Getting here:
A day-trip to Yosemite Valley surprisingly can be planned with my Amtrak's 15-day Rail Pass. While there is no train that goes directly into the national park, Amtrak offers connecting service for passengers by way of a coach (similar arrangement with my visit to Grand Canyon National Park). Nonetheless, it was a red-eye journey Los Angeles Union Station where Amtrak Thruway coach service departed at 0400 hrs for Bakersfield, CA, arriving at 0700 hrs. From Bakersfield train station, the 701 San Joaquin service left for Merced, CA (depart: 0715 hrs, arrive: 1000 hrs). Another Amtrak Thruway coach waited for me at Merced and brought me to Yosemite Valley (depart: 1050 hrs, arrive: 1310 hrs).

Description:
According to a history, an army group of Indian fighters inadvertently wandered into the valley and reportedly awe-struck by its beauty. Perhaps similar effect was destined to take on most of the valley's visitors until today (including yours truly).

Yosemite Valley is often associated with the wonder and the force of ancient glacial movements, and there are no slightest doubts about such association when I first saw El Capitan (to my left) and Cathedral Rocks (to my right) as I entered the magnificent glacier-carved valley. The former is a massive block of exposed solid granite that towers some 300 ft above me. While a lot has been said and written on what this El Capitan resembles, such as a figure of a man in a robe and a crowned hat, from my coach window, it strikingly looked more like the frontal end of an elephant! Cathedral Rocks is probably less imposing between the two, but still remains a majestic gateway arch for visitors.

Also near the southern entrance is the Bridal Veil Falls which thunders down about 900 ft to the valley. "Thundering" was probably an overstatement during my visit in December because the waterfall was rather subdued. It is said that the Bridal Veil Falls can be viewed in its full glory in spring.

Also there are plenty of other interesting rock formations across the valley. Mentioning all of them may take one day or more.