VACATION DETAILS

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.

Fresno, California, lies in the center of one of the most productive agricultural regions in the U.S.: Trucks piled high with tomatoes or melons pass cars on the highway, many businesses in Fresno are farm-related, and "agrotourism"—tours of farms, orchards and wineries—is popular with visitors, especially families.

Fresno is the largest city in California's Central Valley. The downtown appeals to visitors with its lively mix of old and new, gritty and chic, with coffee shops, restaurants and vintage-clothing shops next to old theaters and warehouses.

Being in the center of the fertile San Joaquin Valley, it's no wonder that Fresno also has wineries of its own—including the Madera Wine Trail. http://www.maderawinetrail.com.

One of the most intriguing gardens in California is Baldassare Forestiere's Underground Garden. Transplanted from the founder's native Sicily, the fruit trees, vines and shrubs are all planted in sunny openings of subterranean courtyards and passageways. The garden is still run by Forestiere's great nephew. http://www.undergroundgardens.com.

Fresno's holdovers from the past include intriguing historic architecture and more than 30 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. Among them are the Water Tower, Tower Theater and Kearney Mansion Museum. In addition, the city of Fresno, California, is a good jumping-off point for visits to Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks.