#national-parks

#national-parks

Editor's Note: Sign up for Unlocking the World, CNN Travel's weekly newsletter.Get news about destinations opening, inspiration for future adventures, plus the latest in aviation, food and drink, where to stay and other travel developments.Sun and water can cooperate to make a visit to Yosemite National Park in California potentially extra special.

After up to 15 feet of snow fell on some areas of Yosemite National Park, the park has been closed with no estimated time of reopening, among the many closures of parks and forestlands across California following a series of powerful winter storms."Park crews are working to restore critical services so visitors can safely return," Yosemite park officials said.

If you're looking for the best national parks in the United States, you've come to the right place.This article will give you expert tips on what Parks are must-sees and which ones you can skip.You'll also get some history on each of these unique places so that you can appreciate them even more when you see them in person.

Image Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park and Hostel near Pescadero.Credit...Jason Henry for The New York Times It was big news a few years ago when, for the first time in more than a century, California's population shrank.The small but still startling decline in 2020 was driven by Covid-19 deaths and falling immigration and birth rates, and it was something of a turning point for a huge state founded on rapid growth and long accustomed to it.

BANGKOK In Thailand, a steel canister with dangerously radioactive contents has vanished from a coal power plant and may have been missing for three weeks or possibly longer.The search for it, which began a week ago, has expanded repeatedly but so far yielded nothing.Globally, radioactive objects are lost fairly often, sometimes improperly discarded and posing a lethal hazard to people who find them.

Snow might still be on the ground, but summer hiring is well underway for employers in Banff, Canmore and Lake Louise and amid a persistently tight labour market, many are working harder to convince job seekers to apply and to stick around."Our key message is to be competitive," said Michel Dufresne, director of the Job Resource Centre for Banff and Canmore, who's telling employers to raise wages and to give their staff enough time off to enjoy living in the mountain community.

Los Angeles is a diverse and exciting city with endless options for exploration and adventure.Whether you're a local renting an apartment in Los Angeles, CA , looking to buy a house in the area , or a tourist, there's always something new to discover.And if you're looking to escape the city for a day and explore the surrounding areas, you're in luck.

Solo hiking will be banned from Nepal's national parks starting next month, a move that the country's tourism board said would reduce the risks for the tens of thousands of adventure seekers who travel to the Himalayan country each year.The decision, announced last week by the Nepal Tourism Board, comes after incidents in which tourists became lost and sometimes died while hiking alone, the board's director, Mani R. Lamichhane, said on Tuesday.

Two landowners have won a High Court challenge against the right to wild camp without permission on the Dartmoor National Park.Farmers Alexander and Diana Darwall argued that some wild campers on their land caused problems to livestock and the environment and sought a court declaration that members of the public could only pitch tents there overnight with their consent.

Technically, Valentine's Day arrives next week, but if you want to get an early start (always a good idea) we have some fun romantic movies, meals and excursions to recommend.As with everything these days, be sure to double check websites for any last-minute changes in health guidelines.Meanwhile, if you'd like to have this Weekender lineup delivered to your inbox every Thursday morning for free, just sign up at www.mercurynews.com/newsletters

We know, the old "but we need the rain" line is wearing a little thin these days, huh?Well, let's show the weather who's boss by having a fun weekend no matter what it's doing outside - and do we have some nifty ideas along those lines, from great movies and shows to stick-to-your-ribs comfort food.