Yosemite National Park

Yosemite boasts impressive, natural attractions like the half-mile waterfalls in Yosemite Valley and the more than 500 giant sequoias in Mariposa Grove. But sometimes it's not the California park but the lodging facilities that offer the most memorable experiences.

Jami and James Goldstene of Gold River, Calif., and their 7-year-old daughter visited Yosemite in 2008 and instead of staying at one of the more popular lodges, they chose Evergreen Lodge near the Stanislaus National Forest. The TV-free lodge is a refreshing throwback to simpler times when tourists and visitors gathered after dinner to play games, talk and watch movies. "It's like a grown-up family camp for those of us who don't really camp," Jami says.

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