Complement a city break to San Francisco with a splash of adventure, by sampling its mighty outdoor experiences.
The Sierra Nevada, California's rugged backbone, is North America's longest and highest mountain range. Cresting at over 14,000 feet, it is home to one of the world's most visited wilderness attractions, theYosemite National Park, a wonderland of waterfalls, alpine lakes, towering granite walls, wildflower meadows and giant sequoia trees.
Ever since President Abraham Lincoln paved the way to protect this alpine environment in 1864, it has drawn the world's nature-lovers, pulling in almost four million visitors a year.
The national park is a year-round pageant of hiking, biking, skiing, rafting and rock-climbing. From the hulking presence of El Capitan and Half Dome to the mists of Yosemite Falls and groves of soaring sequoias, this World Heritage site exudes a sense of awe and wonder.
The park is the natural habitat of a rich array of wildlife including the American black bear, woodpecker, grey fox, bobcat, squirrel and mule deer. You just never know what you might see in this glacial-ice shaped valley.
If you wish to make a fleeting foray to Yosemite, here's a sketch of the must-see sights that can be easily ticked off in a day.
As you arrive in Yosemite Valley, the monumental granite monolith, El Capitan, looms ever larger. Towering over 3000 feet, El Cap's vertical cliff is the holy grail for rock-climbers. There are plenty of handy viewing spots around the base of El Capitan to admire the pain-staking efforts of adventure climbers undertaking this gruelling tour de force, first conquered in the 1950s.
Tour buses will whisk you up to Tunnel View and to Mirror Lake. From Yosemite Lodge, where tour buses transit, take the short and sweet forest walk to the viewing platform for the Yosemite Falls. Plunging 2425 feet, in three tiers, this spectacular waterfall is the tallest in North America.
Across the other side of the valley is the slightly smaller, but equally impressive, Bridal Veil Fall.
The valley floor is covered in emerald green meadow, and bursts with wild flowers, giant sequoia groves and alpine lakes. Walking and biking trails criss-cross this natural playground.
As you traverse the meadow, your eyes will be transfixed by Half Dome, the spiritual centre-piece of Yosemite.
The Yosemite Lodge offers a bike hire service, by the hour or day. Twelve miles of paved biking trails lace the valley, in addition to the walking trails. Maps and route information are on-tap at the lodge. www.nps.gov/yose
