The Coastal South, which as the textbook The Geography of North America states, "includes the land along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from southeastern Virginia to the Mexican border." The Coastal South is a mix of many different cultures. It is a land full of people from Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, and other Latin America, and the world! Commerce and trade are a large part of the economy. Despite its vulnerability to natural disasters, the area is still a very loved tourist destinations. With Walt Disney World in Florida and many desirable beaches, people make the trek from all over the world! While Yosemite Valley is located in a massive mountain range, the Coastal South is low and flat. For example the highest elevation in the state of Florida is 345 feet above sea level, the highest point in Yosemite is Mount Lyell 13,120 feet. Lyell Glacier is the largest glacier in Yosemite and is rare because it's one of the only left in Sierra Nevada. Yosemite and the Coastal South have in common Native American inhabitance prior to European settlement. The Coastal South's weather is warm and humid climate, with a long growing season and little cold weather in winter. This is different from Yosemite's Mediterranean climate. One major thing both the Coastal South and Yosemite National park have in common is their reliance on tourism. Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida draws millions of tourists a year. Walt Disney knew there was an untapped market in the Eastern part of the United States. After seeing the success of Mickey Mouse's theme park in California, Florida became the place for his next project. This money spills over into neighboring amusement parks and hotels, restaurants, campgrounds, etc. In Florida they also have famous beaches that bring tourism like Myrtle Beach, Amelia Island, Gulf Shores and South Padre Island. Yosemite National Park attracts many tourists just like the Coastal South. The Superintendent of Yosemite, Don Neuubacher, has a 29 million operating budget to accommodate the heavy flow of tourism into Yosemite Valley. A statistic from the National Park Service website, states over 4 million tourists visited Yosemite in 2014. For the NPS employees there are 1,200 for summer and 800 for winter. For Delaware North Employees of Yosemite there are 1,700 for Summer and 800 for winter. Lodges, campgrounds, and roads have to be kept in good condition to be available for the millions of tourists. There are 214 miles of paved roads that have to be kept nice for the safety of the residents, workers, and visitors! Below is a list from the National Park Service Website of hotels that accommodate the over 4 million tourists to the park each year!
Tourism is a HUGE factor of both the Coastal South and Yosemite National Park!
information from this blog is from our textbook and the website:
http://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/nature/park-statistics.htm
- The Ahwahnee: 123 units
- Yosemite Lodge: 245 units
- Curry Village: 503 units
- Housekeeping Camp: 266 units
- Wawona Hotel: 104 units
- Tuolumne Meadows Lodge: 69 units
- White Wolf: 28 units
- High Sierra Camps: 55 units
Tourism is a HUGE factor of both the Coastal South and Yosemite National Park!
information from this blog is from our textbook and the website:
http://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/nature/park-statistics.htm
Above is Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida!
A day in the life of a tourist in Yosemite!