We based out of a campsite along the Merced River, which turned out to be the right call. Fall asleep to the water, wake up and the valley walls are already lit up gold.
Day one was the Mist Trail, day two was a slower loop around the valley floor to let our legs recover, day three we drove up to Glacier Point for the sunset view over Half Dome.
Three days is not enough. We are already talking about coming back in the fall for the color change.
Three Days in Yosemite