YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. — With all due respect to author H.G. Wells, there are no time machines.

Except for the ones we rented recently on a trip back in time to Yosemite National Park.

In authentic Model Ts or Model As from the early 20th century, visitors can experience Yosemite as their grandparents or great-grandparents did, bouncing along rutted one-lane dirt roads, splashing through streams or waking up echoes as you pull up to the historic Wawona or Ahwahnee hotels.

Few places are more glorious than Yosemite Valley on a sunny June day. Driving a classic American convertible heightens the experience as you move at the leisurely pace of yesteryear, Bridalveil and Yosemite falls roaring above you, the Merced River rushing through wooded glens.

Be warned. You may be aboard a historic machine, but you'll also be a celebrity.

We knew we'd have fun. What we weren't expecting was to be so ... recognized. People smiled. They waved. They took our picture. They asked questions.

David and Sharon Woodworth keep several Model Ts and Model As at their elegant two-suite bed-and-breakfast, available for guests or day rentals. They'll also arrange multicar, multiday tours of Yosemite and other historic areas of California, including the Gold Country and San Simeon.

We made several circuits of the valley floor, about 34 miles from the inn.

We made our way up to Glacier Point and then back to Mariposa Grove and its giant sequoias. The boys vetoed the hike, staying with the car — only to be set upon by Danish tourists who peppered them with questions about the Model A. Ah, the life of a celebrity.

The next morning, fueled by another of Sheran's delicious breakfasts, it was time for the Model T. First, the boys, using an original gasoline cart, took turns hand-cranking gas into the tank, which is located — gulp — under the front seat. Wrench in hand, David crawled under the car and did a quick tightening of the transmission.

The Model T is the missing link between the horse and buggy and the automobile. Built on the world's first moving assembly line to help drive down costs — introduced at a price of $850, it eventually sold for as little as $290 — more than 15 million were produced from 1909 to 1927.

There are three pedals on the floorboard, but none is a clutch or accelerator. The far-left pedal functions as the gearshift: halfway up is neutral, all the way to the floor is first gear, all the way up is second. The middle pedal is reverse, which can be engaged at any time. And the far-right pedal is the brake, although the car actually doesn't have brakes. When pushed, that pedal engages a mechanism that grips the drive shaft, causing one wheel to stop turning.

On the steering column are the spark advance and the throttle stalks. Turn the key, stomp the starter button on the floor, adjust the spark arrester, mash the left pedal down, move the throttle lever down, and you're off. Simple.

In truth, with about five minutes of David's clear, concise instruction, I felt like great-granddad back on the ranch in West Texas.

We approached a stream, perhaps 30 feet across and 2 feet deep. Without hesitation, the T splashed across, water lapping at the running boards. Try that in your minivan.

Although the T is equipped with an electric starter, no trip would be complete without hand-cranking the car. Several failed attempts later, the words, "It can't be done," escaped my lips.

Up stepped my 13-year-old son. A quick jerk of the crank and — vroom!

How much fun was it? That night, back at the inn, we slightly chilled yet sunburned parents offered to take the boys to dinner.

"Can we go in the Model T?" they chorused.

IF YOU GO ...

Tin Lizzie Inn, P.O. Box 63, 7730 Laurel Way, Fish Camp, Calif.; 559-641-7731, www.Tin LizzieInn.com. Rates start at $250 per room per night.

One-day rental of Model T or Model A is $400, or $450 for four people in one car. 559-641-7731, www.driveamodelt.com.