Fresno is chosen for several reasons. It is about as far as it is safe to drive from Los Angeles after a days work. It has inexpensive, relative to Yosemite Valley, priced rooms for a solid night's sleep without venturing far afield from the direct route. Fresno is about the right distance from the initial target areas before lunch the first day in the park.

I would select the Fairfield Inn at the Bullard off=ramp from route 41 because it is positioned North far enough to avoid downtown traffic. and in the midst of food options for breakfast. And if it is full, there are a multitude of motels up and down route 41 in that area. I would suggest reservations and late arrival arrangements.

Park at Wawona Lodge and walk to the village, and you will then be in position to leave after visiting Wawona Lodge.

Look around at the period buildings moved here for display. The area is firm enough for strollers.

Visit here before or after lunch, as your schedule permits. If it is after lunch, do not tarry long as we have a lot to see before dusk, and dusk is early and prolonged due to the high walls of the valley.

Be sure to have lunch here. It will be a long hungry ride to dinner otherwise. Look around at this historic landmark and at the antiques displayed here. Be sure to visit the restrooms here before departing, many of the park facilities are more primitive.

This hotel was designed when two rooms shared a bathroom. Since this is no longer socially acceptable, now half of the rooms are rented with a bath and half have to use the public facilities at the end of the porch, after a,sometimes long and cold, walk down the porch. This, and the distance from the valley floor, is probably why these that have no bath are the last rooms rented for any given night in the park.

On State Route 41, between Wawona Lodge and Yosemite Valley, shortly after a left side road to Yosemite West, there is a side road to Badger Pass ski area and on to Glacier Point. Along this road you will cross the creek that supplies water to Bridal Veil Falls. When you encounter Washburn Point (with a small parking lot) stop for your first view of Vernal and Nevada falls on the Merced River. To your right you can see the turbulence of Illilouette Falls, and the overall view is a look into the High Country. It is a spectacular view.

In winter, this road is only open to Badger Pass. In early spring, be cautious in the last portion that passes thru the deep shadows in the dense woods, just prior to the parking lot at Glacier Point, as it may still have patches of ice on the road from the snow melt in the day and refreezing at night.

As you approach Glacier Point, the first thing you see will be the looming view of Half Dome. It is the signature symbol of the park. This is the best view of the top of the dome that you will see on this trip. For a better view it is necessary to extend the trip for the hike to the top. Contemplate from this view the weight and force of the glacier mass that was powerful enough to shear off the missing half of this dome rock.

At the tip of the point, you will see Nevada Falls above Vernal Falls on the Merced River. These falls run year round, unlike Bridal Veil and Yosemite Falls that dwindle to a trickle in late summer. In early spring you can also see Snow falls cascading right to left at an angle if you look to the left past Half Dome.

Note also the blackened area where the huge bonfire was built each night and pushed over the cliff to create the fire-fall that was observed with great ceremony from Camp Curry. This practice was stopped, as the Valley became overcrowded, when it was determined that some tourists were coming only to see this artificial event.

As you look down into the valley, know also that the bottom of the valley as we see it now is the result of rocks dropped by the melting glacier and the accumulation of silt and earth over the centuries. The real depth of the glacier was approximately twice the depth that you now see to the valley floor.

From the North side of the point, the magnificent Yosemite Falls can be seen. This is the only view on this trip that allows the bottom of the upper falls to be seen. All other views will be from the Valley floor, looking up, so remember the reorganization of the water and the edge of the lower falls that you see now. El Capitan can also be viewed to the left of the falls.

Return to your car and retrace your travel to route 41. Turn right to continue your progress toward the Valley.

Along the route to the valley, there is a long, dark tunnel; be sure to turn your lights on and then off as you exit. Immediately upon exiting, there is a parking area on the left side of the road. Be sure to exit slowly, and watch for oncoming traffic as you turn into the parking lot. From this area, you can see Bridal Veil falls on the right in the foreground, El Capitan monolith on the left in the foreground, and Half Dome in the distance up the valley.

At this stop there are a variety of animals to be seen. The large blue bird is Stellar's Jay, lots of chipmonks live just over the wall in the rocks, and sometimes you will see marmots in the same area.

As you continue down this road to the valley floor, you will see Cascade Falls across the Canyon, tumbling down the cliff on the other side. It is a rather disorganized fall, thus the name Cascade. We will visit it up close later. as it passes under the highway at about it's midpoint.

As the road levels out, there will be signs directing you into the large parking lot near Bridal Veil Falls. Turn in and park. You can see the falls from the parking lot, and a short trail leads to the falls from the end of the parking lot, nearest to the falls. In the spring, most of this paved trail will be wet from the mist of the falls. In spring getting near the falls is a drenching experience as the wind shifts without warning and the spray covers the last 30 feet or so of the trail.

In the late summer it is possible to stay totally dry to sit on the benches at the end of the trail and climb on the rocks leading to what is left of the falls. The rocks will be wet, so climbing is dangerous and not recommended, but there will be people doing it anyway.

Camp Curry is the historical "place to stay" in the valley. It features cabins both with and with bathrooms, and "tent cabins" which are canvas stretched over a wood framework and wooden floors. These units have beds and basic furniture but no electricity. A cut above living in a tent, but very cold in the spring and early summer. There is usually in excess of a year wait for a reservation there.

There is a large parking lot and a cafeteria that serves "home-style" food. It is definitely worth a stop to look at the facilities. There is also a ranger program in the evening, but we should be here in the late afternoon.

This will be a place to spend more time on subsequent trips.

This is the typical educational center for the park. All kinds of information is available from road conditions to scheduled Ranger programs. There is a very large scale relief map of the park that is very helpful.

My favorite picture on display is a bear cub looking out of the door of a bear-proof dumpster. And the best warning is a photo of the damage done to a car that contained a cooler before the bear arrived. Do not leave coolers in cars, even if they are empty. The bear recognizes a cooler and only finds out it is empty after the damage is done.

Across the pathway is the Ansel Adams gallery with books and packets of his photos for sale. Around the corner is the post office; an interesting stone building

Adjacent to the visitors center are cultural displays relating to the former Indians that inhabited this valley before the white man arrived.

This small area could easily take up half a day on a future trip to the valley.

There is a reasonable cafeteria adjacent to the Yosemite Lodge headquaters located between the visitors center and the Yosemite Falls area. A nicer restaurant is the Mountain Broiler Room that has a huge window view of Yosemite falls in the dining room. Or if you really want to undercut the whole design of this trip, you might splurge for dinner at the Posh Awwahne Lodge.

Or you might wait to have dinner at the motel in El Portal. This is 30 to 60 minutes away from the visitors center, varying with traffic and your driving habits in mountain canyons. The downside of not having dinner in the valley is that there might be a ranger program offered that you would like to see after dinner. Check for programs before making this decision. Programs are usually listed in the current copy of events in the local equivalent of a newspaper.

Thus ends day 1.

The range of cost for lodging is wide and is up to your tolerance and budget. This is easily the single most expensive item in most trips to Yosemite.

The range is from camping out in your own tent to posh rooms at the Awahnee Lodge. I have stayed for decades at a place in El Portal. The original Yosemite View motel has long since been washed downstream by a January flood, along with several adjacent motels and a restaurant that hung out over the tumbling Merced River. But in recent years I have stayed at the replacement motel/hotel of the same name located at about the same site, but a few feet farther back from the river. I am a waterfall freak, and the floodlites at nite and the sound of the cascading river outside my window is worth the extra cost to me. But that is a personal problem.

There are cheaper motels in El Portal, but since I always have stayed in the same motel, I cannot vouch for their facilities.

I did stay at Yosemite Lodge under pressure from friends during one winter trip and was very satisfied with my room. On a spur or the moment trip, with no reservations, I stayed once at Wawona Lodge with the rest rooms a long cold walk down the porch, as mentioned earlier.

And on my very first visit to Yosemite, with a sports car rallye group, I stayed in the tent cabins at Camp Curry, in early June. That is an experience I do not recommend without a sleeping bag. I slept in every piece of clothing I had with me in 4 layers, and still could not get warm enough. It was a lesson in how cold the Valley can get when there is still snow covering the High Country.

Whatever you decide, be sure to make reservations LONG in advance, or your choices will be slim and none. I always book my May trip before Christmas. and campsites, Curry Vilage, and Awahnee are dicey less than a year in advance.

Breakfast choices are usually determined by where you stay. I grab a quick hearty breakfast, because the morning hike will require the energy. After all, the altitude makes it harder. A lot of energy is required in breathing alone.

This is a rather long hike along a developed path that is mostly paved. The difficult part is the altitude. Plan to stop frequently to enjoy the scenery and catch your breath. There is only one hill to climb over, but you do go over it so you will have to climb it again on the way back. There will be a lot of fellow hikers, so you will not get lonely along the way. Comfortable shoes are a must, and layered clothing is probably a good idea. Take lots of fluid. I carry 2, 12 ounce cans with me. And remember to carry out the empties.

If you think you might climb the falls, take a trash bag with you to tear a hole in the bottom and the corners for head and arms to stick out and keep your clothes and your camera somewhat dry, like a poncho. An extra baggie for the camera is always a good plan when getting near any waterfall. It is called the Mist Trail for good reason. And Bring a change of dry clothes in the car for after you finish the hike.

From wherever you spent the nite, get back to the Camp Curry area and this time instead of going toward the visitor center, go farther into the valley to the Happy Isles area. This is the trailhead where you will begin the walk.

There are several bridges in the area to cross the Merced River and reach the trail. Note also a small water flow measurement facility along the river. It looks sort of like a wishing well. This houses the instruments that continuously monitor the depth and flow rate at this point along the river. The output of this facility can be seen 24/7 at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ca/nwis/uv?11264500 .

Plan on about 3 hours to enjoy this walk and some time at the falls; 4 if you climb the falls.

Adjacent to the visitors center / post office area, is the general store and shopping area for supplies and nearly anything you might have forgotten to bring with you. Included are shops for lunch and restrooms where you can change into dry clothes if you climbed the Mist Trail.

You might also wish to pick up snacks or fruit for the trip home this evening.

If the Mist Trail was not part of your trek to Vernal, you may have extra time for a side trip to Awahnee Lodge. It is not the physical distance but a change of mindset that is required in making this trip. It is a journey into the opulent past that still remains for those that prefer the posh facility to "roughing it" at other available various comfort levels, from a tent to a motel.

I sometimes opt for a bowl of soup or a very light lunch at Awahnee instead of the village area. But expect a slower pace and an increase in the required budget.

This beautiful old resort building with it's huge rooms, displayed relics, and more formal lifestyle is a total change of pace from the rest of the park.

We have saved the most spectacular for your last major memory of the Valley. It is not to be missed.

A short walk from the drop off area to the falls is paved and mostly flat. But the asphalt may be wet, and the bridge affords an opportunity to get sprayed again at peak water season. But it is not necessary to cross the bridge to get to the base of the falls.

This spot defies descrption, and the difference in the experience at peak water and when the falls is nearly dry is truly amazing. In the fall people climb on the rocks in the river bed above the bridge. In the spring it is not even possible to see the largest rocks. They are only the cause of the huge turbulance in the water flow.

After visiting Yosemite Falls, continue on down the valley toward Tioga Road which leads to the junction with California 120. We will climb out of the valley floor to the midpoint of Cascade Falls. This is the falls that we saw across the valley as we left the tunnel exit yesterday, winding our way down into the valley.

It is only a short distance up this road that leads over Tioga Pass to Lee Vining and Mono Lake. There will be a bridge over the falls and a turnout with a parking are on the left side of the road. Park and walk to the bridge to see the center of the falls, cascading down the uphill face of the valley wall and then dropping down the cliff on the downhill side of the road, to the valley floor below to join the Merced River, leaving the Park.

After your visit, turn around and go back down the road to again join California route 140 to El Portal, and beyond, to Merced. If you did not stay in El Portal last nite, you might wish to visit the area just upstream from the Yosemite View Lodge, where you can get quite close to the fast dropping river. It is quite a rapids.

The road follows the river out of the mountains and on to Merced and California 99 north or south to your destination.

If you are headed south, and are more adventureous, you might prefer to head south after Mariposa on California 49 to Oakhurst and California 41 to Coarsegold and on to intersect 99 at Malaga. I often do this, but base the decision mostly on how much daylite I have left. These are often 2 lane roads and do some climbing over a minor pass. These days that climb and the resultant gas consumption might sway my opinion not to pick this route. Whether it saves time or not will be entirely decided by traffic. Good luck with your choice.