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TRAVEL-202609-uswest/parks_sights.md
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snegov ad5522d144 itinerary: split day plans into days/, plan SF Sep 21
- One file per day under days/; timeline table reduced to date, weekday, place
- Sep 19–20: KT & VT Uber to Airbnb, rest day; LK & MS drive rental to Airbnb
- Sep 21: Silicon Valley morning, optional Twin Peaks / Painted Ladies /
  Lands End, Battery Spencer at sunset
- LK Hertz LAX rental marked not available for planning; LA / San Diego
  hotels cancelled
- sf_sights: add Silicon Valley and Mission / Castro, skip Computer History
  Museum

Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01CWLR7htYGAB9i89P8jCCLn
2026-09-12 23:07:08 -07:00

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# National Parks — Places to See
*Candidate menu of sights (with seasonal notes) for the Yosemite and Sequoia / Kings Canyon legs. The chosen, day-by-day version lives in [`days/`](days/) (Sep 22–26).*
---
## Yosemite (Sep 22–24)
### Valley
- **Tunnel View** — classic panoramic first look into the valley
- **Bridalveil Fall** — 5-min walk from the car, right near Tunnel View
- **Valley View** — Merced River framing of the valley
- **El Capitan** — view from the meadow below. *Note: Horsetail Fall firefall effect only happens in February; waterfall likely dry in September*
- **Cook's Meadow Loop** — flat 1-mile walk, Half Dome framed over open meadow, great for golden hour photography
- **Mirror Lake** — Half Dome reflection, early fall colour; water level typically low in late September
- **Lower Yosemite Falls trail** — easy 1-mile paved loop, ~20-30 min, gets you right to the base
### Above the Valley
- **Glacier Point** — best morning light on Half Dome, spectacular panoramic views
### South (near Wawona)
- **Mariposa Grove** — largest giant sequoia grove in Yosemite, 10 min from the cabin
---
## Sequoia & Kings Canyon (Sep 24–26)
> **No cell service** near the Miramonte cabin — screenshot maps and notes before arrival.
### Sequoia — Giant Forest area
- **Giant Forest Museum** — orientation, start here
- **General Sherman Tree** — largest tree on Earth by volume; shuttle access
- **Congress Trail** — 2-mile paved loop through giant sequoias; better than just the Sherman stop
- **Moro Rock** — granite dome, ~350 steps to a panoramic summit
- **Big Trees Trail** — easy flat loop around a meadow
- **Tunnel Log** — drive-through fallen sequoia
- **Tokopah Falls** — ~3.5-mile round-trip hike from Lodgepole
- **Crystal Cave** — marble cave, guided tour only, tickets in advance. *Note: usually closes for the season in late Sep / early Oct — verify dates*
### Kings Canyon
- **Grant Grove & General Grant Tree** — the "Nation's Christmas Tree", quieter than Sequoia
- **Kings Canyon Scenic Byway (Hwy 180)** — dramatic descent into the canyon; walls glow in afternoon light
- **Roaring River Falls** — short walk from the byway
- **Zumwalt Meadow** — short loop, canyon walls + river
- **Road's End** — end of the byway, trailheads (~2 hrs each way from the cabin)