Lots of people visit Yosemite Valley every year.  Yosemite Village is where they find groceries, doctors, gift shops, delicatessens, and lots more.

At the Yosemite Visitor Center there's a replica of a Miwok Indian village.  The Miwoks established themselves in villages along the Merced River, by Yosemite Valley. The valley was called "Ah-wah-nee" which means place of a gaping mouth, and it became the village of Ahwahnee. Their lives consisted of gathering seeds and acorns, catching trout and hunting deer.

Elizabeth contemplates gathering seeds.  Nice pic, Laura.

Looks like somebody spotted an acorn.

Learning how the Miwoks lived.

This is a sauna that apparently is still used by the local native Americans.  When it's full of hot smoke, you have to keep your nose pressed to the ground if you want to breathe.

Home sweet home.

Greg, stop scaring Elizabeth.

Cindy and Charles take in Miwok culture.

The Miwoks had a nice view.

Now we've discovered a park ranger who knows how to string beads like a real Miwok.

Patty, Peg and Charles study his technique.

Knit one, purl two ...

This beautiful pattern is a duplicate of the wall decoration in the museum where he's working.  Those cups are full of the tiny beads he strings on needles and threads.  He doesn't need to place each little bead on the needle individually -- he just pushes the needle through the beads and some always end up on the needle.  Then he just pushes off the ones he doesn't need and strings the rest.

Patty found a cross section of an ancient sequoia.  Those labels mark the rings that were growing at famous historical moments.  Battle of Hastings, American Revolution, Bill's retirement ... it's all there.