Kickin' Back in the Sierra Nevadas

We decided to schedule our trip to Yosemite National Park in the spring before the peak of the tourist season.  It was a good decision.  There was a considerable amount of traffic this early in the season, and there were waiting lines of vehicles to view the popular attractions such as Bridal Veil Falls. However, for those of us with a disdain for crowds, there is a location from which the most popular attractions are visible. Just before the tunnel on Highway 140 there is an overlook from which you can view Bridal Veil waterfall, El Capitan, and The Half Dome.  After a few photos here we continued on to the Wawona Hotel.

The Wawona dates from the 19th century when tourists were delivered by stagecoach. The hotel has 104 rooms and is comprised of several buildings.  Our room was in a building constructed in 1919, and it was small and furnished with period marble topped dresser and night stand.   The two story building had wide wraparound porches with dozens of Adirondack chairs, which were great for relaxing beneath the giant trees.  There was a large common room with tables and chairs and a huge stone fireplace. Since many rooms in this building do not have private baths, including ours, the common bath was well appointed. The main and initial structure for the hotel had all the appearance you would expect of an old hotel of the 19th century: wide full width porches, high ceiling lobby, and posh dining room. We enjoyed our lunch on the front porch.  The cool mountain air had the slight odor of the pines. Claudette had a panini, and I had a smoked turkey with gouda on ciabatta. The food was good and the Stellars Jays provided entertainment. 

Wawona is all about relaxing. There  is a golf course, swimming pool, and tennis court. But we found relaxation in the comfortable chairs beneath the giant trees near the fountain - a great way to pass the time. Later that evening we had dinner in the dining room. There is a quiet serenity as the sun sets in the Sierra Nevada  and long shadows become twilight. It is quiet in the candlelit dining room with only the hushed voices of the diners and the slight tinkle of silverware. The lush lawn and fountain are visible through the huge multi-paned windows as we order our dinner. The  choices are varied with entrees in the twenty-five dollar range.  We made the decision after much deliberation to choose meatloaf with mashed potatoes and broccoli.  When our food arrived we were happy we had opted for the $5.50 fee for splitting the dish.  It was a huge amount of delicious food. I chose pine nut pie for dessert, while Claudette chose her favorite, bread pudding.  It was my first experience with the fruit of the pine tree and must say it was delightful.  But he huge scoop of vanilla ice cream insured my delight.  Claudette’s bread pudding was equally good, she rated it a “10”.

On our way out of the park we stopped by Mariposa Grove.  The parking lot as quite crowded. We walked a marked path through part of this preserved forest of giant sequoia trees.   Many of these trees are over 3,000 years old.  They are truly awesome. 

We followed the signs toward Fresno and our destination of Bakersfield.