As you come into the valley on Highway 41, you come to a tunnel. Just on the other side of the tunnel, there's a vista point with the first real view of the valley.

From here, you can see El Capitan on the left, Half Dome peaking over the cliffs in the center, and Cathedral Spires on the right. The waterfall in front of Cathedral Spires is Bridalveil Falls, one of the few falls in the valley that run year-round.

Here are Fay, Ardith, and Dave standing in front of the other waterfall you can see from Tunnel View -- Silver Streak.