Here’s a great introductory video from OpenRoad.tv with Doug McConnel. I really like their presentations and I’m glad they’re on YouTube. Watch and enjoy.
Category: Lodging
Mommy’s-to-Be Get Pampered at the Tenaya Lodge
I think I’ve mentioned before that my wife and I are expecting our second child and although it’s too late for us here’s a really cool treat all the Daddy-to-Be’s can get for the Mommy-to-Be’s, a Pregnancy Massage at the Tenaya Lodge in Yosemite.
Tenaya Lodge: “Our certified massage therapists provide a nurturing treatment designed to support mothers-to-be, easing the common discomforts in upper and lower back and helping you adjust to the physical and emotional changes that pregnancy brings.”
Hey at $90 for an hour massage it’s a steal. And while she’s getting a nice massage Daddy can go swing the clubs for a few holes at the Wawona Golf Course.
Located just two miles from the south entrance to Yosemite National Park on Highway 41, Tenaya Lodge has a full spa and fitness center including saunas, steam rooms, indoor and outdoor pools and aerobic machines. Fine and casual dining, conference facilities, event catering and fabulously elegant rooms make the Tenaya Lodge a AAA 4 Diamond resort.
For more information on the Tenaya Lodge you can check out their website at www.tenayalodge.com
Photo courtesy of Delaware North Companies.
Going Camping? Here’s What’s Open and Some Advice
Yosemite Valley: Upper, Lower, and North Pines Campgrounds are open; reservations are required. Camp 4 is open on a first-come, first-served basis.
Outside Yosemite Valley: Hodgdon Meadow and Wawona Campgrounds are open; reservations are required. Bridalveil Creek, Tamarack Flat, Crane Flat, White Wolf, Yosemite Creek, Porcupine Flat, and Tuolumne Meadows are open on a first-come, first-served basis.
In addition to the great photo she took of Camp 4, Dawn Endico posted on her Flickr account about her experience with camping in Camp 4. Here’s what she wrote:
Dawn Endico: “Everything I’ve read indicates that its extremely hard to get a spot here but I waltzed right in on Tuesday at about 11am and got a spot with no wait. I left on Thursday at noon and they still seemed to have openings. I imagine its a lot busier on weekends though. Maybe it helps that the maximum stay is now 7 days. One of the rangers speculated that most of the climbers had moved to Tuolumne Meadows but on Thursday that campground still had walkin vacancies at around 3.
At Camp 4 they charge $5.00 per day per person and fill up each campsite with people whether you know each other or not. At the other campgrounds you pay for the whole campsite so Camp 4 is a lot cheaper if you’re alone but maybe more expensive if you’re sharing with others.”
Kai Schreiber (aka Genista on Flickr) also added his comment about staying in Camp 4:
Kai: “We arrived on a Friday at 10am, and it was sold out by 11am. The following morning it was sold out by 9am. It’s mostly luck, I presume.
Saturday evening a couple came by and asked to use our fire because they couldn’t get a spot in the valley and had to drive out of the park to Stanislaus Forest to be able to camp.”
For all of you hoping to get a spot in Camp 4 I hope that gives you some insight with which to plan your strategy. Great info Dawn and Kai.
Photo by Dawn Endico via Flickr.
Photo of the Day: The Ahwahnee by Jim Brekke
I’m going to admit it was hard to pick today’s Photo of the Day. So many great photos. I finally settled on this one by Jim Brekke titled “The Ahwahnee“. This is easily my favorite all time shot of the Ahwahnee. So much detail and so vivid. Love the angle and the way he added weight to the foreground to create depth with the rock on the right.
Nicely done, Jim. Congratulations.
Photo courtesy of Jim Brekke via Flickr.
Mail Call: Steven and Frank in the High Sierra
Steven writes in:
“I’ve been reading your blog off and on in preparation for my hiking trip with my son last week. Great job, with lots of insight into the “real Yosemite”.
Frank and I hiked into Sunrise HSC to open it. We were the first registered guests to sign in for the 2007 season (no prizes, though). We had a great time and hiked down the John Muir Trail from Catherdral Lakes into Sunrise, contemplated hiking to Cloud’s Rest (but it was beyond our capabilities), and then hiked out through Tenaya Lake. The shuttle is running every 30 minutes in both directions from Tuolumne Meadows down to Olmstead Point. I can not imagine hiking it in reverse, and having the shuttle take us to the JMT trailhead was easy and convenient. The hike through Cathedral Pass was awesome, and Long Meadow is stunning.
I’ve attached some pictures-feel free to post them to let people know that these is more to Yosemite than the valley floor. I’ve attached a few pictures of our hike in the high country, and some of the smoke in the valley from the prescribed burn by Bridalveil.
Steven
P.S. I read your entry on surrounding towns in the Sierras and I’d like to add my comments on Jamestown. It’s about an hour(ish) north on 120 and is in the heart of the Sonora Gold Rush. The town is three blocks long, with a haunted hotel, an olive oil store, and gold. The man in the picture is Joshua Vick, who let’s folks dig on his land and find gold. What you see in the pan is the result of 2 of us digging, and sluicing for about 4 hours. In total, we split about $350 in nuggets and flakes with one other family.”
Wow! Sounds like you guys had a great trip! Thanks for the email and photos, Steven.
If you’ve had an exciting trip, done something fun in or around the park or saw something newsworthy, please send it to me. I’m always looking for new stories. Pictures are welcome. You can email me what you have to: loyd@yosemiteblog.com
Campground Highlight: North Pines
North Pines
Open: April through September
Reservations: Required
Cost: $20/night for each campsite (maximum 6 people per site)
Number of sites: 81
RV length: up to 40 ft
Trailer length: up to 35 ft
Pets: Yes
Description: Located Yosemite Valley at 4000ft (1200m), North Pines is set in pine woodlands along the Merced River near Curry Village. Each campsite contains a fire ring, picnic table, and food locker. Bathroom with potable water and flushing toilets available. Showers and groceries available nearby. Spots fill up early so reservations should be made 6 months in advance.
For reservation information visit www.recreation.gov
Map and information courtesy National Park Service and Recreation.gov
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Don’t Just Drive Through, Stop. You Won’t Regret It
A lot of time travelers are so focused on their destination they miss things around them. The little resort community of Groveland just outside Yosemite on Route 120 is one of those things often overlooked. But Groveland has a lot to offer as pointed out in this article in Via Magazine.
Groveland, Calif.: Short Stop: “Many travelers on their way to Yosemite National Park skip the Gold Rush town of Groveland, Calif., just 25 miles away on Highway 120. But those who do stop here can enjoy a quiet Sierra getaway and an ideal overnight rest. Groveland’s historic inns and an Old West tavern make for a charming visit, and because the town is so close to Yosemite, you can beat the heavy summer traffic the next morning (a must if you’re pushing for one of the coveted first-come, first-served campsites).
Head to the Iron Door Saloon—said to be among California’s first watering holes—for happy hour or a meal. Swinging doors and black-and-white photos of the area’s Gold Rush days give this 1850s tavern a pioneer feel; live blues, country, and rock music on the weekends make it Groveland’s gathering place. The adjacent grill serves Cajun catfish, roasted garlic soup, and a Maui Waui burger (glazed with teriyaki sauce and garnished with pineapple and bacon).
Pick up a fishwich at nearby PJ’s Cafe and Pizzeria or sandwich fixings at the Main Street Market, which is also the last full-service grocery store before Yosemite. Then head to Mary Laveroni Community Park, where the swing set and well-kept lawn promise a child-friendly picnic spot.
If you want to do more than merely stretch your legs, a 15-minute drive east from Main Street puts you at the trailhead to Smith Peak, a 3.5-mile round-trip hike with views of Fresno and Merced. And when the temperature soars, ask for directions to Rainbow Pool on the south fork of the Tuolumne River, a swimming hole that locals love.
Groveland’s Main Street also caters to overnight guests. Check out the Hotel Charlotte, a comfortable bed-and-breakfast that opened in 1921. Or for a special occasion, stay at the Groveland Hotel. The two-story inn has a garden patio and a wraparound veranda looking out on Main Street and the surrounding mountains. Its dining room features roasted rack of lamb and an extensive wine list of 461 labels.”
There’s also a great park and museum highlighting the Gold Rush history of Groveland and the surrounding area and lots of really nice people. So don’t just drive through, stop. You won’t regret it.
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No Entrance Fee Increase Next Year
Though it will take a projected $1.2 million in revenue from the NPS budget next year, the National Park Service has decided to waive the entrance fee increase for Yosemite. This is good news for local communities surrounding the park who rely on tourist money.
Fresno Bee: Vehicle fees to get into Yosemite National Park won’t go up to $25 in January after all — good news for communities surrounding the park that are already struggling with lagging tourism.
At least 40 letters from merchants, tourism officials and county politicians were sent to park Superintendent Michael Tollefson during the spring, helping to persuade Yosemite park officials to ask their bosses in Washington, D.C., for a fee increase waiver, Yosemite spokesman Scott Gediman said.
The fee at Yosemite was supposed to go up by $5 next year; other national parks already have entrance fees of $25.
Dan Carter, executive director of the Yosemite Sierra Visitors Bureau, said several counties lobbied against the fee: “We are pretty excited. People imagine the National Park Service as this 900-pound gorilla that’s unapproachable and nearly impossible to deal with, and we feel that this has been a huge step in what I would call embracing the gorilla.”
Campground Openings
Bridalveil Creek, Yosemite Creek, and Porcupine Flat Campground are now open and available on a first come-first served basis.
Remember that some of these campgrounds are not advisable for RV’s or autos with trailers.
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Campgrounds Opening for Summer
Tamarack Flat Campground, White Wolf Campground, and a some sections of the Crane Flat Campground are scheduled to open for the season on Friday, May 25th.