Hard to say what Yosemite is best known for…all the waterfalls, its immense wilderness areas that are so close to so many people, or its tremendous biodiversity.

Most of it is never seen! There are more than 1200 square miles within its boundaries, yet most visitors spend all their time in the 9 square miles of the valley floor! Even in November, there is constant vehicular and foot traffic….everyone carries a camera, and every other person carries a tripod. There are crowds at key overlooks as sunset nears and skies begin to color.

We’re guilty of dome envy: our first stop inside the park was Glacier Point’s overlook for Half Dome.

And we wedged ourselves into the mass of tripods for this classic evening view of El Capitan across a Merced River pool.

But moments after this photo from our lunch-time repast…

We were joined by this citizen of the park!

In fact, every which way you turn, this park offers so much that is beyond our workaday world.

We’ve learned to keep turning, keep returning, keep our eyes open, stop and listen, and sometimes…just stop. What a place!