Yosemite - now there's a place I'd love to go to . . . and take all my gear !
I agree with all the comments made here, I'm pleased that we have started such a good discussion.
We go over to the West Coast of Scotland a couple of times a year, and for those trips it's a 'pack it all in the car and take everything' time. I usually manage to get out on my own for a couple of sunset evenings and often find myself miles from anywhere and nobody else about. Times like that, if you need a person in your shot, even a radio remote can be useful, so I never leave anything at home.
Here's an example from last June, taken at Camusdarach, near Arisaig, looking over towards the islands of Eigg and Rum. I'm the model
Waiting for The Light_3183 by
Alan Butterfield, on Flickr
But for our trips abroad, it has to be my Canon G1X, and travel light.