VACATION DETAILS

Joshua Tree National Park is located just south of the town of Joshua Tree and 140 mi/225 km east of Los Angeles. With trees that look like they jumped from the pages of a Dr. Seuss children's book, the beautiful park is also a rock climbers' oasis—with desert, mountains and wilderness.

After a quick visit to the Oasis Visitor's Center at Twentynine Palms or the Visitor's Center at Joshua Tree, drive to Jumbo Rocks to view the various rock formations and Skull Rock. Or meander through Cholla Cactus Garden and the thorny Ocotillo Patch.

On clear days, which are pretty common, the panorama from Keys View extends beyond Salton Sea to Mexico. There are 12 self-guided nature walks in the park and ranger-guided tours are offered by reservation, including to Key's Ranch, a historic homestead. Permits are available for backcountry camping.

The park is busiest in the winter, most notably with rock climbers. Summer in the park can be challenging during the day because of the extreme temperatures. There are no restaurants, hotels, gas stations or stores in the park, so prepare before you go. There are nine rudimentary campgrounds in the park, but only two of them (Black Rock and Cottonwood) have running water and flush toilets. There are no showers or other modern amenities in any of the campsites. Wildflower season is late February, and spring is a great time for bird-watching. http://www.nps.gov/jotr/index.htm.

Zion is an ancient Hebrew word meaning a place of refuge or sanctuary. Protected within the park's 229 square miles is a dramatic landscape of sculptured canyons and soaring cliffs. Zion is located at the junction of the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin and Mojave Desert provinces. This unique geography and the variety of life zones within the park make Zion significant as a place of unusual plant and animal diversity.

At Bryce Canyon National Park, erosion has shaped colorful Claron limestones, sandstones, and mudstones into thousands of spires, fins, pinnacles, and mazes. Collectively called "hoodoos," these colorful and whimsical formations stand in horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters along the eastern edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau in Southern Utah.

Located entirely in northern Arizona, the park encompasses 277 miles of the Colorado River and adjacent uplands. One of the most spectacular examples of erosion anywhere in the world, Grand Canyon is unmatched in the incomparable vistas it offers to visitors on the rim. Grand Canyon National Park is a World Heritage Site.

Yosemite National Park embraces a spectacular tract of mountain-and-valley scenery in the Sierra Nevada, which was set aside as a national park in 1890. The park harbors a grand collection of waterfalls, meadows, and forests that include groves of giant sequoias, the world's largest living things. Highlights of the park include Yosemite Valley, and its high cliffs and waterfalls; Wawona's history center and historic hotel; the Mariposa Grove, which contains hundreds of ancient giant sequoias; Glacier Point's (summer-fall) spectacular view of Yosemite Valley and the high country; Tuolumne Meadows (summer-fall), a large subalpine meadow surrounded by mountain peaks; and Hetch Hetchy, a reservoir in a valley considered a twin of Yosemite Valley.

Blessed with a viable fog-cooled and sun-kissed climate and a dramatic landscape, the San Francisco Bay Area is a visual feast where neither water nor hills are ever too far away. Add to this the cultural medley: Within every neighborhood, from Santa Cruz to Oakland to Mill Valley, a diversity of tastes and interest is thriving. See it in the cuisine, the bookstores, the arts, and the recreational opportunities. To embrace all San Francisco has to offer get out and explore. Walk the streets, drive across the Bay Bridge, go south down the peninsula to Silicon Valley and cruise along the San Mateo coast. Find great sights, museums, art, culture, and family fun attractions. There is a plethora of attractions and activities to satisfy the desires of every one who visits.