Announcing An Unbeatable Gift Combination For The Hard-To-Buy-For Dad On Father's Day: Family Fun And Spectacular Yosemite National Park

Yosemite Association's fun-filled, entertaining outdoor classes held over Father's Day weekend invite the entire family to celebrate and play with Dad!

Forget uninspired gift ideas such as another striped tie or bottle of cologne… the Yosemite Association's award-winning Outdoor Adventures program offers a menu of exciting field classes over Father's Day Weekend that are family friendly and fun!

Held in spectacular Yosemite National Park, these five unique programs are the ideal holiday gift that are sure to surprise and please all Dads. And, perhaps the most important gift of all… these classes are perfect for the entire family to enjoy together.

Choose from a diverse menu of classes that appeal to many different interests, such as:

*June 19 - The Photography of Time: A Wet Plate Collodion Photography Demonstration. Remember when digital, disposable and Polaroid cameras did not exist? Journey back to the time of 19th century photography with a fascinating demonstration of early photographic techniques such as wet plate glass negatives and albumen printing, used by noted Yosemite photographers of the period.

*June 19 - A Day of Helping Yosemite. Help to honor and preserve Yosemite's spectacular natural beauty by becoming a volunteer for a day. You'll assist with a variety of stewardship projects including invasive plant eradication, removal of old asphalt trail and litter collection while learning about the natural and cultural history of the areas you work.

*June 19-20 - Flintknapping: Stone Arrowheads and Spear Points. Fascinated by Native American Indian history? Learn firsthand about the creation and utility of different arrows, spears, drill points and knife blades that have been made in California for thousands of years. Try your own hand at making tools from volcanic glass.

*June 20 - Father's Day Photo Walk. Celebrate Father's Day by developing photography skills and enjoying an elegant brunch at The Ahwahnee hotel. Photographer Jeff Grandy will give tips on photographing Yosemite, including examples of how Yosemite's most famous photographers captured their images.

*June 20 - Yosemite Valley's Lesser-Known History. Discover the exact location of Muir's cabin by Yosemite Creek, where the Navy once housed its hospital, and the site of the original Yosemite Village. Join Naturalist Pete Devine to discover some of the secrets and significance of Yosemite's interesting natural and cultural history.

Advanced reservations are necessary for all Yosemite Association classes. For registration or a free course catalog, call (209) 379-2321 or visit online at www.yosemite.org.

Founded in 1923, the Yosemite Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to the support of Yosemite through its volunteer, publishing, outdoor education and other programs. Yosemite Association revenues are used to support education, museum, research and environmental programs in Yosemite through donations to the National Park Service. Since its inception in 1971, the Association's popular Outdoor Adventures program has been growing steadily, reflecting the public's continuing interest in quality outdoor education.

Yosemite Outdoor Adventure participants do not have to be a member of Yosemite Association to attend field courses. However, those who wish to become a steward of Yosemite, one of the world's most beautiful places, can join the Yosemite Association with memberships starting at $35 per year. Membership benefits include discounted room rates in and around Yosemite, a 15% discount on all outdoor adventures, subscription to "Yosemite," the quarterly journal of the Association, 15% discount on all books, maps, posters and calendars, and regular email newsletters.