The Ahwahnee Lodge, Happy Isles, Mirror Lake
July 22, 2005
After our long day yesterday, we slept in this morning until about 9AM, leaving the hotel around 11. We drove to the valley, parked, and then rode the shuttle to the Ahwahnee Lodge. This hotel, which opened in 1927, is on a grand scale and rates as a AAA 4-diamond property. We had lunch in the dining room. Here is the description of the dining room from "Yosemite: Your Complete Guide to the Park": "The 34-foot tall trestle-beamed ceiling, wrought-iron chandeliers and candelabras, and original china create an unforgettable atmosphere, while the floor to ceiling windows offer vfiews of the changing seasons as a backdrop to your meal. Freshly baked breads and pastries are created daily to accompany the season menu, which highlights sustainable and organic items." The food, service, and atmosphere were all excellent.
A ride on the shuttle took us to the Happy Isles area, where we visited the Nature Center and walked the paths. The park is quite crowded, but in this area there were few people and it was very pleasant. The Happy Isles are three islets that are in the Merced River. The sounds and sights of rushing water make this a relaxing spot. From Happy Isles, we road the shuttle up one stop and hiked one mile to Mirror Lake. The lake is naturally evolving into a meadow and dries up by the end of summer. But today there was still quite a bit of water present, and a number of people were swimming in the lake. From this spot you also have an excellent close-up view of Half Dome.
We bought food for dinner in the general store in Yosemite Village, got back to the hotel around 7:30 PM, and ate dinner. Michael and Katie went swimming (the hotel has both outdoor and indoor pools). We all watched some TV and generally relaxed.
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A selection of photos from our trip can be viewed at Flickr. You might like to watch them as a slideshow. Send us an email by clicking HERE.
After our long day yesterday, we slept in this morning until about 9AM, leaving the hotel around 11. We drove to the valley, parked, and then rode the shuttle to the Ahwahnee Lodge. This hotel, which opened in 1927, is on a grand scale and rates as a AAA 4-diamond property. We had lunch in the dining room. Here is the description of the dining room from "Yosemite: Your Complete Guide to the Park": "The 34-foot tall trestle-beamed ceiling, wrought-iron chandeliers and candelabras, and original china create an unforgettable atmosphere, while the floor to ceiling windows offer vfiews of the changing seasons as a backdrop to your meal. Freshly baked breads and pastries are created daily to accompany the season menu, which highlights sustainable and organic items." The food, service, and atmosphere were all excellent.
A ride on the shuttle took us to the Happy Isles area, where we visited the Nature Center and walked the paths. The park is quite crowded, but in this area there were few people and it was very pleasant. The Happy Isles are three islets that are in the Merced River. The sounds and sights of rushing water make this a relaxing spot. From Happy Isles, we road the shuttle up one stop and hiked one mile to Mirror Lake. The lake is naturally evolving into a meadow and dries up by the end of summer. But today there was still quite a bit of water present, and a number of people were swimming in the lake. From this spot you also have an excellent close-up view of Half Dome.
We bought food for dinner in the general store in Yosemite Village, got back to the hotel around 7:30 PM, and ate dinner. Michael and Katie went swimming (the hotel has both outdoor and indoor pools). We all watched some TV and generally relaxed.
-----
A selection of photos from our trip can be viewed at Flickr. You might like to watch them as a slideshow. Send us an email by clicking HERE.
posted by Bill Bauer at 7:03 PM
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