Vintage Yosemite 2010

120 Yea

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Yosemite

EXPLORE

Vintage

Yosemite National Park 1890-2010: Then, Now and Forever California’s Heritage Wilderness

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osemite National Park Celebrates its 120th Birthday this coming fall with a unique companion in California’s history: California’s State Route 120,Tuolumne County’s Scenic Gateway to the northern entrance to Yosemite National Park. From the San Francisco Bay Area and Central California, Highway 120 is also the fastest route to Yosemite and one of Tuolumne County’s best kept secrets!

In recognition of Yosemite National Park’s importance in California’s history, its preservation as a national park and its value as an international tourist destination, Vintage Yosemite 120/120 will be a year-long international celebration of Yosemite and its discovery via Tuolumne County’s historic route SR 120.

These tours will focus on Yosemite’s history as a tourist destination in popular culture as captured by professional and amateur photographers for the past 120 years.

Visit www.vintageyosemite.com for all details or call 209.588.9625 for information & reservations.

‘True Blue’ - Yosemite today. Photo Credit: Blue World Photos, Sonora, California

HISTORY

Yosemite & Highway 120

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aturalist John Muir & Robert Underwood Johnson,editor of Century Magazine, lobbied the US Congress for the Act that created Yosemite National Park on October 1, 1890.

During the Gold Rush, SR 120 was originally known as Big Oak Flat Road, after the village of Big Oak Flat through which it passes in the Sierra foothills.

It was a pack trail from Stockton which became popular with prospectors about 1849. By 1874 it was a wagon road, which extended to the Yosemite Valley.

ACCOMMODATIONS Lodging for your Discovery

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ur Partner Hotels offer a wide variety of choices for your visit to Yosemite National Park during the 120th Birthday Anniversary Celebration from September 2010 through December 2011.

You’ll have the opportunity to stay in Sonora or Groveland. Each community offers unique dining, shopping, recreation, cultural and historic discoveries.

Vintage Yosemite Lodging Partners BestWestern Sonora Oaks The Gunn House Hotel The Sonora Days Inn Inns of California, Sonora The Groveland Hotel

TOURS

Yosemite via Highway 120

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iscover Tuolumne County before and after your excursion to Yosemite National Park. These tours are scheduled from Sonora and Groveland and will last 8 to 10 hours depending on your tour choices.

Rates are per person and include 1 or more nights accommodations, and round trip via Linkline, our transportation partner, in a comfortable 8,16 or 24 seat passenger mini-bus into the park including entrance fee.

Each package includes a signed complimentary copy of Christine Tuohy’s soft-cover book, Vintage Yosemite: Then, Now & Forever California’s Heritage Wilderness.

2010 Stay & Discover Yosemite 120/120 Tour Packages Vintage Yosemite 120/120 is presented by: Blue World Photos of Sonora; Explore Sonora Magazine; The Historic Sonora Chamber of Commerce www.sonorachamber.com with support from the Tuolumne County Visitors Bureau.

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120 Yea

Vintage

The

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Spirit of Adventure

hose born to the new and expanding world of the mid-nineteenth and early twentieth century were instilled with a pioneering spirit of exploration and discovery in every walk, picnic, outing, or camping and packing trip as an adventure. There was always an element of daring to these explorations.And if you fell off a cliff, it was your own fault for getting too close to the edge. erhaps it was just plain foolhardiness, but there were few fences, gates, warning signs or threats of potential lawsuits or prosecutions to prevent us from seeing every angle of our beautiful world and capturing that experience with that newest innovation of the modern era, the camera.. t had only been a generation or two since the settling of the West and charting of its Wilderness. With the advent of railroads, steamships and the touring car, these modern modes of transportation only fueled the thirst for more adventure and further into the newly discovered wilderness. hrough the individual and collective experience of places like Yosemite Valley, these 19th and 20th century explorers developed a deep appreciation and affection for Wilderness and its preservation. intage Yosemite invites you to discover its unique history and experience why Yosemite after its 120th year as a National Park remains California’s Heritage Wilderness.

Yosemite

EXPLORE

Breakfast 7:30 A.M.

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tart your day with either a light or hearty breakfast.The Groveland Hotel and Gunn House Hotel offer an Innkeeper’s Breakfast for their guests.

The Best Western Sonora Oaks offers a Fulll Breakfast to satisfy your morning appetite.

Depar t for Yosemite 9:00 A.M.

ut on your walking shoes or hikP ing boots for your Yosemite Adventure.You’ll de-

part with a cup of Joe courtesy of Sonora Joe’s Coffee Shoppe in Historic Downtown Sonora to brace you for the scenic drive to Yo-Semite!

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Times listed are approximate and may vary based on weather and traffic or the unexpected!

Arrival in Groveland 9:45

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ntering Groveland via California State Route 120 is Tuolumne County’s Scenic Gateway to the ‘Big Valley’.

As we enter Groveland you’ll note the Iron Door Saloon, the oldest continuously operated saloon in California. It began serving liquor in 1852 as the Granite Store.

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Visiting The Yo-Semite Valley

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e recommend these tours to children 12 years and older with the consideration some walking is involved as well as boarding and unboarding at a number of sightseeing highlights and stops.

The tours including travel time will average 8 - 10 hours or longer depending on unforeseen delays. By special arrangement we can arrange for a special Family Discovery Tour from Sonora, with accommodations, guide and dining options. We will

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Smith Station Road 1 0 : 1 5

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e’re officially inside the park at the intersection of Smith Station Road, which has recently (June 5, 2010) been designated as the John Muir Highway. Muir entered the Yosemite Valley via this route from Coulterville during his second trek in 1869. From this point on you’ll discover what he discovered and was determined to protect for generations to come.

accommodate families with a minimum of 6 passengers. Call 209.588.9625 for special arrangements and pricing.

The walk through Cook’s Meadow lasts a bit over an hour. There are options, including possible rainy days. Once we arrive on the valley floor, the Yosemite Visitor’s Center,Yosemite Museum, the Ansel Adams Gallery, the Nature Center at Happy Isles, even a visit via free shuttle to the famous Ahwahnee Hotel, are well worth a visit. In September and October the weather should be beautiful and comfortably in the mid to high 70’s or a little warmer or cooler.

L eg e n d Historical Interest Coffee Served

Restrooms Available Board Bus Bus Stop Picnic Area

Photo Op Seating Area Walking Activity

Crane Flat Bears 1 0 : 3 0

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f we’re lucky there’ll be an opportunity to see bears in the meadow off to the right or to the left in the forest edge.American black bears are not black but brown or even blond or reddish brown and you can distinguish their age by color. This is the Highway 120/Tioga Pass Road open only in summer. Nearby Crane Flat is the Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias and is worth another summer visit for a 1 to 2 hour hike.

Bridal Veil Falls 1 1 : 0 0

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e stop briefly to formally enter the park, and we will provide guests a map of Yosemite for the tour. Shortly thereafter you’ll be inclined to gasp as we approach BridalVeil Falls. (continued 2 pages over)

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www.exploresonora.com www.vintageyosemite.com

BEST WESTERN SONORA OAKS EXPLORE

The AAA 3-Diamond Award Best Western Sonora Oaks Hotel & Conference Center is a great Yosemite lodging choice while visiting and exploring the Mother Lode.

Hi-speed Internet access • Deluxe continental breakfast • Restaurant • Lounge • Room services Outdoor pool • Spa • 24-hour front desk • Concierge Services • Seasonal Specials and packages

www.bwsonoraoaks .com

Sonora Oaks Hotel and Conference Center19551 Hess Avenue, Sonora, California, 95370-9720

Discover Yosemite Special

The

120

th on

The

120

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for $

.00

S o n o ra D ays Inn I n n s o f California

The

Yosemite Diamond Tour

I Love Yosemite Tour

AAA Three Diamond Lodging Partners

19th Century Victorian Outing

Best Western Sonora Oaks or The Groveland Hotel

Gunn Hous e Ho t e l or Sonora D a ys I nn The

or Dates Available Sunday thru Thursday September 20 thru October 31, 2010

Dates Available Sunday thru Thursday October 3 thru October 31, 2010

Dates Available Sunday thru Thursday September 20 thru October 31, 2010

Accommodations for 1 Night

Accommodations for 1 Night

Accommodations for 2 Nights

Transportation from Sonora or Groveland Yosemite Park Admission including souvenir Park Map

Transportation from Sonora Yosemite Park Admission including souvenir Park Map

Yosemite Photographer Jeff Nixon is your Tour Guide

Yosemite Photographer Jeff Nixon is your Tour Guide

Picnic Lunch with Refreshments & Dessert

Teddy Bear Picnic Lunch with Refreshments & Dessert

Standard Room (1 Queen) Continental Breakfast

Transportation from Sonora Yosemite Park Admission including souvenir Park Map Join Our Guided Tour or Discover Yosemite On Your Own

Standard Room (1 Queen) Best Western Sonora Oaks - Full Breakfast Groveland Hotel - Innkeeper’s Breakfast

Picnic Lunch with Refreshments & Dessert Complimentary Copy of the Book Vintage Yosemite: Then, Now & Forever California’s Heritage Wilderness

By Christine Tuohy, Blue World Photos

The

Standard Room (1 Queen) Gunn House Hotel -Innkeeper’s Breakfast Sonora Days Inn - Continental Breakfast

The

Complimentary Sasy Bears Teddy R. Plush Bear

After Tour Dinner & Photo Exhibition Alcohol, taxes and gratuity are additional

After Tour Dinner & Photo Exhibition Alcohol, taxes and gratuity are additional

Vintage Yosemite Exhibit & Reception at Blue World Photos Gallery including savories, sweets & refreshments

Complimentary Copy of the Book Vintage Yosemite: Then, Now & Forever California’s Heritage Wilderness

By Christine Tuohy, Blue World Photos

Discover Tuolumne County Coupon Book

Discover Tuolumne County Coupon Book

Complimentary Copy of the Book Vintage Yosemite: Then, Now & Forever California’s Heritage Wilderness

By Christine Tuohy, Blue World Photos Discover Tuolumne County Coupon Book

$120 .00 *

$120 .00 *

$120 .00 *

*$60.00 per person/Dbl. Occupancy

*$120.00 per person/Dbl. Occupancy

*$120.00 per person/Dbl. Occupancy

Add a second night for $49.00!

Reservation Code: DYS-120 Group Discounts: 209-588-9625

Book Extra Nights and save!

Reservation Code: 3D-120

Book Extra Nights and save!

Reservation Code: ILY-120 Group Discounts: 209-588-9625

Price excludes room upgrades, room charges and applicable taxes.

Price excludes room upgrades, room charges and applicable taxes.

Group Discounts: 209-588-9625

Price excludes room upgrades, room charges and applicable taxes.

Visit www.vintageyosemite.com for updated packages, information or to book tours online.

Spring 2011 tours dates are also available. Check www.vintageyosemite.com/2011 to reserve space.

Terms and Conditions

1) All Packages are purchased through the Historic Sonora Chamber of Commerce in the form of a redeemable voucher for a specific date.

2) All Packages are limited in availability and will not be held or reserved without deposit or complete payment in advance.

3) All Packages are for Sunday thru Thursday only. Fridays or Saturday may be available at an additional charge.

4) Hotels for each tour may change due to special events, conventions or other reasons

beyond our control.

5) The Picnic Lunch provided will include some Vegetarian options. Other diets cannot be guaranteed but in most instances you can order appropriate items when you provide notice by 4 p.m. the day before the tour.

6) Packages inclusive of dinner may be limited in a choice of menu options.

7) Advertised packages are priced for Standard Rooms only, which in most cases includes one Queen Bed. Additional beds, sizes, room features may incur additional charges.

8) Packages, unless otherwise indicated,

Historic Sonora

are for 1 Night only, including the Yosemite Travel Voucher.

9) Package prices exclude all room charges and taxes which are paid at Check-out.

10) We encourage you to add additional nights at the specially discounted rates with each hotel, well in advance of the tour to guarantee availability.

Payment. Deposit of $100 per person is due within 30 days of making reservations, balance 30 days before travel. Full payment is due upon making reservations for tours booked less than 30 days in advance. For

Credit Card payments we request signed authorizations for the deposit and the final payment. Travel vouchers are mailed upon receipt of full payment. Extra charges apply for overnight delivery.

Cancellation Charges and Refunds: Complete details are available at www.vintageyosemite.com/terms.

Contractual Sale includes coordination, transportation by tour coach worth $50.00 per day, admission costs as stated, hotel rooms without tax, certain meals with tax. It

INNS OF CALIFORNIA

350 South Washington Street Sonora, Ca 95370 (209) 532-3633 (800) 251-1538 11

Free Continental Breakfast • Heated Pool & Spa • Air Conditioned • In-Room Brewed Coffee • Guest Laundry www.exploresonora.com 24-Hour Courteous FrontofDesk • Free High Wireless Internet www.sonorainnsofcalifornia.com We’re nestled in heart the historic goldSpeed country foothills, only•sixty miles from Yosemite National Park!

is our pledge to provide these services and our responsibility to make a refund only for the actual value of tour components we fail to deliver.

The Historic Sonora Chamber of Commerce acts as agents for hotels, restaurants or other places of business and transportation; we cannot be held liable in any way for loss, injury, or damage to person or property in those places or areas. We may decline the sale of the tour or to retain any person as a member of the tour at any time.

The Historic

Gunn House Hotel EXPLORE

In the Heart of Historic Downtown Sonora

Built 1850

286 S. Washington Street, Sonora, CA 95370 Reservations (209) 532-3421 www.gunnhousehotel.com (BridalVeil Falls. continued) There is a picnic area adjacent to Bridal Veil just off the road and it’s an easy walk to the base. It’s just a half-mile and takes 20 minutes. Depending on our arrival time this is an alternate picnic site.

L owe r Yo s e m i t e Falls 12:00

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his is our scheduled Picnic Lunch and is provided by our dining partner The Lighthouse Deli. You’ll find refreshments, fruit, veggies, sandwiches and deserts, including a treat provided

by The Candy Vault.

There’ll be a drawing during lunch for some very special gifts from Sonora area merchants and restaurants!

Alternate stop: Get some vicarious thrills while we eat lunch at El Capitan Picnic Area to see a squadron of climbers ascending El Cap, the largest granite monolith in the world.

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Ansel Adams Gallery 2:30

Photographer

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e will conclude our. post-lunch walk at the Ansel Adams Gallery in the heart of (if not the heart….) of Yosemite Village. You’re encouraged to explore Yosemite on your own for the next 2 hours.You can hop a shuttle down to the Ahwahnee for a drink to relax, do a little shopping in the village or take an extended walk or hike.

Inspiration Walk 2:45

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or those inclined, you may choose to go for a short drive with us to a meadow for a unique experience instead of going off on your own.

Historic SONORA

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oted Yosemite photographer, Jeff Nixon, will lead several guided tours through the park, reminiscing about his years living and working in the Valley. n Jeff’s 40 plus years as a photographer. He also had the opportunity to work with renowned photographer and environmentalist Ansel Adams and will share some of those experiences with tour guests.

Learn more about Jeff by visiting his website at www.jeffnixonphotography.com.

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You’ll be awed and dumbfounded at the scale of things.

Most everything around you will be 3,500 feet higher. We’re not saying anything more than that.

The

Jeff Nixon

Hotel Choice in Sonora

DAYS INN

160 S. Washington Street, Sonora, CA 95370 Phone: 209-532-2400 • Fax: 209-532-4542 www.bmshotels.com

C o o k ’s M e a d ow Walk 1:00

P.M.

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little over a mile and although on flat terrain and board walks, the altitude on the valley floor is 4000 feet and some may want to consider this.There are other ways to see the sights.

This will give you an opportunity for a meadow view of Yosemite from the valley floor. The vistas are breathtaking. Here you’ll get a sense of what it might have been like 150 years ago without the pine and redwood trees, which have volunteered into the meadow and Yosemite of today, coming down in the flush of spring storm surges.

You’ll get a better view of the falls, and the Yosemite Valley Chapel, the oldest surviving building built in 1879. There are staggering views from the Swinging Bridge and Sentinel Bridge.

Tunnel Overlook

Valley View

Goodbye Yo-Semite! 4

:30 P.M.

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n our departure we will take you to, without exaggeration, the world’s most scenic view: in late afternoon the sun gilds the valley in golden light. You’ll be able to see everything in the valley, all the way to Half Dome. Smile: and take a picture.This might just be your holiday card for 2010…or forever.

Return to your Hotel 6:00 P.M - 6:30 P.M.

Our Partner

DAVE & MICHELE DECHENEY OWNERS/OPERATORS Telephone: 209-694-8747 Fax: 209-588-9718 www./linklinecharter.com • e-mail: linklinecharter@aol.com TCP# 0005467 US DOT #1102834

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e hope you’ve enjoyed your experience and you’re not too tired to have a really great meal.

Some of you will join us for a banquet style dinner with a Vintage Yosemite and Today Photo exhibit in the company of photographers Christine Tuohy and/or Jeff Nixon, who for select groups, will guide our tours!

The Groveland Hotel is ideal Yosemite lodging with the acclaimed Cellar Door restaurant.

Indulge Yourself!

www.sonorachamber.com

18767 Main Street • Groveland, CA 95321 • 209-962-4000 • 800-273-3314 • www.groveland.com

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