"They say, 'if you haven't visited Yosemite in the winter, you haven't visited Yosemite.'"

"Who says that," my husband asked. "The website?"

Indeed, I had to admit, I did get that information from the website. But after spending a couple of days there in the depths of winter, we were both in total agreement. Yosemite in winter is a true wonderland. Here are just a few of the reasons why:

1. Smaller crowds. Yosemite's incredible scenery is a magnet for tourists, but the winter weather deters a good number of them leaving the roads just a bit less traveled and the paths a bit more pristine.

2. Serenity now. With the earth snuggled securely under a thick blanket of snow and the massive granite peaks capped in white, the lanscape takes on an unmatched peace.

The air is bracing. The forest is quiet except for the sounds of snow crunching under your boots, the boom of ice cracking and falling from the rocks overhead, or the soft shurring of snow falling as branches drop their wintery weight to the ground below. Every step is a meditation, and it is spectacular.

3. A roaring fire. The Ahwanee (now The Majestic Hotel due to a ridiculous trademark issue, but it will always be the Ahwanee to me) has fireplaces the size of an RV, but even if you stay elsewhere, you can surely find yourself a stack of Duraflames at the very least. Either way, there is nothing like coming in from the cold with your cheeks burning red, flopping down in front of a roaring fire, and basking in the orange glow. A comfy seat, a drink in hand, a book to read, your feet up. Utter bliss.

4. Hot boozy drinks. Does this require explanation?

5. Snow. See number two. Plus: snowmen, snow angels, snow ball fights, sledding, scrunching, ice skating. Now, see numbers three and four.