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| why am I looking so grumpy? :=) Perhaps the lack of dinner the previous night |
This is the Wawona Hotel at the edge of Yosemite National Park. Now known as Big Trees Lodge. It was getting late, it was getting dark, it was getting cold, and we had nowhere to stay! Thank the Small Gods, we finally stumbled across Wawona. Shared bathrooms down the open hallway. No food with us except a packet of jelly beans. And (as some readers may remember) the restaurant only allowed you in if you had evening dress!! Yes, what the?!
Anyway, we were thankful not to be left out in the snow with the grizzly bears eating our toes. Part of the reason we had nowhere to stay was that the Info Centre had phones where you could ring and book a room for the night. Sadly, some tourists are not that good at making decisions on the spot. Each person was therefore taking hours (or was it days?) trying to find a suitable place to rest their heads. By the time we got to the phones, there was nothing left. So we drove and drove (it's 30 miles from Yosemite Valley) and hit Wawona. Phew! Life saved.
Join in with Tiffin Fiona from Bite Sized Food Adventures for the monthly travel photo round-up. Currently on the letter W, as you can see.
Lol - I have been to Yosemite in Autumn, just before the cabins closed for the season. The first snow had fallen and it was freezing and I was worried I could hear bears outside the whole time. We went to Wawona to soak up some of the heat from their fireplace. It is a different world with so many hotels and food outlets in National Parks. All quite well run too.
ReplyDeleteYosemite is so fabulous isn't it? It was snowy on the ground but not too bad. We were cold and hiungry that night without dinner. Such an adventure and the redwoods were beautiful.
DeleteMr Pickings remembers always the best breakfast ever, the next morning. We were starving, and ordered their biggest dish, and it was so fabulous. Lots of pancakes, bacon, eggs and more and the best bit was the large jug of maple syrup. Yum.
ReplyDeleteIt was a great brekkie especially overlooking the redwoods.
DeleteWhat an interesting process to travelling there! Only evening dress for dinner and phones to book places to stay for the night. Can you not book ahead there?
ReplyDeleteIt seemed that you just had to rock up Lorraine. Very odd! It may be different now :)
DeleteThank god for Wawona lol! Yeah, I tend to never pack my evening dress either. I'll be visiting Yosemite National Park later in the year :) Is it worth a trip from San Fran?
ReplyDeleteYes definitely worth a visit Jem. !!
DeleteYou must have been there long, long ago -- everything now is on the Internet. Unfortunately Yosemite is now incredibly crowded. I can't bring myself to go back there to see how it's changed.
ReplyDeleteBest... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
hi Mae
Deleteyes it was indeed quite some years ago. but it was so beautiful. just stunning. we were there in mid to late Autumn so not too crowded.
Sounds like a grand adventure though! It's often the little things we remember more about our trips than the the big things. :)
ReplyDeleteIt was indeed a massive adventure Joy. and yes we remember all the weird stuff more than the good stuff.
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