The youngest daughter just turned 20, so to celebrate, we went up to Yosemite Valley on the 3rd.

Approaching the valley on the Big Oak Flat Road.

The Merced River was gorgeous.  It had to be shockingly cold from the snowmelt.  I wanted to jump right in, but didn't, because as much as I liked how that water looked, I don't need to drown myself just yet.

There are several tunnels on the road into the valley, bored out of the solid granite.

Glacier Point. There were so many people that they made everyone park at Badger Pass Ski Resort, and shuttle bus in.

A panorama.  That's Nevada Falls on the right, and of course, Half Dome in the center, North Dome and the upper end of the valley to the left.

The scope of the view, and the vast space encompassed, made the sight almost hard to believe.  Here's the iconic Half Dome below, Cloud's Rest peeking out behind it, and the Sierra Nevada crest in the distance.  If you are super fit, you can hike up the back side of Half Dome, and hang out on the top.  Bold hikers can even climb out on the "visor" and have their picture taken with 3k feet of windy space beneath them.

Your could hear, and actually feel, the roar and thump of Nevada Falls from up on the Point, and see the rainbow from the spray.

An arty shot the youngest daughter took of a shadow on some rough old granite.

We had 5:45 reservations for dinner at the Ahwahnee Hotel's restaurant, but the traffic was so horrendous that we didn't get there until 7:30.  In spite of that, they got us right in, and we enjoyed a classic and beautiful dinner in a one of a kind environment.

There was even a pianist to add atmosphere.   I tested their selection of single malt Scotch, and was pleasantly surprised at its quality.  Oban and Lagavulin, with a splash of snowmelt, were my choices.

Because of our late dinner, we didn't get back home until one in the morning.  Today, it's hang out and nap, but it was a great trip with the girls that I'll never forget.