Yosemite: Wawona Hotel

(Continued from Yosemite: Mariposa Grove)

Featured Photo: “Wawona Hotel and Fountain” Yosemite National Park, California—2023

As we headed off onto the Grizzly Giant Loop Trail, my sister and I saw signs pointing the direction to several famous, “must-see” trees—Giant Sequoias with names. We saw the Bachelor and Three Graces…

…and took in their full height.

We viewed the ancient tree, for which the trail is named, and a favorite among visitors: the Grizzly Giant—3,000 years old and more than 200 feet high…

…then walked to the nearby California Tunnel Tree—the only tunneled tree still standing and still alive, in the Mariposa Grove—originally cut in 1895 to allow horse-drawn stages to pass through.

My sister posed in the tunnel, before several other visitors found their way over, to await their turn and crowd under the tree. Before ceding our prime spot, I was able to touch this Giant Sequoia’s bark, which looked chiseled and rough, but felt surprisingly smooth, soft, and spongy.

On the trip with my family 50 years ago, I was able to see another tunneled Sequoia—the Wawona Tree—that had fallen just a few years before, no longer able to survive the damage done to its trunk. In the photo from that trip, you can see me sitting in the back row, turned toward the camera; I remember feeling a bit disappointed the tram could no longer take us through the tunnel.

On the trip with my sister in 2023, we spent two delightful hours strolling through Mariposa Grove—first following the short, easy boardwalk, then taking the slightly more challenging dirt and rock pathway—at least part of it. We decided against taking the full two-mile hike on the Grizzly Giant Loop Trail, as I’d proposed in my agenda for the day. My sister wasn’t interested in a more vigorous walk, and I wasn’t certain how many more trees I might see outside the main grove.

So, happy and tired—and a bit hungry—we left Mariposa Grove and boarded the return shuttle bus to ride the winding road back to our car at the Welcome Plaza. From there, we traveled north, driving back in the direction from which we had come earlier in the day, headed to our lunch destination: the dining room of the Wawona Hotel. It was nearly noon when we arrived; I had not made a reservation, hoping the number of guests would be less on a weekday in mid-October than in the busy Spring and Summer seasons. Turning into the long driveway, we were charmed by the historic, white-washed buildings scattered around the hotel grounds.

The main hotel building was impressive, and called to mind days of old when well-heeled guests might stay at the Wawona, wanting to delight in the grand and varied features of Yosemite, particularly the nearby grove of Sequoias. Built in 1876 in the Victorian style, the Wawona is one of the oldest mountain resort hotels in California, and boasts a large fountain out front, made from river rocks, in keeping with the natural surroundings.

We were encouraged when we found a parking space not too far from the front door of the grand porch; perhaps we would get a table after all. When we went inside, the lobby was fairly empty and quiet, and proceeding to the dining room, we saw only a few people eating there. We had our choice of tables and were able to sit by the windows, with a nice view of the trees and flowers outside the hotel.

The host handed us menus and said our server would be right over. Soon after, a delightful young waitress came to take our drink orders. My sister asked for hot chocolate; I inquired about their beer selection and was happy to request another local offering: Epic IPA from Mammoth Brewing Company in Mammoth Lakes, California.

When the waitress returned with our drinks, she asked if we had any questions about the menu. My sister was thinking of ordering a Grilled Caprese Chicken Sandwich, but the waitress let her know it was served cold, so she ordered the Wagyu Burger instead. I ordered a California BLT, which is what you would expect: bacon, lettuce, and tomato, with avocado added to make it “Californian”.

After taking our order, the waitress turned to go, just as my sister asked her name. She turned back and smiled, then said, “Oh, Español.” My sister and I must have looked puzzled, so she answered, with a gentle Hispanic inflection, “Theresa.” “Ah, Theresa,” I repeated, trying to say her name, using the same pronunciation she had used. She looked surprised, then smiled and asked, “¿Hablas español?” I told her, “No, I don’t speak Spanish. I just try to pronounce words in someone’s language, if I can.” Then I added, “I’ve done some international travel and learned long ago it’s helpful to know how to say two things when visiting another country: ‘Hello’ and ‘Thank you’.”

She smiled wider, then knelt down, close beside our table, and said, “I once read something that I will never forget—something the president of South Africa said…I can’t recall his name right now.” I asked, “Are you thinking of Nelson Mandela?” She replied, “Yes, I think it was.” Then she continued, “He said ‘If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.’”

My sister and I both said, at the same time, “That’s beautiful.” She smiled again, stood up, and said she would be back later with our order. After we’d finished our lunch, Theresa asked if we would like any dessert. She said, “We have a wonderful Key Lime Pie,” then added with a laugh, “I eat it whenever I can.” My sister and I looked at each other—we both love Key Lime Pie—and I asked how much it cost. Theresa smiled and said, “For you, nothing.” Surprised by the reply, I thanked her, then reflected for a moment on her earlier words, “…to her heart…” indeed.

She brought the pie with two forks, and my sister and I shared the delicious dessert. I paid for lunch, leaving a generous tip, then my sister and I lingered a bit longer, walking around the grounds of the Wawona Hotel, remarking what a wonderful experience our lunch had been. We strolled again past the fountain in front of the hotel, before continuing our journey that day.

Ultimately, we were headed back to Tunnel View and then to dinner. But first, we would take a detour onto one of the few side-roads in Yosemite, that would take us to Glacier Point, a world-renowned overlook, described on the National Park Service website as having the most spectacular views of the high country, Half Dome, and Yosemite Valley in the entire park.

(To be continued…)