David Zaitz
The Ahwahnee dining room awes with 34-foot ceilings.

Follow the sun. On the drive back to Yosemite Valley, you’ll pass several well-known landmarks, including Tenaya Lake (an easy, 2-mile out-and-back hike begins at the south end of the sandy beach and runs along the south side of the lake) and Olmsted Point, where Half Dome feels so close you can almost reach out and touch it. For dinner, the Yosemite Lodge at the Falls Food Court ($$; 209/372-1265) has burgers, pizza, and spaghetti, and it generally remains open until 7 p.m.

Day 2: Saturday

Spend today in Yosemite Valley. There’s no need for a car; rented bikes and the valley’s free shuttle will get you everywhere you need to go. Find a shuttle map in the free Yosemite Today newspaper, available at all park entrances.

Grand hotel breakfast. The Ahwahnee dining room ($$; reservations recommended; 209/372-1489) serves the valley’s best breakfast. Afterward, stop by the concierge desk to inquire about free history tours of the hotel, usually offered at least once a day on weekends.

Famous footsteps. Reserve three days ahead for a photographer’s walk of Cooks Meadow, along the Merced River, offered through the Ansel Adams Gallery (tours 9–11 Tue, Thu, Sat; free; www.anseladams.com or 209/372-4413). Get tips on taking better pictures, and find out where Ansel Adams set up his tripod to snap some of the valley’s famous views. Or follow the path of such Yosemite heroes as Royal Robbins with a beginning rock-climbing class from the Yosemite Mountaineering School (from $117 for a 6- to 7-hour class, reservations recommended; in Curry Village; www.yosemitepark.com or 209/372-8344).

David Zaitz
For a Saturday-night treat, roast marshmallows at the Mountain Room Lounge’s indoor firepit.

Picnic among the aspens. Sentinel Beach, just off the Valley Loop Drive at the south side of the valley, is one of the prettiest spots for a picnic and a great place for wading in the Merced River. Pick up lunch at the Village Store (209/372-1253), in the heart of Yosemite Village.

Two wheels, good to go. Exploring the valley by bike is a rite of fall. You can rent comfy SoCal-style cruiser bikes in Curry Village ($24.50 per day; 209/372- 8319; bike rentals also available at Yosemite Lodge, 209/372-1208). Heading north and west from Curry Village, ride along 12 miles of paved bike paths, past the Merced River and Swinging Bridge, taking in the dry, golden meadows and craggy black oaks. The valley’s famous waterfalls have slowed to a trickle or disappeared entirely by now, but you can see black streaks of lichen on the granite where the rush comes in spring. “When the falls go dry, we like to say Yosemite Falls becomes Yosemite Walls,” jokes the park’s Tom Medema.

Travel ideas on AOL