We are staying in Mariposa, which is at the beginning of the middle entrance into the park.What better way to start the adventure than to take the shorter route since we were getting a late start.
This entrance brought us into the park via the Merced River valley. Along the way were incredible views from the valley floor up to the many rock formations that are part of this wonderful park. (FYI - there are two large hotels along the way for tourists to stay....bring your own groceries as there is NOTHING around for miles in the way of stores). 
However, the real viewing didn't begin into we arrived in the Yosemite Valley. The first amazing view was El Capitan. OMG! It rises over 3,000 ft from the valley floor, which is already at 5,000 ft. What an impressive monolith. This rock was first climbed in the 1950s. We didn't see climbers on this day, but they are there on a regular basis. 
Not to be outdone, the famous half dome sit majestically at the end of the valley. Half dome is where hikers take a long trail to the base of the dome and then climb the dome itself. The climb is a cable route that can get quite crowded. Since I am afraid of heights at best, being in a cable track with hundreds of other people would put me over the edge! (pun intended). So no we did not hike to the base and definitely did not hike the dome.
The fall colors heightened the beauty of the area. Normally, most of the park is closed in November due to snow. However, with the extended drought the entire park has been able to stay open longer. We are so glad we came. Can't wait for tomorrow's trip into the park through the south entrance!
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