Half Dome is the face of Yosemite National Park. 
On the road to Yosemite National Park. 
Icicles provide a sparking contrast against black rocks. 
The Yosemite Valley. 
A frozen lake beckons. 
Deer graze in a Yosemite Valley meadow last autumn. 
The view from the Majestic Yosemite Hotel, formerly known as the Ahwahnee Hotel. 
Yosemite Valley.
The astonishing beauty begins long before you enter the southern gates of Yosemite National Park. As far as vacation spots go, I think that this heavenly place is all about the drive and the destination.
Winding roads cut through sky-high pine trees that dot the landscape. Snow blankets the vast meadows and frosts the top of the monumental mountain range.
The large, frozen lake glistens in the sunlight. By comparison, it appears to be a puddle with the backdrop of skyscraping, boundless mountains and towering trees.
I was overwhelmed with gratitude to be in the presence of such beauty. I have traveled extensively, and Yosemite National Park just might be the most glorious place in the world.
Yosemite is spectacular in the spring and summertime when wildflowers cover the ground. With its breathtaking beauty, it is one of the most magnificent places in the world for hikers and photographers. Visitors flock to it year-round.
Winter in Yosemite is absolutely surreal in it’s beauty, however. It’s a frozen, natural masterpiece.
Every time I visit, new discoveries are made. Just before Half Dome, is a sight unlike anything most of us have seen. Imagine driving down the road and seeing a wall of icicles cascading in a waterfall fashion. It looked like crystal daggers, flowing over black boulders.
On Highway 41, just past Bridalveil Fall, is a wooden, swing bridge over the river. Expect to be in awe, no matter which way you turn. It was the perfect viewing spot for many things. My favorite, was a waterfall in the distance that literally burst into a gorgeous rainbow of colors.
The meadows featured deer that are fearless and come so close it can be unnerving. They are so docile and beautiful that you have to be mindful not to let down your guard.
If you like beautiful rivers with water rushing over boulders and gorgeous, stone bridges, I recommend visiting the Majestic Yosemite Hotel, whose name was changed from the Ahwahnee Hotel in March 2016.
The historic hotel is located in the main Yosemite Valley, close to the base of Half Dome and Glacier Point. Remarkably, you can view Yosemite Falls, Half Dome and Glacier Point from this location. The view is worth the price of admission.
The renowned grand hotel opened in 1927 and became a National Historic Landmark in 1987. The premier lodge is rustic, yet palatial with a Native American look.
Gilbert Stanley Underwood was the architect who designed the Ahwahnee Hotel, and he also designed Bryce Canyon Lodge in Bryce Canyon National Park, Zion Lodge in Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim in Grand Caynon National Park.
The Ahwahnee was built in only one year. Construction began on Aug. 1, 1926, and was completed in July 1927. The masterpiece of architecture is made of steel, stone and wood with a granite facade, and has massive glass windows with stained-glass features. The ceilings are stately, towering overhead with enormous log beams.
The lodge is built for comfort, and some areas have floor-to-ceiling plate glass to showcase the natural splendor outside. Every viewpoint is spectacular, inside and out of this luxurious resort. Two gigantic stone hearths, cut from sandstone, have been blazing every time that I have been a guest.
It is easy to see why notable guests like Queen Elizabeth II; Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama; the shah of Iran; Steve Jobs, Walt Disney and Lucille Ball chose the lavish, one-of-a- kind destination.
The Ahwahnee Hotel has so much history. Interiors of the hotel were adapted for Stanley Kubrick’s horror film, The Shining (1980). The Caine Mutiny (1954) and Color of a Brisk and Leaping Day (1996) also include footage of the famous lodge.
Photographer Ansel Adams was world renowned for his black and white landscapes of Yosemite National Park. His photography is amazing, but it’s impossible to capture the sheer beauty and magnitude of the national treasure.
Prepare to become overwhelmed with heart-stirring emotion in the presence of Yosemite National Park’s majesty.
I wept. There is nothing like it.
Click here for more information about Yosemite National Park.
— Donna Polizzi is a regional travel expert and founder of Keys to the Coast, a free Central Coast travel resource providing honest recommendations on the best places that locals want to go. She can be contacted at news@noozhawk.com. Click here to read previous columns. The opinions expressed are her own.