DAY 1

Morning

Drive from the Oakland Bay Bridge east on Highway 580, connecting with 99 north to Manteca, then 120 east to the Big Oak Flat entrance to Yosemite National Park, a four-hour drive. The highway narrows here, ducking under huge overhanging boulders before emerging above the boiling Merced River into the valley, at an elevation of 4,000 feet. At the visitors center in the Yosemite Village Mall at midvalley (209-372-0299), outfit yourself with a map and the Yosemite Guide, a free tabloid of maps, theater and slide shows, ranger programs, trails, classes, and much more. Depending on the weather and the season, plan explorations on foot and by shuttle. If you are first-time visitors with only a half day to spare, take the two-hour, 26-mile valley floor narrated tour to see the main attractions, in an open-air tram or enclosed motorcoach, depending on the weather.

If you plan to take an extensive hike or backpack trip now or in the future, stop at the Wilderness Center (209-372-0740) next to the post office. Here you will find pre-trip planning stations for hikes and backpacks and a wildreness skills trail to test your knoweldge of the wilderness and camping techniques. You can also obtain wilderness permits and purchase maps and guidebooks specifically for wildreness travel and education.

Sight-seeing in the valley is best done on foot, on 9 miles of bike trails, on a tour bus, or on free shuttle buses—in other words, without your car.

LUNCH: Degnan's Deli, Degnan's Pasta Plus, or Degnan's Fast Food in Yosemite Village; sandwiches and salads, fresh pasta, roasted chicken, kabaobs, pizza.

Afternoon

Jump on the shuttle bus and tour the valley At stop #7 walk a short path to the base of Yosemite Falls, three cascades dropping 2,425 feet, the third highest waterfall in the world. (At stop #8 is the trailhead for a six-hour, strenuous hike to the top of the falls.)

For an hour's easy walk in the meadows around Mirror Lake, with wonderful views of Half Dome and Mount Watkins, get off at stop #17. The Tenaya Zig Zags/Snow Creek Trail is a little-used, 3.5-mile route to the rim of the valley, beginning east of Mirror Lake—not an easy hike, but views are eye-popping.

You can leave children at Happy Isles at shuttle stop #16 for free one-hour walks and talks on nature, birds, and forest lore. Happy Isles is the start of several trails, including the 1.5-mile (one-way) Mist Trail to Vernal Falls, an exciting route but too strenuous and slippery for kids younger than age seven or eight. This is the most popular hike in the valley because the rewards are a breathtaking close-up view of the falls dropping over a 317-foot cliff, plus knockout vistas of many peaks, domes, and water cascades.

Now that you're warmed up to Yosemite, go into the Ansel Adams Gallery (559-372-4413), near the visitors center; since 1902 the place has been a camera store and gallery of signed Adams photos, prints, and posters of the valley in its seasonal raiments. Free two-hour photography workshops with professional teachers are conducted here. There are also Sunrise Camera Walks from Yosemite Lodge (209-372-0299).

DINNER: Ahwahnee Hotel Dining Room, Yosemite Village at midvalley; (559) 252-4848 or (209) 372-1488; www.yosemitepark.com. With a • 24-foot-high ceiling and baronial chandeliers, the 130-foot-long dining room is world famous for its beauty and views through the sky-high windows. A pianist plays for dinner, and the food is better than it has ever been in the history of the hotel—top-notch California cuisine and a good wine list, plus choices that kids like. The dining room is elaborately decorated and glowing with candles and merriment every Christmas season, when the Medieval-style Bracebridge Dinners are held. Gala Vintners' Holidays and Chefs' Holidays are popular in the wintertime.

LODGING: Ahwahnee Hotel; (559) 252-4848. Standing gloriously aloof in a woodland setting, with granite cliffs rising behind, the art deco hotel is in perfect shape, with painted beams, decorated floors, and stained-glass windows faded into subtle Indian colors. Sofas, armchairs, and fabulous old oriental rugs are arranged by a huge fireplace in the Great Lounge. Built in 1927, the place still has a halcyon-days atmosphere and is museum-like, enriched with paintings, photos, and priceless Native American baskets. When fall leaves blow along the footpaths and wood smoke curls silently into a twilight glow, the spirit of summers past comes alive at the Ahwahnee. The gift shop is a good place to shop for souvenirs and books. Light meals are served on the outdoor terrace, and afternoon tea in the Great Lounge. You can walk or bike from here, or take the shuttle, to all valley sights.

Rooms have been redone and they are fabulous, with king beds, cushy fabrics, upscale mountain- and Indian-theme decor, sitting areas, and huge windows with spectacular views. Now that the food and the accommodations are the tops, tine Ahwahnee lives up to its spectacular outdoor setting and atmospheric interiors.