Looking to escape? Here are two recent trips local readers took across several National Parks. Check them out, then find more reader travel inspiration at www.mercurynews.com/tag/wish-you-were-here/.
ARIZONA, UTAH, COLORADO: Emma and Mario Ramirez from San Jose took a nine-day National Parks tour with YMT Vacations. They began their trip in Las Vegas, Nev., then went off to the Grand Canyon and Glen Canyon Dam Overlook in Arizona and Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Hollow Mountain, Arches National Park and Canyon Lands National Park in Utah, finishing their trip in Vail and Denver in Colorado.
“It was a very active tour with early morning hikes before the day got hot, but it was worth it,” Emma said. “It was amazing to see so many spectacular National Parks in one trip. The views were amazing.
“Our favorite park was Bryce Canyon. It had all the hoodoos that were formed by frost weathering and stream erosion from the river. They were just beautiful. The colors would change as the sun hit them.
“At Arches National Park, the highlight was getting so close to Balanced Rock. [It’s] a unique park with so many different arches.”
TRAVEL TIPS: “Good walking shoes are a must,” Emma said. “Don’t forget the hat. Wear layers; early mornings are cool but it does warm up.”
Emma also recommends using YMT Vacations, noting, “our guides were so knowledgeable about the history of each park.”