Yosemite National Park

Rather than eat breakfast in Kings Canyon, we ate some string cheese, and headed for Yosemite at about 7:30 AM, planning to find a restaurant on the way. When we got to Fresno, Kathy asked Google for “breakfast near us” and found a place named Early Birds Cafe that was rated 4.9 (out of 5). It was a few miles off of the freeway, but it was totally worth it. Kathy had a spinach and mushroom scramble with orange juice, and I had the chilaquiles and decaf. 

We got to our hotel, the Yosemite Valley Lodge, a little after noon. Our room wasn’t ready yet, but we were able to register and get our parking pass. Once we parked the car we boarded the free Yosemite Shuttle Bus.

We were hurrying because I’d made lunch reservations for 2:45 at the famous Ahwahnee Hotel, and it was after one when we got on the Shuttle. This 1927 “Parkitecture” gem was Stanley Kubrick’s inspiration for the Overlook Hotel in his film The Shining. As you can see from the picture below, the dining room is very impressive. Both of us thought that it reminded us a little of La Posada, a similar “Harvey House” Hotel in Winslow, Arizona.

There were no reservations available for the formal dinner, and, I didn’t pack my tuxedo anyway. We started lunch with French onion soup, which was great. 

For our entree, Kathy had salmon and I had braised beef. The food was artfully prepared and presented, but definitely a splurge.

After lunch we wandered around the Ahwanhee for a while. I took the picture of Kathy with Half Dome in the back, which appears at the beginning of this entry. We got back to the lodge at about 6:00 PM, picked up our keys, unpacked our car, and turned in.

Saturday, September 19th

We awoke on Saturday a little before dawn, got dressed, and went next door to the Basecamp Eatery two plain but filling breakfast sandwiches, a little coffee and some orange juice. Next door at the main registration desk we got tickets for the 11:00 AM Yosemite Valley Tram Tour. Our room has a little patio with a table and two chairs, overlooking one of the trails across from Lower Yosemite Falls. Since we had three hours until the tram tour, we decided to take a walk. The picture below is facing towards El Capitan. 

Walking around several meadows, and crossing the Merced river, the light in the morning is quiet and peaceful. This is the view in the other direction, towards Half Dome.

On the other side of the river we found the Yosemite Chapel, the only building remaining from the Old Yosemite Village. It is the oldest structure in Yosemite Valley. Built in 1879 near the foot of the Four Mile Trail, it was moved to its current location in 1901. The National Park Service relocated other buildings from the Old Village such as the Wells Fargo station and the jail.

When we got back from our walk, it was time for our tram tour, conducted by NPS Ranger Leo, who was an engaging speaker. The tour left the lodge at 11:00 and our first stop was El Capitan. Leo told us the history of the rock climbers who had first scaled the rock. Although Leo and some of the others saw some climbers just starting out, I could never see them. Kathy brought binoculars with us, but we didn’t take them on the tour.

By this time, the day, which had started out clear and cloudless, became quite hazy, and both of us could smell smoke. We asked Leo and he told us that the Dome fire in the southern part of the park was blowing the smoke towards Yosemite Valley. When we got to the Tunnel View turnoff, to look back towards Half Dome, the smoke was really apparent.

When the tour was done, a little after one, both of us were really hungry. Kathy had enjoyed the pizza we had at the Wuksachi Pizza Deck in Sequoia, and so she was thrilled to hear that there was a similar one in Curry Village. The tour had left us off at the lodge, so we hopped back on the Shuttle and headed over.

Unfortunately, it was Saturday, and the park was overflowing. This line just to order pizza stretched across the deck and out to the sidewalk; easily 50 people. We got in line and waited for about a half hour. When we hadn’t moved at all, we gave up and went into the camp store and bought chicken Caesar wraps, which killed our immediate hunger.

Kathy noticed that the Basecamp Eatery, back at the lodge, had pizza, so we got back on the Shuttle and headed home. When we got there, I had a cheeseburger and fries and Kathy had a small pepperoni pizza with some soup. It wasn’t bad, but not picture worthy.

In the morning, we’ll be leaving Yosemite and heading for our next stop, Grass Valley and Gold Rush country. My great-great grandfather came to California during that time, and settled near there in Gridley, California.