Yosemite National Park: what's nearby, how to get there and when to go · 2026

AAAli Aimukhanbetovali_aim · Jan 10, 2023Read

A story about youth travel and student exchange programs 'Now and in the Future' Youth travel and student exchange programs can be a great way for young people to broaden their horizons, get to know new cultures and languages, and gain unique experiences that can be useful in the future. There are many student exchange programs that offer the opportunity to visit another country and study there. These programs can be funded, meaning students do not pay for their studies abroad, or non-funded, meaning students must pay for their own tuition and accommodation. Nowadays, young people have a wide range of travel options: from tours across various countries to extreme mountain hikes. Many young people love to travel, discovering new cities and visiting famous landmarks. For example, I would like to visit the USA, Europe, and Japan because one can immerse oneself in the culture of these countries. Learning the language, traditions, history, and other aspects of a new culture, as well as participating in various activities, helps to gain a deeper understanding of it. It is also important to maintain contacts with other exchange students and study various resources to learn more about the exchange and the culture. When talking about the culture of your own country, it is important to be confident and ensure that you provide accurate and reliable information. Currently, technology already allows young people to organize their travels independently using specialized apps and websites. They can choose a route, book hotel rooms, and get recommendations on places to visit. For example, to organize a tour of Kazakhstan, I bought plane tickets for myself and my friends through an app and booked rooms. I think that in the future, technology will likely continue to evolve, which will allow young people to simplify the travel process even further and make it more accessible. In the future, youth travel will likely only expand. With the development of technology and the improvement of transport infrastructure, young people will be able to easily reach even the most remote corners of the planet. Perhaps in the future, we will see more young people deciding on expeditions to Mars or other planets. With the development of aviation and space technology, the possibility may arise for young people to fly on planes at hypersonic speeds or even travel in spaceships to other planets. Such opportunities, previously available only to a small circle of professionals, will become available to a wide mass of young people, although their price will likely be high. Furthermore, in the future, there may be more options for eco-friendly and sustainable travel, which will become an important factor for young people who value environmental cleanliness and sustainable development. Perhaps in the future, we will see more trips organized on bicycles or hot air balloons, as well as more hotels operating on renewable energy sources. Overall, youth travel now and in the future will be diverse and interesting, offering many options for different interests and preferences. They will help young people expand their horizons, get to know new cultures, and discover many new opportunities. In the future, they will likely only expand, offering new technologies and options for eco-friendly and sustainable travel. Unfortunately, I haven't had any interesting trips yet, but I decided to imagine one. Once, I went on a trip through the American West with a group of friends. We started our route in Los Angeles and drove to Yosemite National Park, where we slept in tents and visited the mountain. Then we went to San Francisco, where we saw the Golden Gate Bridge and rode the cable car around the city. I want to visit these places in real life; I was telling this based on travel blogs and videos. Student exchange programs are one of the most effective forms of international cooperation in education. They offer students the opportunity to study at a foreign university, gain new knowledge

ATAnastasiya Taranavataranova.nas · Nov 30, 2019Read

After a day in the concrete jungle, we headed out into nature - to Yosemite National Park. This park is considered the most beautiful in the USA😱 It is located a few hours from San Francisco. Anyone with a MacOS computer will recognize it immediately: more than one wallpaper was taken there 😄 Interestingly, it is about the size of two Saint Petersburgs, but tourists are only shown 1% of the entire park. El Capitan rock in Yosemite Valley is the largest granite monolith in the world (pictured). Some Disney cartoons feature landscapes from Yosemite. For example, in the movie "Tangled," Rapunzel's tower stands right in front of Yosemite Falls — the park's tallest waterfall. You can also see Yosemite Valley several times in the "Tinker Bell" movie! Rocks, waterfalls, incredible views😍 Goal: to return here as a camper is set ✅

ДЕДарья Евдокименкоevdokimenko_dari · Jun 27, 2016Read

On the way to Yellowstone National Park, our next stop for two whole days, we stopped by the small town of Jackson Hole. Americans certainly know how to set up souvenir shops so that you want to buy everything. By the way, I bought a warm poncho there, because at the end of September in Yellowstone it's already about 1 degree Celsius and they promised the first snow. Yellowstone is the world's first national park. It is famous for hundreds of geysers, mud volcanoes, and geothermal springs. Herds of bison, deer, and other animals roam the park. When you walk through the park, it feels like you're not even on planet Earth. Acidic lakes of poisonous colors, incredible landscapes, everything is steaming, bubbling, and seemingly breathing. One of my favorite views is the towering waterfall between giant cliffs (Artist Point). We didn't want to leave, to put it mildly... But there are even more wonders ahead. The whole next day we spent in the small town of Idaho Falls and Salt Lake City. This Mormon city, surrounded by incredible landscapes, seemed very cozy and safe to me, just like a little Switzerland. The next stop is Vegas! At that time we weren't 21 yet, and they wouldn't even let us into the rooftop pool of our hotel. So our entertainment was the rides at the top of our hotel, the Stratosphere, and shopping. I never really dreamed of going to Vegas, but this city is simply stunning! It's impossible to resist the countless casinos, luxurious hotels, cars, and boutiques. You want to spend every last cent. I will definitely come back here! By the way, Vegas is surrounded by a desert of incredible beauty, so pay attention during the day) The top photo on the left is our hotel, or rather the photo on the right is the view from the hotel! And finally, the Grand Canyon! In the 2 hours we spent there, we took a couple of photos, and the rest of the time we just enjoyed the feeling of freedom, sitting on the edge of the American Wild West. The biggest disappointment of our trip turned out to be Yosemite National Park. Firstly, after 5 hours on a winding road, you don't want to go for any walks. Secondly, September-October is the dry season, so there is simply no water in any of the waterfalls. Just bare rocks... As we learned later, the park is best visited in the spring, when the snow melts on the peaks and turns the bare rocks into waterfalls.

ISIuliia Shamsutdinovashamsutdinovajn · Feb 1, 2015Read

Because the city (Pigeon Forge) was in the "middle of nowhere" and public transport only ran between a few adjacent towns that lacked bus stations, I had no opportunity to travel to nearby states. Nevertheless, I was never bored! There were so many activities organized for tourists; we kept some of the flyers in our shop, so as shop employees, we could visit these attractions for free by booking in advance, or we paid a negligible portion—10-20%. We could also bring friends to many of them. That is exactly how I rode a hot air balloon, went to Wonderland (where I lay on 2,500 nails, moved balls with the power of my mind, played baseball, walked on ropes, danced on a platform with moving steps—I don't know how to explain it properly, inflated human-sized balloons, etc.), went to the local zoo, and rode the cable car and the "bobsled track." In my free time, I also visited every possible restaurant, among which I want to mention the well-known Bubba Gump. They constantly hold quizzes about the movie there, and on the table, there are funny signs that say "Run Forrest or Stop Forrest," which you flip depending on whether you want the waiter to come to you or not. I also really liked Red Lobster; of course, it's a bit expensive, but it is incomparably cheaper than trying the same dishes of lobster, mussels, shrimp, etc., in Russia, and they cook very deliciously there. The only problem is the crab legs, because when you try to break them with special tongs, the meat and juice spray in all directions, scattering according to the effort applied. One of the main attractions is the water park and amusement park of the famous country singer Dolly Parton; I must say that I rode many of them with my eyes closed, clutching the railings with all my might. The local car show, Road Run, is very popular; as a rule, they sell old and unusual cars there. Closer to the end of August, I started looking for people who were flying to the West Coast around mid-September, but many of them were leaving much earlier (the Ukrainians only had their visas open until August 31st). I didn't want to miss the chance, so I decided to fly alone and booked a 5-day tour (on the website: http://www.tours4fun.com/, which has a flexible discount system depending on the number of participants), which included: Las Vegas, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, the Grand Canyon, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, Yosemite National Park, the Danish village of Solvang, and a visit to Stanford University! Even though I went alone and paid more for it, I never doubted the correctness of my decision. In the end, I found friends during the trip, and the emotions from the trip exceeded all my expectations: 1. In Las Vegas, I was placed in one of the best hotels in the city—the Stratosphere. It is famous for having some of the scariest rides in the world at its peak, approximately 300m up: "Big Shot, Insanity the Ride, and XSCREAM." The latter fully justifies its name; I never thought I could scream so loudly... In the city itself, what I remember most is Fremont St (this is a covered street in Vegas where they host 3D shows on the ceilings, and every 100m on the street there are stages where musicians perform different styles of music) and, of course, the famous hotels: Bellagio, Caesars Palace, Venetian Resort Hotel Casino, Paris Hotel. Each of them is unique and, in my opinion, a work of art. 2. The next day we set off for the Grand Canyon; it was simply stunning!!! It's hard to believe that nature could create such a thing and that there was once an ocean there! On the way back, we visited the Hoover Dam, but I barely remember it because my thoughts were still only on the Grand Canyon. 3. Los Angeles is one of my favorite and most beautiful cities in the USA. It's a pity we were only there for an evening and could only visit the main attractions (Beverly Hills, Walt Disney Concert Hall, etc.). Driving through every street, we were told exactly which movies were filmed there; of course, a

AAAli Aimukhanbetovali_aim · Jan 10, 2023Read

A story about youth travel and student exchange programs 'Now and in the Future' Youth travel and student exchange programs can be a great way for young people to broaden their horizons, get to know new cultures and languages, and gain unique experience that can be useful in the future. There are many student exchange programs that offer the opportunity to visit another country and study there. These programs can be funded, meaning students do not pay for their studies abroad, or non-funded, meaning students must pay for their own tuition and accommodation. Nowadays, young people have a wide choice of travel options: from tours of various countries to extreme mountain hikes. Many young people love to travel around countries, discovering new cities and visiting famous landmarks. For example, I would like to visit the USA, Europe, and Japan because you can immerse yourself in the culture of these countries. Learning the language, traditions, history, and other aspects of a new culture, as well as participating in various activities, helps to gain a deeper understanding of it. It is also important to maintain contacts with other exchange students and study various resources to learn more about the exchange and the culture. When talking about the culture of your country, it is important to be confident and ensure that you provide accurate and reliable information. Currently, technology already allows young people to organize their trips independently using specialized apps and websites. They can choose a route, book hotel rooms, and get recommendations on places worth visiting. For example, to organize a tour of Kazakhstan, I bought plane tickets for myself and my friends through an app and booked rooms. I think that in the future, technology will likely continue to evolve, which will allow young people to simplify the travel process even further and make it more accessible. In the future, youth travel will likely only expand. With the development of technology and the improvement of transport infrastructure, young people will be able to easily reach even the most remote corners of the planet. Perhaps in the future, we will see more young people who decide to go on expeditions to Mars or other planets. With the development of aviation and space technology, it may become possible for young people to fly on planes at hypersonic speeds or even travel on spaceships to other planets. Such opportunities, which were previously available only to a small circle of professionals, will become available to the masses of young people, although their price will likely be high. In addition, more options for environmentally friendly and sustainable travel may appear in the future, which will become an important factor for young people who value environmental cleanliness and sustainable development. Perhaps in the future, we will see more trips organized by bicycle or hot air balloon, as well as more hotels operating on renewable energy sources. Overall, youth travel now and in the future will be diverse and interesting, offering many options for different interests and preferences. They will help young people expand their horizons, get to know new cultures, and discover many new opportunities. In the future, they will likely only expand, offering new technologies and options for environmentally friendly and sustainable travel. Unfortunately, I haven't had any interesting trips yet, but I decided to imagine one. Once, I went on a trip around the Western United States with a group of friends. We started our route in Los Angeles and drove to Yosemite National Park, where we slept in tents and visited Taft Point. Then we went to San Francisco, where we saw the Golden Gate Bridge and rode the cable car around the city. I want to visit these places in real life; I was telling this based on travel blogs and videos. Student exchange programs are one of the most effective forms of international cooperation in the field of education. They offer students th

ДЕДарья Евдокименкоevdokimenko_dari · Jun 22, 2016Read

So, travel! Thanks to those who made it to this section;) I hope the information will be helpful. I can't express how much we all dreamed of traveling. Working in a tiny resort village where the only entertainment was a supermarket and the ocean (with sharks). Naturally, we started planning in advance - there was nothing else to do... My cherished travel dream was always the Grand Canyon, the beloved California, and Yellowstone National Park - all these places are in the western US, but quite far from each other, so I doubted if I would manage to visit them all. Especially since everything is so expensive in America. Speaking of the financial side, we saved up plenty of money, so we could afford a budget of $2000, which is about what we actually spent. However, some guys chose to buy iPhones and other tech instead of traveling. Well, it’s up to you! How we planned the trip. First of all, I changed my return tickets. The IEC.Exchange should send you an email on how to do this. 2 weeks of travel seemed clearly insufficient to me, so I decided to stay in America for 10 days longer, which cost me $160. It's very expensive, but I came to America for the sake of travel. After Googling all sorts of tour booking sites (we took a two-week national park tour for $700) and tickets, we made a rough travel plan and decided on the amount. The approximate cost of a ticket, from NY to LA, for example, is $50-100. Here is a rough plan: Norfolk (the nearest large city with an airport) Orlando (3 days) Los Angeles Grand-Canyon Vegas Utah State - Salt Lake City Yellowstone National Park San Francisco Yosemite National Park Los Angeles (2 days) New York (3 days) We spent about $1000 on tickets, tours, and accommodation. We spent the same amount on shopping. During the trip, we visited about 10 states. And we have enough photos and impressions to last a lifetime. 3. Now I will tell you how we booked all this and what we used. All air tickets need to be compared on different sites. Prices may vary. Try: https://www.skyscanner.ru https://www.expedia.com https://www.aviasales.ru https://www.spirit.com - super budget tickets, but there may be delays, the planes are old, and you have to pay extra for luggage and carry-on. But if you are traveling with one backpack - this is definitely the best option. Always check if luggage is included in the ticket! Somewhere they will charge $20 for luggage, and somewhere even $100. Check the information on the airline websites. My friend spent $100-200 just on luggage. Overweight is paid from $50-100, an extra bag is about the same. If you only need a bus (I already wrote about them in more detail): https://www.greyhound.com http://www.gotobus.com http://www.chinatown-bus.org It's damn cold in all the buses! And it doesn't matter that it's +35 outside. I remember how the first time I laughed that Americans carry jackets with them on the bus. Now I always take a small blanket and terry socks with me. We took the tour itself on http://www.taketours.com - a Chinese company. The more of you go, the cheaper it gets! The tour includes transport and accommodation. You will have to pay separately for guide services ($8 per day), some excursions (optional), and food. Searching for tours is very convenient - you enter the place where the tour starts (we chose LA), then the place or places where you want to go, and suitable tours are shown on the screen. Of course, traveling on your own is more interesting. But we would never have visited so many places in just 12 days on our own. Accommodation booking: http://www.booking.com/ - hotel booking http://www.hostelworld.com - hostels www.airbnb.ru/c/devdokimenko1?s=8 - apartments or rooms. Sometimes it turns out quite inexpensive. Registering via the link will get you a bonus. https://www.couchsurfing.com - live for free in someone's apartment. They might just give you a bed, and sometimes you get a whole room. I personally used each of the options. Decide for yourself which one is