The Awahnee Hotel

In January of 2008, I signed up for a “Biggest Loser” style contest at work, and managed to win enough money to pay for a really exceptional Yosemite vacation.  We made reservations a year in advance because we wanted to visit for Megan’s second birthday.  We stayed at the Awahnee, the only real hotel in the Yosemite Valley.  As luck would have it, we stayed in the same room that Queen Elizabeth stayed in when she visited.  This was a once in a lifetime experience that we felt very lucky to have.

One recommendation – even if you’re not staying at the Awahnee, take some time to visit it.  Spend some time soaking up the ambiance in the Great Room (which, I might add, has free WiFi access) and run, don’t walk, to the breakfast buffet in the main dining room.  There is no better way to gear up for a day of seeing the park.

The trip into the park was almost as good as the park itself.  The entrance from the east is a wonderful scenic drive along the Merced River.  If you time it right (again, as luck would have it), California Poppies blanket the hillsides all the way in.  We stopped just outside of Yosemite, in the small town of Mariposa, to have a picnic lunch at a wonderful little park.  A great place to stretch the legs and run around for a few minutes.

Lunch at a park in Mariposa

Again, we really enjoyed staying at the Awahnee Hotel.  Here, you see wooden trusses along the entrance to the hotel.

Trusses at the entrance to the Awahnee

Shots of the Mary Curry Tressider room, where we stayed, before entropy had fully engulfed the room.

The Mary Curry Tressider Suite

Megan and Mary Curry Tressider (Megan is the one sitting in the chair; Mary is in the portrait).

Megan and Mary Curry Tressider

We had mentioned that we were visiting for our daughter’s second birthday.  The desk had a cake sent to the room.  What a classy place!  Though, we were thinking we’d be celebrating Meg’s birthday with cupcakes.  I think she probably had the fanciest cake that any two year old ever had for their birthday.

Meg's birthday cake

Somehow, Megan managed to make do …

Enjoying cake

The highlight of the trip for Megan may well have been the cake (actually, she liked the waterfalls).  For me, however, it was the following day.  You see, the Ansel Adams Gallery in the Yosemite Valley has a variety of photo workshops available.  Unfortunately, we weren’t there on a day that a group workshop was taking place, so we hired a guide for a private “photo guiding tour.”  Basically, you hire a professional photographer to help you see the park through his eyes (and to provide some technical advice, where needed).  Our guide was Evan Russel.  Take some time and check out his images.  They are simply stunning.

What follows are a handful of shots from that day that I am most proud of.

Upper Yosemite Falls

Lower Yosemite Falls

Tree trunks along the Merced

Half dome framed by Oak

Photographing the photographer

El Capitan and Trees

El Capitan

Valley View

Fern Spring

El Capitan in reflection

Pinecones and tree trunks

The following two images, one of Half Dome and one of the valley from Tunnel View, were actually taken the day after our session with Evan.  Olin and I went out just prior to sunset on this day.  The other advantage – the air quality the following day was really much better.

Note in this image of half dome, the coloring of the streaks running down its face.  I hadn’t noticed it until I saw the picture.  While Half Dome is certainly majestic, I believe it’s the deposits of color that make the image really interesting to look at.

Half Dome

The classic Tunnel View shot.  Unfortunately, no clearing storms while we were there.

Tunnel View

And finally, our group (sans the photographer).

Traveling companions