Free Entry to Yosemite Offers Chance to Explore Fossils to Falls
(PRWEB) June 16, 2011
Thundering waterfalls flowing at peak capacity are one reason to go see Yosemite this year according to the Yosemite Sierra Visitors Bureau. Another excuse to get out and explore is the fact that entry in to popular national park, and all others, is free on June 21.
“The wetter than normal winter, combined with precipitation falling later in the year than average, has created an amazing spectacle in the park, with waterfalls flowing at unbelievable levels. It’s truly amazing,” said Jarrod Lyman with the Yosemite Sierra Visitors Bureau. “Add in the fact that entry is free, and the vacation almost plans itself.”
The National Park Service is offering free entry in to all national parks on June 21, the summer solstice or longest day of the year. While the conditions and the free entry make it a great reason to head to Yosemite, Lyman said it’s an even greater opportunity to explore the whole region.
The Yosemite Sierra Visitors Bureau often promotes a full itinerary they call Fossils to Falls, which they say showcases the very best of what Yosemite, and California’s Gateway to Yosemite: Madera County, has to offer.
“The Fossils to Falls trip takes someone through the region, highlighting various stops. The idea is it’s not just the destination, but the entire journey, that makes your vacation memorable,” Lyman said.
The journey starts in Chowchilla at the recently opened Fossil Discovery Center. The museum showcases the fossilized remains of mammoths, sabre-toothed cats and other Pleistocene era mammals, all unearthed right there on site. “It’s an amazing museum. Fun for adults and kids alike, it’s fascinating to see what used to live right here in the area 700,000 years ago,” Lyman said.
The trip also helps visitors to experience firsthand the bounty the valley region of Madera County produces. Stops like Valley Pistachio Country Store outside of Chowchilla which features numerous locally grown products, and Homegrown Cellars which offers tours of a working pomegranate farm and sells various pomegranate products.
“These attractions let people sample the fruits, and nuts, vegetables and more, of our local farmers’ labor,” Lyman said.
Another popular product of the region is the wine. Madera County has a rich wine-making history, going back to the 1800’s. The result is numerous award-winning wineries offering everything from bright whites to robust reds and delicious desert wines. The wineries and tasting rooms along the Madera Wine Trail are all part of the Fossils to Falls itinerary.
Madera and Chowchilla are also excellent overnight stops for guests looking to take advantage of more than one National Park on the trip according to Lyman.
“Their central location put them right between Yosemite and Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon. Perfect places to stay and play.”
The trip continues through Madera on Highway 145 connecting to Highway 41. As visitors head north towards Yosemite, they’ll come to the foothill communities with numerous offerings as well.
“There’s a lot to do in these small towns,” said Lyman. “From central California’s largest tribal casino which is located in Coarsegold, to the museums in Coarsegold, North Fork and Oakhurst as well as numerous art galleries these communities offer a lot, in addition to their proximity to Yosemite,” he said.
Bass Lake is another mountain area community offering a wealth of recreation. This alpine lake offers sapphire waters framed by a thriving forest and a host of activities. Boating, fishing, wakeboarding and more are all available on the water, with hiking, shopping and dining on the shore.
“Bass Lake, next to Yosemite, is probably the biggest attraction in the region,” said Lyman. “When people get here, they quickly see why. It’s beautiful, and there is so much to do. You never have to leave the lake, as everything you need is right here. Lodging, dining, shopping, it’s all moments from the water’s edge.”
Another popular stop just before Yosemite is the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad, affectionately known as The Logger. The railroad takes guests on a four-mile journey through the Sierra National Forest aboard authentic steam locomotives that are nearly a century old.
After riding The Logger, the itinerary has you in Yosemite, experiencing all the park has to offer. From the towering Sequoia in Mariposa Grove, to taking in the stunning vista at Tunnel View, the trip is capped by sheer perfection, as Mother Nature takes control and guides you through the magnificent park.
“So many people just go to Yosemite without stopping to see what else is around. They find out later, and wish they had more time to see it all. This itinerary helps guests plan the perfect vacation,” Lyman said. “Of course it’s only a guide, we encourage people to find their own stops along the way.”
To see everything along the itinerary, visit http://www.yosemitethisyear.com/what-to-do.
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Related White Wine Press Releases

MyWinesDirect.com Lets Customers Choose Which Wines To Sell
San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) October 26, 2005
Big taste can be found in small wineries â and at small prices. The trick is finding them.
With a focus on delivering both value and hard-to-find wines to customers, MyWinesDirect.com is bringing ease of use and canât-miss quality to wine shopping. By keeping its selections in the – per bottle range â and offering free shipping on every purchase â customers have a clear understanding of what theyâre getting: convenience and unmatched value.
âOur goal is to give our customers confidence and trust in the quality of what theyâre buying,â says CEO and President Bryan Dougherty. âBy focusing on small wineries, the consumer is encouraged to explore and try new wines. People often visit wine country and go from winery to winery, tasting a lot of wine they donât like in search of a few gems. We cut through all that so customers can enjoy the best wines from around the world without all the guesswork. And we offer a money-back guarantee, which is another incentive to discover something new.â
Most consumers place a high premium on value, and MyWinesDirect.com delivers. Half of its wines are priced below , the other half is priced between -. âWeâre committed to quality and value,â says Chief Marketing Officer Trissie Rost. âWe know thereâs a lot of intimidating language and ritual around wine, and weâre working to break down those barriers. We want wine to be a regular part of peopleâs lifestyle. Wine is fun, and we want our customers to love it as much as we do.â
Because people tend to buy wine based on recommendations from trusted friends, MyWinesDirect.com employs a unique approach to choosing its selection: it lets customers decide which wines to sell. Every 4 to 6 weeks, the company gathers different groups of customers together across the country and asks them to taste a group of wines from small- and medium-sized producers that are not readily available in the marketplace. If the panel likes a wine, the website sells it. If not, itâs sent packing. Itâs power to the people, vino style.
âWhen they understand that our wines are being chosen by people like them, they feel confident that theyâre going to like what they buy,â Dougherty says. âWe also give them lots of flexibility to buy what they want, when they want. There are no automatic shipments or fixed obligations. Customers can pick from an assortment of packs and specials, mix and match their own selections or give gifts. They can get creative with all sorts of different wines depending on their mood and need.â
Consumers may choose from a diverse selection with enticing titles such as Versatile and Velvety Reds, Big Bold Reds, Crisp and Refreshing Whites among many others. The only âruleâ is that shipments must be in increments of 6, so a customer can create any combination of 6, 12, 18 and so on. While allowing flexibility to each order, shipping in âpacksâ of 6 streamlines shipping costs and allows the company to ship to consumers free of charge.
MyWinesDirect.com currently ships to the consumerâs door in 26 states, covering close to 80% of the in-home wine purchasing market. New regulations and expanding awareness of direct-to-consumer purchasing make for an exciting growth plan.
About the Consumer Tasting Panel
Each tasting panel consists of everyday wine drinkers who buy at least three bottles of wine per month and who are geographically located in New York and California. This is important because tastes often vary dramatically by region. For example, the tasting panels at MyWinesDirect.com have found that East Coast wine drinkers tend to favor European Old World-style wines, while West Coast drinkers often go for big, bold California wines. With this broad spectrum of tastes, the results are more balanced, ensuring that each wine selected is a good choice for everyone.
Before each tasting, the MyWinesDirect.com buyer tastes through 100-200 wines, and picks 20-30 that pass all his specifications. These are the wines presented to the panel. The wines are arranged by type, with each flight having 3-5 wines of a similar taste palate. Panel members are told what type of wine theyâre tasting (for example, a California Chardonnay) but the wine labels are covered to eliminate pre-conceived notions about any particular producer. The results are tallied, and only the wines that earn an overwhelming âyesâ from all panels are selected to go forward for one final review from an additional wine expert.
For more information on MyWinesDirect.com, visit http://www.MyWinesDirect.com. For further media needs, please contact Kimberly Charles of Charles Communications Associates at (415) 701-9463.
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, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Make Fundraising Fun with Fondue Dinners in 2011
Darien, CT, Westwood, NJ and White Plains, NY (PRWEB) January 13, 2011
As local charitable organizations and special interest groups search for new ways to raise money to meet their goals, The Melting Pot restaurants of the tri-state area want to lend a helping hand in these efforts by offering FONDUE-Raisers this year. FONDUE-Raisers are a fun and tasty alternative to traditional fundraisers as they allow your guests to socialize in a wonderful ambiance with exotic cuisine, thus making it a memorable affair.
“FONDUE-Raisers are a great way to bring the community together to raise money for a worthy cause,” said Will Layfield, Owner of The Melting Pot Restaurants of Darien, CT, Westwood, NJ and White Plains, NY. “Our famous fondue and the communal dining experience are a great way to spend time with old and new friends while talking about the great work being performed by your charity or organization.”
In 2010, the Melting Pot Restaurants of Darien, CT. Westwood, NJ and White Plains, NY raised over 0,000 for many organizations including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, PAWS, The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Habitat For Humanity, Rebuilding Together and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The restaurant group’s goal is to significantly increase fundraising dollars in 2011 by offering FONDUE-Raisers to more 501 (c)(3) charities and other organizations such as local sports leagues, religious organizations, educational institutions, women’s groups, recreation centers, animal welfare groups and select individual good causes.
The Melting Pot Restaurants of Darien, CT, Westwood, NJ and White Plains, NY will help you plan your FONDUE-Raiser and make it a success by creating a custom menu, designing promotional flyers and include mentions of your event on their Websites and in their monthly newsletters. These value-added marketing services are offered at no-charge to your charity or organization when planning your event.
Please feel free to contact the restaurant group’s helpful management team for more information.
The Melting Pot of Darien
General Manager: James Layfield
Restaurant Manager: Will Marty
Phone: 203-656-4774
Website: http://www.meltingpot.com/darien
E-mail: meltingpotct(at)optonline(dot)net
Address: 14 Grove Street
Darien, CT 06820
The Melting Pot of Westwood
General Manager: Tara Masterson
Restaurant Manager: Ilya Taleysnik
Phone: 201-664-8877
Website: http://www.meltingpot.com/westwood
E-mail: westwoodpot(at)verizon(dot)net
Address: 250 Center Avenue
Westwood, NJ 07675
The Melting Pot of White Plains
General Manager: Kathy Longo
Restaurant Manager: Lucas Scimia
Phone: 914-993-6358
Website: http://www.meltingpot.com/white_plains
E-mail: meltingpotny(at)verizon(dot)Net
Address: 30 Mamaroneck Avenue
White Plains, NY 10601
About The Melting Pot Restaurants Inc.:
With 142 restaurants in North America, existing locations in 36 states and Canada and over 20 locations currently in development, The Melting Pot Restaurants is the premier fondue restaurant franchise. At The Melting Pot, fondue becomes a memorable four-course dining experience where patrons can dip into something different. Guests enjoy a choice of fondue cooking styles and a variety of unique entrées combined with dipping sauces. The menu also includes cheese fondues, salads, fine wines and chocolate fondue desserts. Founded in 1975, The Melting Pot’s corporate headquarters are in Tampa, Fla. For more information, visit http://www.meltingpot.com or email info(at)meltingpot(dot)com.
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, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
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