USA - too many places...

...too little time. As some of you may know, I am a Brit' who has been recently displaced to Massachusetts for 2 or 3 years...and therefore want to see some of the USA. Main interest is in avian plus a splash of ESS/Man's hand.
So the real question...I really want to visit the following places, when is best?

Bosque del Apache (Thanksgiving, I think)
Grand Canyon (+ Zion, Bryce etc)
Yosemite (+ Sequoia etc)
San Diago, Salton Sea, Joshua
Alaska (I know...broad and sweeping - bears and phalaropes )
SE Texas (planned one trip in Feb, but want to get some 'summer' birds too - another trip in May?).
Yellowstone (based on Mike Maples' recent thread - May/June)
Rockies - where, when, how?

So, where else should we go? We also have been and have trips to Florida planned.

Thank you for any advice.

Mark.

It's very difficult to beat South or North Dakota during spring migration. It's possible to stand under a flock of 100,000 birds! Everything in the Central Flyway comes through here starting about ice-out until the end of April. The numbers of birds stuns even me.

As for your list, I think every human being should see Grand Canyon and the giant trees, be they at Yosemite or somewhere near there. There is something absolutely spiritual about both. I've actually seen tourists whispering around the trees! To complete that list I will add the thermals at Yellowstone. All three of these are things everyone should see at least once in their life time. They are beyond unique! Believe it or not, my single favorite are the giant trees. It helps one put their own life into perspective when standing next to something so huge and so old. It's sort of like being an insignificant ant on a 5,000 yr. old log.

Another special place is in the SW corner of Colorado--Mesa Verde. It's a ghost town of a different sort!


Kent in SD

Try Maine (or New Hampshire) in October for some great Fall Foliage.
Baxter State Park in Maine's North Woods in summer... great views of Mt. Katahdin, and guaranteed moose at Sandy Stream Pond.
Anyplace along the Maine coast in summer (very conjested though)
If you haven't photographed Puffins yet, book a boat trip out to Machias Seal Island out of Cutler Harbor.

Dan

Kent is absolutely correct about the Sequoia. They are magical and mysterious. They are. after all, the largest living things on the planet. A good time to see Sequioa NP, Kings Canyon NP and Yosemte is in the fall, after Labor Day. If you want to see big waterfalls in Yosemite, then spring is the best time (be sure to go before about mid-May. The valley starts to get pretty crowded aftre that time.

You could then hop over Tioga Pass to Mono Lake (On the Western Flyway) and head south to see the East Side of the Sierra. There are nice birding opportunities along the Owens River, as well; with the mighty Sierra as a backdrop.

-PB

Northern Michigan along the Great Lakes during the spring for migrating birds and wildflowers. Several NPN members gather each year (early May) at Tawas Point along the Lower Peninsula's Lake Huron shore.

Ditto what Dave said...Northern Michigan has a lot of photo ops...birds, wildflowers, not to mention the dunes along the eastern shores of Lake Michigan. To that I would add the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and the numerous waterfalls there.

Having been to Yosemite, I would definitely add that to the list!

I agree that the SW national parks and the Sequoia/ N. Cal locations are absolutely mandatory for every human who has the resources. Avoid summer, but go in summer if there is no other time. You will want to see San Fransisco too.
NE Fall color should be high on your list, but given you work location that should be easy.
There are so many superb bird photogs on this site you should get some excellent info on shorter trips.
I think you should quit your job, get a VW van, and spend the two years traveling :)

Mark, if you're not limited to just the USA, you may want to explore Banff+Jasper+Glacier+Kootenay+Yoho National Parks in Canada. And oh yeah, the ANWR, but no feathered friends there.

I've not been to Alaska or Texas but am familiar with the other areas. IMHO Yellowstone is truly an amazing place and a national treasure. Between the wildlife, the rivers, and geothermal activity, it's just amazing. Though tourist season isn't probably a good time to go there, May and September can be very nice.

If you chose Yellowstone - four days (min.) in the Tetons and a car camping, (and trout fishing!) sidetrip to Brooks Lake in the Shoshone NF are definates!

Yosemite Valley is not as photogenic most of the year for the serious photographer as it is played up to be and different formations and falls have their better times of year. And some are really only worthwhile during a window of time. Most of the waterfalls are best shot late spring. The famous shots at the west end of the valley are best late winter thru early spring when the late sun shines right up the valley from the west. And the high country along the highway is best in early July. Winter scenes are unlikely to be successful unless one can stay for a couple weeks and is lucky as the valley is too low for usual snow levels. There can be some fine fall leaf work about the end of October but I would leave that to the locals because to do it well requires knowledge not so publicly available. Unless one is a serious tree fan, Sequoia and Kings Canyon NP are not as photography oriented as one might think. For the backcountry hiker it has enormous opportunities but not for the vehicle bound. Yosemite's Mariposa Grove is otherwise worthy enough to get a good dose of giant sequoias. Better use of a photographer's time in the Sierra from road areas would be found by crossing east out of the park over Tioga Pass and visiting areas between Mammoth Lakes to Mono Lake. San Diego is probably fine anytime of year. The Salton Sea is best mid to late winter unless one has specific bird migrations in mind. ...David

Mark,

Weel you cant come out the California without visiting the coast. The entire central and northern coast (from San Luis Obipo and north) is just stunning especially early winter about this time of the year.

Yeah, 2-3 years should allow you sufficient time to become familiar with the main attractions in Utah's national parks, at which point you'll need another decade or two for the backcountry areas, monuments, wilderness areas, BLM and Forest Service lands

Guy

Welcome to the U.S.A.! I'd skip the Salton Sea unless you live in Southern California.

Here are places I'd like to go and when if I had 2-3 years, (I have a bias towards the West):

Winter: Yosemite NP, Southern California Coast, San Francisco, Northern Arizona, Everglades, Bosque
Spring: Yosemite NP, California Central Coast, New Orleans
Summer: Yellowstone NP, Glacier NP, Canadian Rockies, Northern California Coast and Up, San Diego, Eastern Sierra, Northwest, Quebec
Fall: Appalachian Mountain states, Rockies, Sierras, San Francisco, New England, Yellowstone, anywhere in the southwest

Mark: Consider Texas in late March/early April. The wildflowers have to be seen to be believed. Best areas are around Austin and the Hill Country west of there and in the Washington County area (Brenham). Yosemite, Sequoia, and Yellowstone are must sees. >=))>