I wish you were here

First, let me introduce myself: I am Bill from Anaheim, California - USA. 

First, let me introduce myself: I am Bill from Anaheim, California - USA. 

I love to travel and love to write about it. During my travels, I was always looking for a good source of information about the area I am visiting.

I bought travel guides. I searched travel websites looking for information that only the locals would know, and I always came up empty-handed. 

The existing websites are mostly commercialized. They cater to big business and forget about the important details for the average traveler.

The decision on where to spend the nights at Yosemite depends on your preference, budget, and your planning skills. You can find very inexpensive tent cabins or you can go all the way and stay at the luxurious Ahwahnee Hotel (Majestic Yosemite Hotel). You can rough it at a campground or go on a backpacking trip through the wilderness.

Whatever you decide to do, you will need to plan way ahead. All hotels, lodges, and campsites are booked many months ahead of time. Some of the more popular ones are booked 12 months in advance.

Lodging

In my opinion, the best lodge for the value is Yosemite Lodge at the Fall (Yosemite Valley Lodge). It is located right on the valley floor next to Yosemite Fall. It is a large complex with about 240 rooms, a swimming pool, a food court, a restaurant, shops, bicycle rentals, and many other amenities. Rooms will run you around $200 per night depending on the season.

The main drawback is that there is no air conditioning in the rooms and if you want WiFi for your gadgets you will need to go to the main lobby. 

This beach town's claim to fame is that it is the Gateway to the Channel Islands. But wait a minute, a few miles northwest of Oxnard, Ventura also claims to be the Gateway to the Channel Islands. So confusing!

But no, not really. They both have a lovely harbor with regular service to the Channel Islands, but I think Oxnard's harbor is more fun.

The channel islands harbor has an extensive canal system making it look and feel like Venice, Italy, or Venice, CA. You can even get gondola rides on those canals. 
On both sides of those canals, you can find homes with ramps, restaurants, and recreation areas. 

The Disney resort is practically in my backyard. My family and I love to spend a whole day or just a few hours at the Disney parks. Throughout the years we learned a lot about the parks and attractions that we like to share with you.

Frontierland recreates the era of trailblazers and pioneers in the wild west. Running through this land is “The Rivers of America” where steamboats, sail ships, rafts and canoes float by.

It is one of the largest urban parks in the US. It rivals New York’s central park in size – around 1,017 acres of multi-use lush land. The park is full of fun and activities for residents and visitors. 

It sits on the western end of San Francisco and provides a lot of attractions and activities for locals and visitors.

The park is home to the famous Conservatory of Flowers and Japanese Tea Garden, lots of playgrounds, lakes, picnic areas and sports venues.

At the west end of the park you can find an authentic windmill that was actually used to irrigate the parklands. Next to the windmill, you will find Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden – a perfect match to the windmill.