The many wonders of Yosemite do not end within its borders. A couple miles south from the South Entrance, behold Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite – an oasis of civilization as inspiring and as harmoniously pertinent to wilderness as the granite cliffs and rainbow waterfalls of the beloved national park.
The AAA Four-Diamond hotel sits on 48 acres of woods and meadows, and looks and feels like a place where you want to vacation time and again. It has its own distinct character, 297 guest rooms, a 6,000 sq. ft. Grand Ballroom, five restaurants, an amazing spa, and is well-equipped for all kinds of outdoor activities.
Arriving after a day spent at Yosemite’s Valley Floor Tour with a side trip to Glacier Point, my husband and I couldn’t wait to settle in our Honeymoon Suite with a hot tub opening up to the warmly-colored bedroom and a splendid view of sugar pines and giant sequoias right outside our window.
To be exact, we were not on our honeymoon – that was, like, 25 years ago, but who says you can’t enjoy a plush hotel room with down bedding, a romantic dinner by a fireplace, and a couple’s massage at a spa on a random weekend? Make it your honeymoon – or at least your honey day!
Let’s not underestimate the three rules of real estate that make Tenaya Lodge so irresistible. Located by the Sierra National Forest, the all-season resort provides its guests with immediate or easy access to cross-country skiing, sleigh rides, snowshoeing, sledding, ice-skating, and snowmobiling in fall and winter. In spring and summertime, there is whitewater rafting, golf and tennis, horseback riding, guided nature hikes (some at night, with flashlights), mountain biking, rock climbing, fly fishing, and various water sports on Bass Lake.
As it happened, there was no snow in the mountains mid-January, and if front of the hotel we saw two racks with equipment for both seasons – one with mountain bikes, another with show shoes – just in case.
On the morning after our arrival, we signed up for a one-hour Guided Nature Hike, which took us on a loop trail through the enchanted forest with hugging trees, icy Big Creek coming from Merced River, and beaver dams.
Fresh mountain air, clear blue sky, and cushy forest floor provided a perfect classroom where we’ve learned that sugar pines grow to 300 feet, hold five needles in a cluster for five letters of the word s-u-g-a-r, and develop huge “widow maker” cones loved by squirrels for their sugary pine nuts.
We also learned that black ravens use 19 different calls, mate for life, and have a special call for their mates (calling them by name?).
We stopped to look at a tree trunk turned into an ant hotel by carpenter ants. Then we stopped to touch a carpet of bear clover. Bears like to roll in these plants to cover their hides with the natural oil which protects them from tics and lice.
Then we marveled at a beaver’s miscalculation – the tree intended for a dam fell not across the stream, but in a different direction…
The forest was serene and quiet. A small plane cruising above was monitoring chips in endangered animals, like Pacific fisher weasel, and doing other environmental work.
For us, it was time to return to the hotel and explore more of its offers for exercise and fun.
Was it the friendliness of the Tenaya Lodge staff or the invigorating effect of the surrounding nature, but I attempted two physical activities I’ve never done before.
First, it was archery at Sierra Mountain Archery Range, steps from the front entrance.
Don’t tell me that traditional recurve bows are easily used by 5-year-olds – I was as proud of my bull’s eye shot as a regular Amazon.
Then, it was ice-skating at the open air 80x40-feet hotel rink. While I was making my wobbly way along the barrier with posted friendly reminders, “Skate at your own risk,” my skate-proficient husband was twirling in triple axels and reclining on the ice for breaks.
Finally, I felt much more confident swimming at the spacious indoor pool, with a video game arcade next door to keep the kiddies occupied while adults are doing their laps.
After the workout we endured during the day, at early sunset we were ripe for the Ascent Spa at Tenaya Lodge, with an outline of Half Dome as its symbol. Recently renovated and decorated with natural stone, earthy-colored furnishings, and nature-inspired photography on the walls, the spa invites hotel guests to its dry heat saunas, tiled steam rooms, dimly-lit massage rooms named after Sierra birds, trees, and flowers, and relaxation rooms where it’s easy to lose any sense of time while sipping hot or cold herbal teas and dozing off to quiet soothing music.
All I can say is, do not leave Tenaya Lodge without a visit to Ascent Spa. A skillful massage will leave you fully restored, renewed and reenergized, even after you have ascended Half Dome or El Capitan.
For a great finale of our “honey day,” we sat down to dinner at Sierra Restaurant off the hotel lobby.
With a fireplace at the dining room center, cozy booths are lined up along the walls, and comfy chairs surround elegant tables for four. The menu is California-comprehensive, and the wine list is California-great.
Sierra Restaurant uses plenty of locally-grown organic and sustainable products and locally produced wines and beer.
I started with my favorite lemon drop cocktail, and it was perfectly balanced and absolutely delightful – take it from someone who knows her lemon drop.
Cheese beer soup made with Fiscalini cheddar and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale was just what the doctor ordered for a chilly winter night.
I also thoroughly enjoyed my eggplant napoleon with layers of grilled tomato, red peppers, and goat cheese, and my husband’s Angus filet mignon with colored fingerling potatoes and cabernet sauce.
When it seemed that we wouldn’t be able to eat another bite for a week, we retired to our luxurious suite for a good night sleep.
In the morning, before we headed back home to the San Francisco Bay Area, a hearty breakfast at Sierra Restaurant set us off for the day.
Was I happy that we overindulged in All-American sandwich with scrambled eggs, prosciutto ham, and cheese, hash brown, and French toast! What lay ahead was an unexpected misadventure with our car breaking down; a kind postmistress of the town of Fish Camp helping us connect with the local mechanics; leaving our car in a shop, and heading home in a rental… But even that couldn’t spoil our mood.
Now we’ll have to retrieve our car from the mechanic’s shop when it’s ready, on some future date, but who knows, maybe it’ll lead to another stop at Tenaya Lodge, and who would complain about that?
More information and reservations at: www.TenayaLodge.com
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