Don't drive in Yosemite Valley if you can avoid it. Do see the Ahwahnee Hotel.

40.7 miles from the Wawona Tunnel View: If you need provisions and you'll be entering the park from the south, do stop at Raley's (40041 Highway 49, Oakhurst; (559) 683-8300, www.raleys.com,) a market that's been filling locals' larders for more than 30 years.

21.1 miles: If you're traveling with a big family, or a couple of families, do check out the Redwoods in Yosemite (8039 Chilnualna Falls Road, Wawona; (877) 848-8524, www.redwoodsinyosemite.com), which includes dozens of cabins in a wooded area near the Wawona Hotel. They range from one to six bedrooms. It's a 45-minute drive to the valley, but you get a kitchen, living room and probably a deck. Rates for one-bedroom units range from $192 a night (rustic unit, winter) to $390 (many amenities, summer).

24.6 miles: If you're using the park's south entrance on Highway 41 (or using another entrance via Highway 120 or Highway 140), do have $20 ready. That's the entrance fee per car for Yosemite National Park (www.nps.gov/yose), and it's good for seven days. In the second half of 2013, admission is free on Aug. 25 (National Park Service Founders Day), Sept. 28 (National Public Lands Day) and Nov. 9-11 (Veterans Day weekend).

0 miles: Do check out the scene at Tunnel View, at the east end of the Wawona Tunnel. You can beat the crowds by arriving before 9 a.m., but that's a rotten time for landscape photos because the valley is backlighted. For better pictures, come in the late afternoon. Better yet, come right after a storm, when the sky is still dramatic.

8.1 miles: Don't drive in Yosemite Valley if you can avoid it. If possible, use the Valley Shuttle (www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/upload/valleyshuttle.pdf), a free hybrid shuttle-bus system that makes 21 stops on a loop route. First stop: the Yosemite Village parking lot. Buses arrive every 10-20 minutes. (Also, bike rentals are available at Yosemite Lodge and Curry Village.)

9.1 miles: Don't expect great food or long hours at restaurants in Yosemite Valley, but do grab a bite at the Pizza Deck at Curry Village. It's not fine dining, but the kitchen stays open until 9 p.m. (10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays). A four-slice personal pizza costs $7.70. There's a bar next door, and a few steps away is the Mountain Shop, well-stocked with hiking and climbing gear.

9.4 miles: Do reserve well ahead if you plan to sleep in Yosemite Valley. Apart from the rock-climbers' haven at Camp 4 (first come, first served at $5 per person per day), the valley's three closely grouped reservation campgrounds, Upper Pines, Lower Pines and North Pines ($20 per site per day), are usually full from April through September. Most of the park's nine campgrounds outside the valley are first come, first served. More campground information is at www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/campground.htm. Demand is also high for lodging in the park, from the rustic Housekeeping Camp to the Ahwahnee and Wawona hotels, which are managed by Delaware North Cos. ((801) 559-4884, www.yosemitepark.com/lodging.aspx).

8.8 miles: Do find an excuse to wander around the Ahwahnee Hotel (1 Ahwahnee Road, Yosemite; (209) 372-1407, www.yosemitepark.com/the-ahwahnee.aspx), especially its woodsy Great Room. If you have lunch in the bar, the menu includes sandwiches for about $15. To eat in the big, beautiful dining room, reserve well ahead or try at 2 p.m. for lunch, 8 p.m. for dinner, after most people have eaten. (Rooms begin at $470 a night.)