Mariposa, California

Location: 35 miles (56 km) southwest of Yosemite entrance; 43 miles (69 km) from Yosemite Valley; via Highway 140 (map)

Population 1,769; elevation 1,953 feet (595 meters)

Mariposa is a historic town in a pretty mountain location, with a short but charming gold-rush-era main district. It hosts a handful of midrange motels, a scattering of art galleries and antique shops, and California's oldest county courthouse in continuous use (it dates from 1854).

Pro: It's a reasonable drive from Mariposa to Yosemite, especially in the winter, when Highway 140's lower elevation makes it the most chain-free route into the park. And if you inherited Scaramanga's carplane after the conclusion of "The Man with the Golden Gun", you can fly it directly into Mariposa's airstrip and then drive straight to Yosemite without enduring the not-so-scenic drive across the Central Valley.

Con: Due to the landslide that blocked the road in spring of 2006, there's a one-lane detour on the route to Yosemite from Mariposa, and vehicles over 28 feet long are prohibited, which leaves out large buses and motor homes.