Trip to Yosemite, suggestions, etc.

[lokerd]

Title change...was "Alaska trip or other big photo trip?"

I didn't think we were going to get a week long vacation this year to go somewhere photographically cool, but my wife dropped the 2nd semester of summer school...and we get to go somewhere from Saturday to Sunday.

I know it is last minute, but I have tentative booking for a cruise (we done 8 before) on Celebrity Cruises (they were all Carnival...and to the Caribbean or similar places) saling out of Van Couver returning to Van Couver.

We have never done a balcony, but it seems like this is the place, and it seems like I got a good deal at $880 plus Taxes and Port Cost of about $1200 per person. The ship is the Mercury.

Last year it was Washington/Oregon, drive around the coast and mountains. GREAT trip...3,500 pictures with dozens of lifers.

Year before it was several mini trips...like to NOLA, New Braunfels, etc.

A few years ago, it was a drive to Colorado and then on to Yellowstone.

But we don't have that much time this year, and would like to go somewhere it is reasonably cool.

So, I have two questions.

1) I don't have a lot of time to try to book this cruise...full payment is due Monday morning. I have searched the travel sites, and it seems like a good deal...but the flight is another $450/person. So, about $3,500 for a 8 day trip...kind of pricey...but doable...sort of. So,l does this seem like a good deal for those that have done this trip? Should I bee holding out for a better price? Air fare to anywhere will only go up, but there are lots of places we can fly to for $150/person.

2) If not the Alaska Trip, anybody have another idea for a last minute get on an airplane and go somewhere really cool (and COOL) that I can SELL the wife on???

Thanks for any feedback!!

[Imagebuffet]

In April, my employer surprised everyone by announcing that we had to take a combined 40 hours of vacation in May and June. Fortunately, I already have several proposed trips planned out, so I took two of my tentative plans and crafted a few road trips out of them. They weren't perfect, but they were decent and didn't cost me terribly much money.

I was surprised to find that West Texas was still cool last week. When I camped in the mountains of the Jemez region of New Mexico, I was glad that I brought a blanket. Parts of Colorado would still have snow.

Alaska would be cool, and I hope to go, some day. I would like to go many places.

[andyz]

I am interested in the same thing. What to do, spend money on equipment or a good vacation?

While the price seems good, the extra excursions all have extra costs too, if this is similar to what my sister did on her Alaska cruise. And those may be where you get your best photo ops. Also, I assume you already have or have time to get passports. I think they'd be needed now. (If incorrect, please let me know.) Last on the extra costs is a hotel. Flying there to arrive by plane and depart by boat on the same day is risky. I'd want to get there the day before, as buffer time for storms, plane issues, etc that cause any arrival delay. But having cruised before, you probably have a better feel for that than I.

I also would question for myself if the cost is worth the short time there? A little extra money could yield several more days. That would cause me to think of a short road trip now and spending that later.

Let us know what you decide so I know if I need to stow away in your suitcase. :)

[lokerd]

Thanks for the feedback so far. Good point about arriving a day before...which I have already planned for. Yes, I would rather have a few days to stay in VC and is a major reason to consider postponing such a trip. We do have our passports, so at least it is doable. One thought I have had is that I have not seen a balcony for this price. And of all of the other cruises, we never took extra time at the point...but then 5 of those cruises have been out of Galveston....3 out of Miami. This would be different flying out of VC. At least we would have the one night in VC...and if we stayed longer we would probably have to get a car. But I will check on trying to extend by one day. May make the flight less.

lokerd added 203 Minutes and 42 Seconds later...Double Post Merged Below

Well, today must have been the 4 week cut off...prices jumped almost $200 per person...and that pretty much kills this deal.

Ok, so where else to go for 1 week, Depart Sat...return Saturday or Sunday???

lokerd added 371 Minutes and 12 Seconds later...Double Post Merged Below

Ok, with Alaska Cruise out, I am thinking either San Fran to get to Yosemite...or Colorado. Since I have done CO with a DSLR, but have NOT done Yosemite...I am thinking Yosemite! And now having typed it...it is sounding better and better.

[Howard Barlow]

Drew,
Too bad Alaska is out. We did that cruise a couple of years ago, early June, on Norwegian. It was wonderful.

[lokerd]

Yeah, I was looking forward to the balcony for sure. We love just sitting on the deck...and I think it would have been perfect. Hopefully I can transfer it to next year when we have two weeks to spend extra time in Vancouver.

On the positive side of things, I just pulled the trigger on air to Fresno. It has been 20 years since I have been to Yosemite...shot 18 rolls of film on that trip...and have been 'dying' to get back since buying a D100 in 2002. I have been like Ansel Adams was when he wrote of "yearning to return to Yosemite". And this time, we are coming in from the south, so will go visit Kings Canyon, which I think is dedicated to Ansel or something like that.

Anyway, now I just need to figure out what to do for the days we have there., arriving late Friday, departing the following Sunday.

Anybody have a day by day itinerary already worked out for Yosemite?

[jeffkohn]

Yosemite Valley is going to be crowded in the summer, of course; plan on getting into the valley as early as you can. I'd recommend spending some time up in the high country, also you could spend at least a day over in the Hetch Hetchy area. You might also want to make time for a trip over to the Mono Lake area, and Bodie.

I highly recommend "The Photographer's Guide to Yosemite" by Michael Frye.

I've never been to Sequoia or King's Canyon NP's, so can't make recommendations there.

We're actually going to the eastern Sierra in July, staying in Mammoth Lake, Bishop, and Lone Pine.

[Imagebuffet]

Originally Posted by lokerd

Yeah, I was looking forward to the balcony for sure.

I've read several times that balcony is a waste of money.

[Howard Barlow]

Originally Posted by Imagebuffet

I've read several times that balcony is a waste of money.

Au contraire, my friend, with one caveat. If they say something about an obstructed view, or the like, it means you probably have a lifeboat hanging outside your window.

We are always carefull where we select the stateroom. Balconies are wonderful, and worth every penny, if it is in the budget.

On our Alaskan cruise, while I was on deck photographing, my wife sat there watching the whales.

If you can get it in the budget, the balcony is the only way to travel.

[lokerd]

Yeah, I agree Howard. Balconies are often NOT in the budget...but I would have enjoyed one EVERY cruise. They are a waste of money if you could take a 2nd entire cruise for the difference in price. My first couple of cruises were windowless. WOW! What a difference even the window makes. One could pretty much sleep through entire cruise on an interior cabin with no concept of time with no window. But this balcony pricing was only $150 more than the window, which was VERY reasonable (the window), I thought. So, I was pretty excited about our first balcony. There are a lot of different price points on a boat...and if you get stuck on Riviera deck (usually the bottom of the boat), you are going to spend a lot of time going to the top of the boat just to see daylight!

[Cajungaltx]

Drew - what is your dates your available? I have some awesome sites that I can check out for you and get you info on. Most of them are 'last minute' kind of deals...so they are usually priced pretty nicely.

[lokerd]

Thanks Donna for the offer. Actually, I have already booked a flight to Fresno for 8+ days in the Yosemite area.

[venchka]

Originally Posted by lokerd

Thanks Donna for the offer. Actually, I have already booked a flight to Fresno for 8+ days in the Yosemite area.

You done good. Now get busy with a guide book. Go where the rubber necker tourists aren't. Ever been to Mono Lake? Sunrise is the best time of day. West side of the lake looking east & south.

TPF member Hiking Mike lives in Atwater, CA. He knows Yosemite. Send him a PM for good info.

And go take a picture of the oak tree A.A. made famous. It fell in the Merced River recently.

One more: Join the Large Format Photography Forum. Search the travel forum for Yosemite. Those folks know Yosemite & all of California.

Have fun!

[L Stegall]

Yes, Hiking Mike is a really nice guy and knows the area well. I'm sure he's have some suggestions. Sounds like a great trip!

But, if you do cruise next year, I'm another vote for having a balcony. Our one and only cruse we had one and it was very large, because we were of the short row of rooms along the aft deck, so we had views in all directions, as opposed to being on one side of the ship. It was quiet and shaded, so we basically sat out there most of the time and just enjoyed the views in peace and quiet.

[Howard Barlow]

Originally Posted by lokerd

Yeah, I agree Howard. Balconies are often NOT in the budget...but I would have enjoyed one EVERY cruise....

Sign up for every cruiseline's email. My wife gets unbelievable offers. Some are a last minute 'the ship is about to sail and we have empty rooms for pennies' type offers. Right now, she has a special from RC for the same Barcelona to Italy cruise we did last year, good until December. It is half what we paid last time. We could get substantial upgrade, for a lot less than last time, too.

We went to London and Paris for the New Year, back to France and Russia, early June. Just landlubbers there. Now, we are planning to take a two week cruise in New Zealand in 2010.

It's amazing how much more money you have, when your kids are grown and out of the house. Ain't leavin' them none.