Friday Travel Ticker: Midwinter photo ops

The silver lining, almost literally, to this winter’s drought is the stark high country images of rock and ice. Catching photographers’ interest: frozen waterfalls and Alpine lakes that would normally be buried in Sierra snow . . . . Also of note, California’s National Parks are accessible in ways they normally aren’t this time of year. In Sequoia, for example, Crescent Meadow Road, which leads to Moro Rock, has temporarily reopened. Visitors can still hike the nearly 400 steps to the top of the granite dome to witness striking winter sunsets. Until snows arrive, the road between Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks will be open on weekends and holidays from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. . . . How bad is this winter for resorts? Mammoth is basically giving away plane tickets. Book by Jan. 31 and receive lodging, lift tickets and round-trip airfare out of LAX or Orange County, from $139 per person per night. Normally, that’s about the price of a lodging and lift ticket package alone. For info, call (800) 626-6684 . . . . American Sommelier is bringing the condensed, six-day intensive course to Hollywood’s Roosevelt Hotel from March 26-31. For info, click here . . . . Le Parc Suite Hotel in West Hollywood is putting the final touches on its $5-million room renovation project . . . . Restaurant Week is returning to Las Vegas Feb. 27-March 4. Fixed price dinners start at $20. For info, click here . . . . Beware of occasional roadwork along Highway 1 in Monterey County, where netting installation to catch rockfalls continues nine miles north of Ragged Point at Alder Creek . . . . Travel quote of the week: “Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.” (John Muir)