Yosemite! First Nite.
It is said that the popular translation of the Indian word, Wawona, is "Big Tree". That's a fitting description of our short vacation --trip to the Big Trees! We started out Friday morning early to stop off at Jon and Tao's and trade cars. Tao had a costume to deliver to Josie, so we took a detour to handle that task and then lunch at Grandma's Original Waffle House. The six hour drive was rocking and rolling to a collection of CD's Jon had that chronicled the years 1971 to 1985.
We reached Wawona lodge at about 5:30pm and marveled at the beautiful historic hotel. The Wawona claims to be a lodge, but it's more Southern Plantation in appearance. It's like a cake: the outer layers are lawn, lawn and more lawn. Then fountain, white clapboard building, long covered porch, inviting wicker furniture, Adirondak chairs, and inside an ecclectic collection of victorian decor, furniture, wall paper and light fixtures. The icing on the cake: trees. Pines, cedars, CA oaks, and the Giant Sequoia. Wawona means "big tree", and it lives up to its name!
Both Chris and I felt like we were living in a scene from "Somewhere in Time", the Victorian movie starring Chris Reeve. A look out any window features rolling meadows and seriously large pines. And don't forget the nightly invasion of the mule deer!
Here's a description of the place written by Author J. Smeaton Chase:
"All forest places are places of rest, and meadows and valleys are even more so in their nature. Wawona combines them all, and indeed I do not know a more idyllic spot. Seclusion is in the very air, and its beauty is of that gentle and perfect quality that does not so much command one's admiration as it quietly captivates one's heart." Chase’s description was written in 1911.
Here's what you can expect from modern day Wawona:
No Phones
No TV
No Internet
No Cell Phone Service
Your room is the size of a lovely Victorian postage stamp, so you have no choice but to get out, slow down and relax and look around, play a game of cards in the lobby, listen to the piano, read a book. And with the bathroom and showers down the hall, there's lots of opportunities to chat with fellow travelers.
There are:
Spectacular views
Wonderful service
A piano bar/history show most nites
Terrific food
A real feeling for what the Victorian Luxury experience was like.
We enjoyed a lovely dinner with unparalled views of the forest out the 150 year old windows, pitted uneven glass and all. Then we discovered Tom Bopp at the piano bar.
http://www.sierratel.com/wawonamoon/bopbio.html
To describe himself, Tom has a "short attention span", which is why his musical performance bounces between Celtic, Ragtime, 1920's and folk.
He has a wonderful journal about the hotel here at:
http://www.sierratel.com/wawonamoon/wawpage.html
It was off to bed under the stars, and one of the loudest serenades of pond frogs I've ever heard. They live in the fountain at the front of the hotel, and I wonder how well Jon and Tao slept in the front with a thousand frogs singing their hearts out -- suddenly stopping -- singing some more - stop - more - stop -- you get it.
Two am romps to the restroom are magical. Fog in the air, tiny sliver of moon, trees rustling. They say there are ghosts but I blessedly encountered nothing but a mosquito or two here and there.
More to come!
Karen
We reached Wawona lodge at about 5:30pm and marveled at the beautiful historic hotel. The Wawona claims to be a lodge, but it's more Southern Plantation in appearance. It's like a cake: the outer layers are lawn, lawn and more lawn. Then fountain, white clapboard building, long covered porch, inviting wicker furniture, Adirondak chairs, and inside an ecclectic collection of victorian decor, furniture, wall paper and light fixtures. The icing on the cake: trees. Pines, cedars, CA oaks, and the Giant Sequoia. Wawona means "big tree", and it lives up to its name!
Both Chris and I felt like we were living in a scene from "Somewhere in Time", the Victorian movie starring Chris Reeve. A look out any window features rolling meadows and seriously large pines. And don't forget the nightly invasion of the mule deer!
Here's a description of the place written by Author J. Smeaton Chase:
"All forest places are places of rest, and meadows and valleys are even more so in their nature. Wawona combines them all, and indeed I do not know a more idyllic spot. Seclusion is in the very air, and its beauty is of that gentle and perfect quality that does not so much command one's admiration as it quietly captivates one's heart." Chase’s description was written in 1911.
Here's what you can expect from modern day Wawona:
No Phones
No TV
No Internet
No Cell Phone Service
Your room is the size of a lovely Victorian postage stamp, so you have no choice but to get out, slow down and relax and look around, play a game of cards in the lobby, listen to the piano, read a book. And with the bathroom and showers down the hall, there's lots of opportunities to chat with fellow travelers.
There are:
Spectacular views
Wonderful service
A piano bar/history show most nites
Terrific food
A real feeling for what the Victorian Luxury experience was like.
We enjoyed a lovely dinner with unparalled views of the forest out the 150 year old windows, pitted uneven glass and all. Then we discovered Tom Bopp at the piano bar.
http://www.sierratel.com/wawonamoon/bopbio.html
To describe himself, Tom has a "short attention span", which is why his musical performance bounces between Celtic, Ragtime, 1920's and folk.
He has a wonderful journal about the hotel here at:
http://www.sierratel.com/wawonamoon/wawpage.html
It was off to bed under the stars, and one of the loudest serenades of pond frogs I've ever heard. They live in the fountain at the front of the hotel, and I wonder how well Jon and Tao slept in the front with a thousand frogs singing their hearts out -- suddenly stopping -- singing some more - stop - more - stop -- you get it.
Two am romps to the restroom are magical. Fog in the air, tiny sliver of moon, trees rustling. They say there are ghosts but I blessedly encountered nothing but a mosquito or two here and there.
More to come!
Karen