd my hubby has a great way of taking care of the kids while I'm doing that. Nathan (my youngest) was an absolute nuisance about my camera. He always wants to touch it and take photos with it himself. He was telling me to take photos of him in certain places and all....I told him that he needs to save his money to get his own camera (to mess up himself). :-) (I don't let anyone else use my camera)(Todd had ruined my last dinosaur camera) so I'm very protective of it. Glad I was able to take you there! Oh, on the way to the Sequoia's we saw corn fields, orchards and many fields. (Don't know what all the crops were)WE have a state that is rich in produce. Thanks again. Love, Jules

summers are pretty crazy in yosemite. you're going to need to book early to get a camping spot. camp 4 is on first come first serve, but it gets filled quickly by all the rock climbers. since you're planning on camping near the end of july , the first day to make reservations is march 15 (tomorrow). be sure to make the reservations as early as possible, because some years it fills up within a few hours. since you're car camping, maybe tent cabins in curry village are another option. not as nice as your own camping spot but at least you're in the valley. if you're in the tent cabins, don't bring too much food since you're required to empty your car of all food. i've seen families have to lug around huge coolers back & forth from their car to the bear lockers every night. there are restaurants & a grocery store in curry village so food is never a problem. bears are a problem for cars. they play some pretty funny video in the yosemite lodge lounge of bears tearing off car doors & busting windows because people leave fast food bags in their cars. one shows a bear ripping off a car door because the teenagers dropped a french frie between the seats of their rental car. but don't worry about the bears. they usually try to get into the trash dumpsters and generally stay away from campsites. if you can't get a campsite, there's a number of lodges in the park. make sure they are in the valley floor such as the yosemite lodge & the ahwahnee. others like the wawona are nice, but you are near the park's entrance & about 50 miles away from the valley. that's a winding & uphill road usually packed with slow moving campers so don't think you can just take a quick drive over. you really shouldn't miss yosemite. it is a gorgeous place to visit. you'll quickly see why it is usually listed among the top 10 most beautiful national parks in the country. Here is a link that might be useful: yosemite website

Hey guys, I just had an awesome weekend camping out around Shadow Lake up towards Rocky Mountain National Park. I found the local tourism board's website a good resource for local chamber of commerce contacts, etc. If anyone wants to go, I'm keen to go back for more! clo

I'm close to Yosemite. I go there every year and love it more every time I go. It was hard to not go this summer and choose Yellowstone instead but I'm glad I did. The river was at peak and so the falls were spectacular. It's the size of it that astounds me. The dedication of some of the people following wolves.........stop if you see them set up with the scopes. You need good equipment to see far out into the area where they are. The buffalo just get next to the road and watch you go by. I saw bison, elk, deer, pronghorn, otter, trout, eagle sitting in a dead tree, bear eating daisies, marmots, swans, geese, and chipmunks plus something kids called whistle pigs ( prairie dogs?). I got bitten by mosquitoes and itched for days so keep your flip flops for inside instead of walking about as I did. I don't know how people wore shorts and didn't get covered with bites. Ice cream is everywhere but fresh fruits and veggies are harder to find. The central area in Canyon had a good food court with reasonable prices. Their grocery selection was better than anywhere else but still limited. I'm used to yosemite's good grocery store and deli. Tetons had a fantastic market at colter bay where the boat launch is. Organics and a hot ready made counter at reasonable prices. There is a good market in town outside of mammoth hot springs in Montana we found. I was sitting on a bench eating cheerios and nectarines and a former employee asked me if i worked there because i ate like a park employee. Well no wonder.....that's about as healthy as the choices are in the store. 2.50 for canned corn or green beans at lake or Roosevelt. Bring your own or overpay for the few options they have ( tuna, Campbell's soup, beef stew, ramen,beans,oatmeal.) There is no shortage of yogurt, ice cream, cheese, Oscar Meyer lunch meat, bread and packaged muffins. The same supplier and the same food throughout. The same eggs and frozen breakfast potatoes are at the little grills as well as the big lodge and hotel dining rooms. If trader Joe's was there, it would be packed. We liked the lake hotel dining room ( beautiful! ) , the canyon central food court (good value) and my sister liked the grill at old faithful next to the gas station (friendly) and the unlimited breakfast buffet at the restaurant overlooking the clear blue lake. That grill at old faithful has park employees laughing and catching a late bite just before closing. The park folks know where the good food is. Fishermen probably get the best meal with the fresh trout they catch. My favorite meal was in Tetons at Dornans where they have a bbq feast with all the sides served from big kettles over wood flames. You eat outside on the grass with a view of the mountains. Ill try for some pictures tomorrow.