Above, you'll find a very basic Google map of some communities on the edges of Yosemite National Park. It's not the most exciting thing in the world to look at.

Despite its primitive appearance, a lot of work went into this map. First, I had to embed the map using the correct JavaScript.

Then, I had to figure out what exactly I was going to map.

If you haven't yet read the About section, during the summers I'm a ranger in Yosemite National Park. On most weekends, I stay in the park and recreate in some way. But, every once in a while, I have to leave and get groceries. I'm always fascinated by the towns just outside the park, which have food but also hotels, bars, mechanics, souvenir shops, and even Yosemite visitor centers.

This map represents El Portal, Mariposa, Fish Camp, Groveland, and Lee Vining, five of the closest towns to Yosemite's borders. I've been to each of these places--multiple times. The purpose of this exercise, then, is not to help me find them but to showcase some of my newfound skills with Python, QGIS, and KML. Proceed to the Python page if you're curious how the map was made.