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Mariposa County, Calif.--Within
five minutes of arrival at Wawona Hotel
in Yosemite National Park, I received three book recommendations. Who says newspapers and books are going out of style?
Relaxed guests at the
historic hotel sit next to a cozy fire, reading all sorts of
literature during what would be a morning rush hour in San Francisco or Los
Angeles. Just think--you could be in your car, foot jumping back &
forth between the gas pedal & break, cars veering dangerously close,
billboards grabbing your attention, and the sun blinding your vision.
I opted for a mountain
top and walked into a time warp with eggs sunny-side up, a steaming cup of
coffee, crackling fire, and intellectualism everywhere I looked. Now this is
my kind of place!
Built in 1879, the National Historic Landmark, Wawona
Hotel, sits
near a majestic grove of giant sequoias. 104 guestrooms spread throughout
eight buildings open onto signature verandas overlooking verdant
meadows, spring through fall, or a blanket of snow in the winter.
With approx. half the
rooms featuring private baths, the rest share toilets and showers. There are
no telephones, no televisions, no air conditioning and the rooms are
decorated with antique furnishings reflecting the era in which the hotel was
established. One lady sitting
next to the baby grand piano in a room off the main lobby looked
up from her book on psychology. She told me she and her husband
came from La Habra in Southern California. "Throughout our
younger years we wanted to stay
here but never could afford it,"
she said. "This is great-- it's my perfect vacation!"
Wawona Hotel with its
tall ceilings, rich crown moldings, antique furnishings, and
interesting guests, seems like a place you could get inspiration
for a book, or sit down and write one. Guests are respectful and
quiet, but when nightfall edges closer, the baby grand in the
main building begins to sing and dance. Tickling the ivory is a SoCal transplant, Tom Bopp. He regularly performs on the Kanabe
grand, weaving songs and stories about Yosemite and Wawona
history, and taking requests.
The stately piano was built for use in Camp Curry but made
its way over to Wawona Hotel, where guests wander by and enjoy its sound as
they wait for a dinner reservation, or drop in after dining. Bopp performs
several songs written for the place, the Wawona Waltz and Wawona Moon.
Created for the Wawona Hotel dance band by Kenneth Hall in 1925, Wawona Moon
never fails to light up a crowd that gathers.
 Wawona Hotel is so old-fashioned, even the meals prepared in the
kitchen come from the property-owned ranch! Fresh produce, just-picked
herbs, and colorful eggs are a few of the ingredients that go into recipes
from top chefs focused on health and sustainable living. Like the other
Delaware North Corp.-run properties in and around the park, the cuisine is
top notch.
For a
full list of accommodations, get the Yosemite/Mariposa County Tourism Bureau
free guide at homeofyosemite.com, or call and request your guide at Mariposa
County Visitors Center: (866) 425-3366. Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon-Sat during
the winter months, beginning in mid-May the Center stays open every day from
7 a.m. to 8 p.m. through November. Location: 5158 Highway 140, Mariposa, CA. |
