Yosemite National Park Archives

The Final Natural Wonders

The results are in and clearly I can’t count. I’ve compared the states we’ve covered with an alphabetical list of states and everything matches. I’ve gone back over each post and checked and can’t find a counting error but I still come up with states 48 & 49 to finish off. Obviously I can’t count. So aside from my challenge with numbers, we will wrap up this series with California and Texas. I am proud to say that I have been to both states. However I have not been to the Natural Wonders that are on the LIST.

California- Yosemite National Park

California is a big state with so much to see and do. I’ve been to San Diego for work so didn’t get to explore much. I’ve been to LA several time. I got to visit the Queen Mary and take a harbor tour past Alcatraz. Neither of which can be called a natural wonder. The Channel Islands are on my bucket list as well as Big Sur and Redwood country but according to the Natural Wonders list the top Natural Wonder in California is Yosemite National Park.

The massive national park extends into Tuolumne, Mariposa, Mono, and Madera counties, and covers about 1,169 square miles. Yosemite Valley is a 7 mile wide canyon with incredible rock formations, including El Capitan, the world’s tallest granite monolith and one of the world’s top rock climbing destinations. Yosemite Falls is the largest waterfall in North America with breathtaking views. Peak visitation at the falls is in the spring as it is comprised entirely of melting snow. The park is also known for its Giant Sequoia trees, which are estimated to be over 3,000 years old

Spectacular Yosemite Falls, Yosemite National Park, California - PICRYL - Public Domain Media Search Engine Public Domain Search

Yosemite Falls – Photo from Internet

Texas – Palo Duro Canyon

On my trip to Texas, we stayed in San Antonio and explored the Alamo and the Spanish Missions. We dined on the River Walk but we didn’t explore the wilds of the state.

Spanish Mission San Antonio TX- Photo Credit Deb Neumann

The River Walk- San Antonio – Photo Credit Deb Neumann

Called the Grand Canyon of Texas, the Palo Duro Canyon is the second largest canyon in the country. You don’t have to rough it to explore either. Glamping (luxury camping) is now available! Each glamping site is fully furnished with air conditioning, luxury rustic furnishings, refrigerators, microwaves, coffee makers, games, bicycles, gas grills and gas fire pits, covered porches with rockers, porch swings, and much more. More information on glamping at Palo Duro Canyon.

Lighthouse - Palo Duro Canyon, Texas | Thomas Shahan | Flickr

Lighthouse- Photo Credit Thomas Shahan Flickr

That’s a Wrap!

Thanks for joining me on our exploration of the Natural Wonders of the USA. As for me, I’ve added a lot to my travel bucket list.

I Love your Great Ideas!

You had some great trips for me to consider. Thank you for sharing your suggestions. I have a lot to consider. “Diane” suggested Glacier National Park. I must say that National Parks are always a super choice. I’ve been to many. I even have the “passport” books and collect the stamps. I thought that Glacier National Park was primarily a hiking destination and I’m not sure I’m up for much hiking. Time for me to do a little research.

Glacier National Park

stock photo

The first thing I found out when I searched Glacier National Park was Going-to-the-Sun Road. This drive connects the east and west sides of the park as it cuts through the middle. Going-to-the-Sun road is 50 miles of scenic wonder. I’ll need to plan this vacation in the summer. The road is often closed by snow in the winter. It’s wild country out there. Wildlife may be present anywhere along Going-to-the-Sun Road. As you know if you’ve read many of my posts, I’m a sucker for Wildlife. I can watch for mountain goats and Big Horn sheep. You can even see a glacier from the road at Jackson Glacier Overlook. A bonus for me is that Glacier National Park is in Montana. I haven’t been to Montana yet!

Yosemite National Park

stock photo

Sticking with the National Park theme, my boss at work got in on the suggestions. She lobbied for Yosemite National Park. She and her family recently vacationed there and she came away quite impressed. Yosemite National Park is in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains. It’s famous for El Capitan and Half Dome, two iconic landmarks. Its also home to giant, ancient sequoia trees. When I think of Yosemite I think of waterfalls. I was concerned that this hiker’s paradise might be another place that would be beyond my skill set? I’m happy to report that many areas of the park can be reached by car and some places even have shuttle access! Sounds like a user friendly park to me!